Anthropologie Mirror Dupe

Friends…I am legit sitting in my office on a Sunday just pounding out some content. My sister invited me on an impromptu vaca/getaway/could be a little stressful trip, with her, my nieces, and my mom, down to Texas this week. So, I’m getting all my posts and emails prepped today, in the hopes that I don’t have too much work to do while I’m away!

I wanted to share one of the fun and inexpensive DIY projects I’ve been working on lately, hoping to inspire you to get a little creative with your own home! So, we all know that I love a good deal and that I basically thrift for as much of our home décor as I can. Well, did you also know that while I might be cheap, I also have really, really, REALLY expensive taste. Ha…the irony! It’s a struggle. I’m aware of my problem and I’m trying to work on it.

Anthropologie’s Gleaming Primrose Mirror is beloved by Instagram, and I fully admit to loving it too. Since it doesn’t fit into my budget, though, I had to get creative with a thrift store mirror DIY makeover. It’s easy and budget-friendly!

If you are lucky and have those dollars, you can buy the Gleaming Primrose Mirror Here. If you do, don’t tell me. I’ll be jealous and then it will get awkward. You should get if you can, though, because it’s gorgeous.

Being that not all things are fair in the world and that I do not have the dollars to buy my own Gleaming Primrose Mirror, I had to come up with my own way of recreating the look. So, a-thrifting I went! I got to spend an amazing day with a friend hitting all the thrift stores in three towns near us recently and it was just the best. I love to thrift, and you can find so many great, reasonable items for your home! We were lucky that day to find a ton of things, my project mirror being one of them.

It’s not exactly the same as the Anthropologie beauty, but it has a similar feel and shape…and was only $6.99. I couldn’t pass-up that deal, so it came home with me. I woke up the next day, hauled it into the house while Jason was still sleeping, and started in on giving it a little makeover.

I had bought a tube of Rub 'n Buff recently, but I hadn’t had a chance to try it out yet. First off, can we just get it out of the way now that the Rub ‘n Buff people chose a really unfortunate name for their product. Like…it had to have been a group of nuns or something who brainstormed that name. It was definitely not a 13-year-old boy, or a nearly-40 gal who thinks like one, who could have put that name on a product and felt good about it. If you can get around the silly name, it’s a fantastic secret weapon to have in your project toolbox! I used the Antique Gold for my mirror, but there are a few other finishes to choose from as well.

All I did to prep the mirror was to lightly dust it, trying to get all the thrift store cobwebs off. I didn’t sand it at all, which is great…the less prep the better! I used a combo of my fingers and an old dish towel to apply the Rub 'n Buff, but a friend mentioned later that a dry paint brush works too, helping to get into all the nooks and crannies, and to add a more layered look.

I mushed the product around in the tube a bit to make sure it was mixed well, then squeezed a little out onto my finger and just started applying. I wiped it on and then went back over it quickly with circular motions. The Rubb n Buff covers a lot of space with just a little product, so start with a small amount…you can always add more. I worked my way around the entire face of the frame, moved to the inside lip of the frame, and then to the outside. I only did one coat, but you can do more if you choose to—be sure to let “dry” for a few hours before adding more, or it starts to clump and look weird. The “buff” part comes in once it dries a bit, because you can go back over it with a cloth to create more shine.

Once I had the coverage on the frame of the mirror that I wanted, I added felt pads to the bottom of the mirror and the back, to help prevent scratching on our fireplace mantel. We just painted it and I could cry thinking about anything damaging it so soon. Want more details on that project? Check out my posts for a'Drab to Fab Fireplace Makeover' HERE and my 'Magic Light Trick'!

I loved how the mirror looked by itself on the mantel, but that’s not really my style, so I needed to add a few more things to complete the look—now it’s more in-step with my eclectic design. I grabbed the trophies from Younkers Department Store when it went out of business last year, the plants are from Trader Joe’s, the chinoiserie vase is from Goodwill, and the other pieces have been thrifted as well. My aesthetic is mix of lots of different styles and time periods—making it easy to move things throughout the house, because everything just kind of “goes together”. Curious about blending colors in your home? You might be interested in my ‘Whole House Color Palette’.

I still have most of the tube of Rub ‘n Buff left and have been eyeing a few more pieces in the house to give a little makeover. I highly recommend trying this product if you haven’t already. It’s very easy to work with and a little goes a long way, so it’s a cheap way to give your things a new look on a budget!

Happy decorating!