DIViji: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Please Stay There

This is was the nook by Viji's front door.  Not quite the welcoming cove she wanted her guests to see when they first arrived.

Her desire was for a big striking mirror.  We pined over styles similar to this hottie at Pier 1, this Mr. Handsome at Neimans and Momma Mia Mother of Pearl at Lamps Plus.  None of the lookers at the stores fit quite right into the space or the budget.

Something I learned about myself is that I am physically incapable of visualizing a mirror priced over $800 in any space.  Yep, I just see eight $100 bills stapled on the wall in its place.  Eight Ben Franklins staring back at me laughing.  I need to work on that.

So, we decided to make our own.  We bought two packs of six each 12-inch beveled mirrors, one plank, some wood glue, mirror mastic, hanging brackets and a giant can of awesome sauce to dump all over ourselves.

Mr. Schatze cut wood chunks for us so we could make the mirrors different depths.  He did the cutting himself because I am still hesitant to ask to use the miter saw after that incident a couple months ago when I didn't clamp some wood down and sent the saw blade spinning into the machine itself.  I'm pretty sure that I could have lost some body parts, not like the ladder on the table deal which I consider over reacting.

We glued together wood backs of one, two and three layers.

Back at Viji's we attached the hanging brackets with the pee-wee baby nails that were included in the bracket packets.  They were so puny we had trouble holding them in order to nail them in.  Yeah, it was a sign.  We measured everything out so each of the nine mirrors we were using were consistent, shmeared on some mirror mastic and stuck wood to mirrors.

Oh yeah, we also got those little rubber bumper things so that they would hang evenly on the wall and not get all shifty.

The first drilled hole and drywall screw was kind of a big deal.  We chuckled with excitement and nervousness.  I may have clapped a few times too.

Row one done!  The center mirror is out three layers while the top and bottom are one wood layer.  Now for some on-the-money measuring to make sure we get the other six mirrors exact.

Um, yeah, we weren't as exact as we were hoping.  What's that saying that Mr. Schatze always tells me?  Measure once, drill twice?

No biggie.  We got it corrected.  We couldn't have been more thrilled with the outcome.  Viji asked if they were secure for if her kids threw a ball in the house.  It was a sign.  I ignored it.

You can see the different levels better in the photo below.  All that reflection for only about $65.  If only self reflection came that cheap.  

The next day when I cam back over to Viji's the bottom mirror was balanced on the shelf below, kept upright only by the love and support from the mirrors on each side holding it back and screaming, "No, don't do it!"  No breaks, no chips, no damage.  Just a bracket dangling off the back of the mirror held by one tiny nail.

I saw the sign.  Today I pull out the brackets and put in longer nails at a slant.