Recently I did a little upgrade to my guest bathroom. Today I am going to share with you how to frame a basic bathroom mirror, without having to remove it.
This is one of those super quick projects that cost less than $20 and is easy to do.
I have done it many times, in different houses where there was just a builder grade frameless mirror and no pizazz.
Actually, on this current project I am going to show you, there was actually a tile frame put around the basic mirror. I didn’t like it at all, and frankly, it was doing nothing for the aesthetics of the bathroom. It had to go! So I covered it with the same method I use to frame a frameless bathroom mirror.
A quick bathroom upgrade
The house we live in is a Cape Cod style home custom built in the 50s. The guest bath still had the original old, flat cabinets and the entire room needed a refresh.
I set out to update the cabinets by making them look like the inset custom cabinets that we put in our kitchen when we renovated. That upgrade was a bargain at about $60 for the entire project.
Once the cabinets were looking good, I could tell that something was still off. Ugh! The mirror needed an update too.
Covering an existing tile frame
The bathroom has white marble tile on the floor, half way up the wall, in the shower, and on the vanity top. Then, for some reason, someone got the great idea to add a hex stone frame around the mirror.
It was here when we bought the house and I have never been a fan of it. After the cabinet was upgraded, it looked even worse. So there was only one way to deal with it, cover it up!
Whether you are covering something up like I was, or simply adding a frame to the mirror, the process is the same.
How to frame a basic bathroom mirror
The first step in framing out your basic builder bathroom mirror is to choose the moulding you want to use. This is completely dependent on your style preference, what is easily available in your area, and what is within your budget.
Whatever you choose, it needs to have a flat back. I picked something that was actually meant as a base moulding. It has a little detail on one edge, and it was the right width to cover this stupid hex tile.
Make sure that the boards you choose at the lumber yard are flat and straight! And also, buy what you like. It doesn’t matter an “intended use” of a moulding (as mine was meant as base moulding) as long as it fits the application you are doing. Use what you like!
Cut moulding to fit over frameless mirror
Using a miter saw, cut your four pieces of moulding to make a frame. I always size it 1/4″ larger than how wide the area of mirror I am covering.
I measure all sides to make sure they are even, and then cut two vertical pieces exactly alike, as well as the horizontal pieces.
Attaching the moulding to the frameless mirror
Using construction adhesive, squirt the glue onto the bottom half of moulding that will be the bottom of your frame.
It is VERY IMPORTANT NOT to put any adhesive within an inch of the top edge of your moulding, or you will be able to see it in the reflection of the mirror.
Attach this directly to the mirror, and hold in place for a few minutes. This piece will need to be stable and dry before adding the other three pieces, as it is the main support for those parts. This is an important step, especially if your moulding is heavier.
Securing your bottom moulding to the mirror
I usually use books or any heavy item to butt up against the moulding and keep it tight to the mirror while it dries. You can use tape, but sometimes that doesn’t always hold up the moulding you have chosen depending on the size and style. Learned that the hard way.
My right side kept on popping away from the mirror, so I secured it with a clamp since I had an edge of the vanity top to squeeze it to.
If your mirror is not in the corner like mine, you can even secure a longer board over the moulding, temporarily securing it to the wall with screws. It should cover the bottom piece and hold it tightly while it dries.
That method can also be done in a corner, but I didn’t want to do any of that because the room had already been wallpapered a few years back. I didn’t want to screw into the wallpaper.
Just use whatever method works with your moulding. Bricks work well to butt up against since they are heavy. Let the bottom moulding piece dry overnight to be sure it’s secure.
Adding the additional moulding pieces
After the bottom piece is secure and dry, I like to add the two side pieces. The secured bottom moulding will now stabilize the sides and keep them from slipping.
Secure them with the construction adhesive, again not getting too close to the edge. The two sides can be secured with tape. Make sure your 45 degree angles are matching up in the corners.
I allow them to dry overnight as well. The sides will now be stabilizing the top piece when you secure it.
Secure the top and final piece of moulding to frame out your frameless mirror.
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Finish detailing and painting
After filling any gaps and sanding, it is time to paint. When painting the front of the frame, I keep the paint on the face of the moulding away from the edge touching the mirror.
Since anything that would get too close to the edge would be shown in the reflection, I like to avoid having any paint that could seep behind the moulding.
For this project, I painted the mirror frame in the same color that I had painted the cabinets when I redid them.
An upgraded frameless mirror
The room is now complete. I have been cleaning, organizing, and styling it.
Removing the view of the hex tile, and covering it with the frame really simplified the look for this guest bathroom. Even without the tile, when you are merely just covering the edges of a frameless mirror, the surrounding moulding will instantly upgrade the space.
I hope this simple project will inspire you to make a change needed in your space.
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It turned out great! I love the new look!