Updating A Sideboard with Looking Glass Spraypaint

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We all have a piece of furniture that needs updating. Or perhaps we are looking for a fun project. Today I’m showing you an easy and cheap way to update glass using Krylon Looking Glass Spraypaint. Now, keep in mind that it will not give you a “new mirror” look. But, it will give you an “old world mirror” look as you will see below. This project took about an hour from start to finish and cost me no more than $12!

I use mirrors all over our home. They add light through reflection and make a space feel bigger. See how I’ve used mirrors to open up the entryway.

The sideboard in our Dining Room has been in need of a pick-me-up for some time now. For the past few years I’ve been trying to figure out how to do it. Should I repaint? Should I change the knobs? Either of those changes would have elevated this piece, however, they couldn’t fix the main problem I had with it. Seeing all of my beloved odds and ends within.

I love that it stores my citronella candles right inside the back patio should it start to rain or the sun begins to melt them. My long cracker dishes reside here as they are difficult to house anywhere else. One drawer is full of florist wire, wire cutters and appetizer chalkboards. The other has left over wrapped silverware from a party, rhinestone stickers and a small children’s book. Go figure.

Someday I might have this piece perfectly organized to showcase it’s insides through clear glass. But not today.

It’s a smorgasbord in my sideboard! And I’m tired of looking at it!

It’s been such an eyesore, especially when taking pictures this past Christmas of this space. See the mess below?

What to do?

Sure, I could reorganize and purge, but I like the organized chaos that resides behind those closed yet see through doors. And I use everything in there at some point.

I thought of attaching fabric to the inside of the doors. But, this idea only led me down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what fabric to use. Burlap would be fun and would match my decor. Something fancy like toile would be pretty. The ever popular trellis pattern would obviously fit in. But, my indecisiveness was already giving me visions of changing this with the season or my mood.

Problem solved!

While scrolling through Pins on how to create faux mercury glass (I’m a sucker for mercury glass!) my light bulb went off. Why not use the Krylon Looking Glass spray paint for it’s original intention?

Items needed for this project

Luckily we had a freak 70 degree weekend in February. And, I took full advantage of it! I grabbed:

• some leftover Amazon boxes from the garage
• Krylon Looking Glass spray paint
• gloves (which I forgot to put on)
• panes of glass (or whatever you are painting)

Learn From My Mistakes

Here’s a helpful tip: Use regular Windex to clean your glass as it won’t leave a film. I sprayed mine with our trusty glass cleaner that foams up and thought it was completely wiped off. You will see below what happens when there is any film at all when you spray the paint on. I don’t mind it so much as this sideboard is tucked behind our table and chairs If it was front and center I would have started over.

Ready, set, spray

Per the instructions on the can and of fellow Pinners, I shook this can for a full 2 minutes. Y’all, that was the longest 2 minutes…

I gave both pieces a very light mist and allowed them to dry for a few minutes before proceeding.

And a second coat. Again, allowing them to dry for a few minutes.

And the final coat. Here you can see where the film residue and spray didn’t mix (bottom pane). Keep in mind that you will not get the “mirrored” effect on this side. It will look dull just like below. The magic happens on the other side when you turn them over. Note: the dull side faces inward when putting glass back in.

And puh-pow! An old world mirror look that is as slightly distressed as the sideboard itself. You can still see my cracker dishes if you look close enough. But, hey, this works!

The Krylon Looking Glass spray paint worked just fine for me. Yes, it leaked onto my hands which is a complaint I read about in the reviews. But, all spray paints do this and it doesn’t bother me. Maybe that’s why I forgot to put on my gloves? Some reviewers felt it didn’t create a true crisp clean mirror like we are all used to. True, it won’t. If that’t the look you’re going for then you will need to get some mirrored glass inserts instead.

I really dig the effect of this and didn’t expect it to look like a new mirror. And with about half the can left I have a good excuse to try the mercury glass look on something else.

If you’re looking to make an affordable and easy change on glass, this just might be your project! Let me know what you updated with this spray paint.