DIY enthusiast Susanne Kristy recently shared a clever and budget-friendly hack for transforming her windowless hallway.
Drawing inspiration from the New York loft style, often characterized by raw, exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and large grid windows, Susanne created a dramatic, industrial-chic mirror to open up her space using IKEA mirror tiles.
“I saw a similar mirror wall in a shop in Bologna, Italy and made a small version for my apartment,” Susanne explains, “The hallway in my home is very dark and the decor is New York loft so I chose the mirror wall and made it.”
The process of antiquing the mirrors is time-consuming but straightforward. Here’s how she does it:
Materials and Process
Susanne’s project revolves around the use of the IKEA 12×12″ (30x30cm) square mirror tiles, BLODLÖNN (or LOTS if you have the older version). The process begins by stripping the grey backing from the tiles using a paint stripper.
Once the grey backing is removed, the next step involves spraying the backs of the tiles with a half-strength vinegar solution. This technique helps dissolve the silver coating to the desired degree, creating a unique, distressed look. After the silver coating has dissolved, the tiles are thoroughly rinsed.
Antiquing Mirrors for New York Loft Style
Then, spray the backs of the treated mirror tiles with gold and/or black spray paint. Mist the paint lightly, checking the intensity of the colors and the patterns that peek through. This step creates the aged window look you’ll see on old buildings.
Once done, let the mirror tiles dry completely.
Installation of loft-style mirrors
The final phase of the project involves the installation of the tiles. Susanne ensures the mirrors are clean before using the IKEA double-sided tape, included in the packet, to fix the mirrors to the wall.
For the finishing touch, Susanne divides the tiles using half-round dowels painted black. This clever addition creates the illusion of New York loft style windows, and bounces light to the otherwise dark hallway.
She will further embellish the mirrors with strip LED lighting installed above the wall pointing down.
The reason it works so well is that Susanne covers the entire wall with mirrors, from floor to ceiling, which further reinforces the impression of grid windows.
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