Lace Crazy: Raised Panels in Deep Set Windows...

Remember where I left off after we finished the "Custom Built Entryway Mirrors"?

I was going to finish something custom in the deep set window wells in the master bedroom...

I'm working on it today...

When I left off after the custom entry way mirrors were completed, one of the bedroom windows looked like this...

Remember?

Well, we used some hardy board, some trim and a couple of the plastic decorative panels from the old poker table in the "Custom Built Entryway Mirrors" blog post, to create some custom, raised panels in the deep window wells in the Master Bedroom. The window wells are so deep because this old house has 2' thick rock walls ~ remember?

The windows were really BORING before - just long, deep and white...

Then, the 'Man-Child' made the raised panels for me.

I painted them white and the whole thing was so 'off balance' that frankly, I just wanted to rip them off the wall. But, it took him a bit of time to make them and afterall, I'm the dingbat that wanted them, so how could I just do that?

Then, we came up with a brilliant plan...

Photo frames perhaps ?

Maybe, if we could find the right size, cheap, but decorative frames, we could glue them above the panel and below it to even things out?

Yes, we could have made a couple more, smaller scale panels like the center one, but I was seeking flamboyant, not so much stripped down...

I'm a cheapskate, remember...

There's no way I was going to spend a lot of mulla on this project. In fact, I spent a couple hours scouring my stashes hoping I could come up with something. Come up with a tidbit
(well, 8 tidbits because I have 2 windows...)
that would work in here without spending any money.

It was to no avail...

I didn't have 8 anythings alike~

I didn't have 8 frames.

I didn't have enough small trim anywhere to make 8 small frames.

The dollar store?

Everything at the local dollar store was plain, modern / retro and just not what I was looking for.

There is a 'Family Dollar' in a larger town North of us - it's closing down. Everything is on clearance, so we thought we would go look and see if perhaps there was something cheap there that would finish the project and balance the panels.

THERE WAS~!!!

They were different colors, but there were 4 packages and the were the perfect size...

They were originally $10 a package, but they were on clearance for 40% off, so that was $6 a package = $24
I could spare $24 to finish the 'Raised Panels' in the window wells...

(And, I have 4, oval frames left for some other hair-brained project I might come up with in the future~!)

I just took the backs off the picture frames and used hot glue to temporarily stick them to the wall.

Then, I went around them with paintable caulking. The paintable caulking is the permanent adhesive and they are stuck solid...

There was a lengthy discussion on whether to leave them mirrors, put a blank panel in the mirrored center, or find a pic, or something similar to finish off the centers, but we chose to leave them mirrors, to reflect the light.

And, they are GORGEOUS as mirrors...

They're currently 'frog taped off' and they have received a coat of primer
(I'm waiting for it to dry...)

They will be painted the white color of the panels in the center and the same color as the window wells.

When all is complete, I'm going to antique them with a brown wax to give them some age...

They are going to be GORGEOUS when they're finished, and they match the master bedroom 'Custom Entryway Mirrors' we finished last month.

Who would have known an old, ugly, poker table base and a few plastic frames from a discount store could have produced such elegance?

My fingers are crossed that this Master Bedroom redo will be completed soon...

UPDATE:

I got a bit of time today to get them antiqued...

Oh, my - that's all I can say~~~

I used "Fiddes & Sons" clear wax and followed it with "Fiddes & Sons" Rugger Brown wax. I let it set up for a couple of hours and then white washed back over everything to keep the crisp, french white look I've fallen for in the room.

Someday, I'll figure out this photography thing, but for now - if I step back, I get a great big white blob because the sun is right outside this window. If I take close pics, they look like black & white's.

Better pics will come later - I think they're gorgeous this way for some reason...

I'm lovin' how this room is turning out, so stay tuned~!