MIRROR MIRROR ON THE DRESSER

If I had a dollar for every client that started a meeting with, "I really don't want to spend a lot of money," well, I'd probably be on an island somewhere in the South Pacific sipping something delicious, and not in my office watching the snow fall.  But, let's face it, in this economy it's tough to find anyone willing to hire an Interior Designer, so when I meet a new client I try to offer something many don't...creative ways to save money while making your space look like you spent a fortune.  Last week I met with someone who is in love with mirrored dressers (remember my tip on spotting a trend..walk into stores of varied price scales and spot similar items...mirrored dressers, for example, show up everywhere from Target to Neiman Marcus, priced anywhere from $200 to $15,000).  What's the bummer about trendy items? Sometimes the trend is over before you pay it off!!  So, not only do I try to save clients money whenever I can, I also try to introduce unique, repurposed items into any design I do.  Take the family heirloom dresser above (if an old Ethan Allen piece can be considered an heirloom).  For less than $50 this went from blah to BAM!
WHO'S THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL??
Ready, set, GLAM it up!  Even if you're only repainting an old piece and changing the drawer pulls to jazz it up, wiping away the tears from your childhood dresser is easier than you think.  Run to the hardware store of choice and grab this:
80-100 grit sandpaper
powerful glue
Kilz spray primer
Color of your choice in semi gloss (don't forget if it's a smaller piece you can get away with just buying a sample for under $5)
frameless mirror (many can be found on craigslist for free or buy one of the cheap long mirrors at Walmart or Target for a bathroom door)
**IF AND ONLY IF you are skilled at cutting glass go ahead and cut away (the Home Depot and Lowes sell kits, but I stay away from it).
I choose to take glass into our local glass company and usually he cuts for $15/cut.  A small project like this he'll usually do as one cut.  While he's doing that, I sand the dresser, remove all old hardware and prep for paint by spraying the Kilz primer.  Once that dries, add two coats and allow to dry overnight.  Once the pieces come back from the glass company (make sure you tell him each piece needs holes for drawer pulls, if you're adding them.  Attach with glue, allow to dry overnight (with drawers upside down, mirror side up).