Everyone is going green from food to clothes and now interior design makeover maestro Martin Amado shows us how to repurpose old wood to create something new and stylish.
WSVN — Martin Amado: “Hi, guys. It’s a gorgeous day in South Florida for a do-it-yourself project. So, on today’s Room for Improvement, we are going green by making a decorative mirror out of recycled wood.”
Martin Amado: “Using reclaimed wood in home decor is a big design trend that we see on furniture, on walls, really so many uses, so instead of throwing all these beautiful wood planks away, I thought, you know what? We could come up with a really cool, eco-friendly project. Let’s get to the work table.”
Martin Amado: “The idea is to take a standard $5 mirror and use the recycled wood to create a beautiful, decorative frame. Making it look that much more expensive. Let’s get to work.”
Martin Amado: “The next step is to cut down four pieces of wood to create my frame. So, let’s begin with the two longest first.”
Martin Amado: “I cut my frame slightly smaller than the size of the actual mirror so that I can overlap the wood and hide the plastic frame.”
Martin Amado: “To attach all my four pieces together, I’m simply using a mending plate right across.”
Martin Amado: “And here’s our frame. Let’s attach the mirror now.”
Martin Amado: “I’m attaching my mirror to the wood frame using these mirror clips.”
Martin Amado: “Now, typically, they actually go like this, and they’re completely visible in the front, so because I want it to be hidden, I’m just adapting it for my own needs.”
Martin Amado: “I love seeing all the imperfections around the frame that make this piece unique, and that’s the whole point behind using reclaimed wood. It’s rustic chic.”
Martin Amado: “A mirror of this size can easily cost you over $200 at retail. But, we only spent $20 on materials because, remember, the wood was free.”
Martin Amado: “You can take the same idea and create a frame for photos, maybe even a shadow box or even recover an entire wall. The point is, do not throw wood like this away because it can add a designer look in your own home for much less. Until next time, I’m Martin Amado for 7News.”
Looking for some design tips or maybe have one to share with Martin? Email Martin at Room@wsvn.com or give him a call at 305-576-HOME or 954-962-HOME.