DIY Farmhouse Chippy Mirror Makeover

This post revisits one of my earlier projects—a mirror makeover—because sometimes the first attempt doesn’t fully satisfy me. I wanted a farmhouse, chippy finish on this mirror, so here’s Mirror Makeover: Take Two.

To be fair, my first attempt was my introduction to milk paint. I didn’t really know how it behaved, but I tried it anyway and learned a lot from the experience.

Below you can see how the mirror looked originally. My husband found it at the curb and knew I’d love it—and he was right. I painted it previously with Old Fashioned Milk Paint (the SafePaint version).

One year later I revisited the mirror with improved knowledge of milk paint. I’d completed several other projects since—bookcases, an Ikea shelving unit, and a chalkboard stand—and learned to appreciate how beautiful and smooth milk paint can be when applied with care.

This time I wanted the original Old Fashioned Milk Paint formula to get a true chippy effect. Previously I had used the SafePaint version, which includes a bonding agent to prevent chipping and to adhere to non-porous surfaces like metal. The original formula, without bonding agent, is designed to chip and works best on porous materials such as wood.

I decided to be a little rebellious and used the original milk paint formula without the bonding agent to encourage chipping. I also chose Snow White this time—a warmer tone than the oyster white I used originally.

I mixed the Snow White milk paint using equal parts lukewarm water and milk paint powder, then applied about three coats to the mirror frame. After painting, I waited for the paint to dry—and that’s where things got interesting.

Within about an hour the paint had turned into the chippy texture I wanted. Initially I was excited, but when I discovered that a gentle blow or touch removed paint easily, I realized something was wrong: the paint wasn’t adhering properly.

It turned out excessive chipping was caused by an earlier application of wax on the mirror, which prevented the milk paint from bonding to the surface. I reached out to experienced users for advice and learned that I had two choices: strip everything back to bare wood or reintroduce a bonding agent.

Not wanting to sand in cold weather, I chose the easier route: I mixed Extra Bond into the milk paint to help it adhere. Luckily I had a bottle on hand. After wiping down the frame and removing the loose chipping paint, I applied two more coats of milk paint that included the bonding agent.

After the paint dried overnight I sanded lightly and distressed the edges to enhance the layered, aged look.

Next I sealed the finish and deepened the color by applying Daddy Van’s All Natural decorative wax in a dark tone. The wax added richness and protected the paint layers while highlighting the distressed details.

After buffing the wax with a clean cloth the frame had a pleasant sheen and a sense of depth from the multiple paint layers. The final result shows aging and texture—as if the mirror has been around for years, but in the best way possible.

The layered look, peeling areas, and subtle distressing give the mirror a unique character. I didn’t love the chippiness at first, but over time I grew to appreciate how it reveals layers and personality.

Here’s a detail shot showing the weathered, peeled layers and how the wax brings out the contrasts.

Comparing the before and after shows the dramatic change: from simple brown wood to a warmer, layered farmhouse look with depth and character.

This look won’t be for everyone, but the bonding agent saved the day for me. The mirror’s unique character deserved that special treatment.

Lesson learned: even if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing at first, trying new things teaches you a lot. If you run into problems, there’s usually a solution—sometimes with a little help from others.

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