Rental Bathroom Mirror Renovation | DIY Mirror Frame | Live Lovely

One of my pet peeves about renting are apartment bathrooms. From the lights to the tiles to the fixtures, they’re not usually the most beautiful rooms in a rental apartment. There are many ways to improve a bathroom in a rental on a budget, but some things just cannot be changed. One of the ways we have spruced up our space in the past is by painting one small accent wall, but this time we decided to skip on the paint as we felt it would not work in this space. One of my pet peeves in rental bathrooms are the mirrors. In every rental I have ever lived in, the mirrors have been clipped or glued to the wall in a sloppy way. A few years ago I thought of a simple and affordable temporary solution, but I have never attempted it until this weekend.

We are renewing our apartment lease so I knew it was time to make this apartment truly ours, starting with the bathroom. It is my year of living lovely and I promised myself to focus on making this apartment into a true home and that starts with personalizing the space. I’m sure this has probably been done before, but I am proud of myself for inventing this little mirror fix all on my own. I did not find it on Pinterest or in a home design magazine, this was pure imagination! 

This particular mirror is glued to the wall and has rugged edges covered in wall paint. To give the bathroom a more polished and sophisticated look I decided to frame the mirror. This project cost less than $20 and took about twenty-five minutes to install. I chose a white frame for this particular bathroom because I thought it would work best with the space and create a very brightening and sophisticated look. This is what it looked like before:Far from being the prettiest rental bathroom, but it has been our personal favorite from the places we have lived in the past. We are thankful for the large counter space that we have. 
Up close, the edges leave a lot to be desired. The first step was to measure the full length of the mirror’s height and width. Then I went to Home Depot to pick up window/door trim. There are many options to choose from. I chose this simple white trim because I thought the diameter would frame our mirror beautifully. It cost $1.09 per foot. Our mirror is 53″ long by 37.5″ high. 

A nice man who worked at the store helped me cut it, but unfortunately he measured the pieces several inches too long. I did try to politely correct him, but I was a young female in a home improvement store so we can all guess how that went (insert sigh here). He insisted he was right. Thankfully, my awesome friend Ben lives close by and he let me borrow his garage and saw to make some new cuts. 
You should have seen me with the power saw. Now that is some girl power. Remember: measure twice, cut once!You will also need to purchase caulk to fill in the corners after the frame is put together. For this project you will also need a hot glue gun and some hot glue. I know it sounds a little silly, but the hot glue is perfect for holding the frame onto the mirror and also pops off when you pull on it, making it ideal for rentals where you cannot make permanent changes. It raised some eyebrows when I explained my method to the man at the store. If you haven’t discovered the power of hot glue yet then you are in for a treat. Hot glue is amazing. First, make sure the mirror surface is completely clean. Then dab a dime sized dollop of hot glue on a few parts of the backside of the trim and place them evenly onto the edges of the mirror, connecting the pieces like a puzzle to get them close. The glue dries fast so you have to be sure when you place it down. When all four pieces are in place fill in the gaps with caulk and gently wipe away the excess. Touch ups for caulk and paint may be required to polish off the look. I’m very happy with the final product. Overall, this took about twenty minutes to put together. Madeleine immediately had to investigate the new setup. She approves! Then it was time to place our things back onto the counter. An indoor low-light plant adds a nice touch. And voila; a more polished look for a rental bathroom! I would love to hear your ideas for making a rental bathroom look a little more posh on a budget. How do you make the most of your rental?