French Hall Console Table Low Clearance From Mirror Harp

Intro: French Hall Console Table Low Clearance From Mirror Harp

So have you ever seen those fancy french hall console tables with all the carvings, and the mirror on top in those giant houses with halls 30 feet across? But you are stuck in your all white apartment with 2 feet of space and your budget is 15$ not 15000$? Ya me too.

So today will will REPURPOSE an beat up old antique dresser mirror and it's harp to fake the elegance of those console tables. Now generally I hate the whole DESTROY perfectly good antiques with chalk paint trend..but in this case we will make an exception, because there are a lot of these mirrors around and they really are hard to use..forgive me my trespasses. Try at least to use one that is really beat up.

Material list:

vintage dresser mirror and harp
Narrow Piece of wood or shelf
A few screws
Some wire to hang
Drill
Saw
Paint and Brush
Sandpaper or steel wool

The big bucks french hall console table we are faking

STEP 1: Step 1: Off to the Garage Sale or Classifieds (or Basement)

This project is so trivially easy it is quite funny.

First you beg borrow or steal, a beat up vintage dresser mirror with some fancy shape and some mouldings. The taller the harp (the frame holding the mirror) is the better it will look.

Ideally it will come with a chunk of wood for a shelf too.If not just buy any sized piece of wood you want and cut to fit. Round the corners or make some curves with a jigsaw if you want.

STEP 2: Step 2: Dissasemble It and Paint It the Colour of Your Choice (white Shown)

Really, it is that simple. Take it apart, sand it a bit, and paint it. (you may remove or tape off the mirror) You dont have to be talented, or skilled, or anything. Let your kids do it if need be.

Now watch the paint dry. (Fun right?)

Save the harp swivel hardware to string some wire though it to hang the pieces (or screw it right to the wall)

Put the mirror back in (if you didnt just tape it).

Screw the shelf (just a flat piece of wood will do...make fancy corners if you want) to the originally bottom but now top of the mirror harp (predrill if need be).

Hang on the wall.

You now have your low clearance french console table. Tah-dah!

STEP 3: Make 5 or 6 of Them at Once and Sell Them at Your Local Consignment Shop for Real Money!

These will fly out the door if you sell them or make them for friends!

Comments

[Lised111]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!
SIMPLE !!!!!!!
Thank you!

[floatchick]

If you have this flat against the wall with a one or two inch horizontal piece of wood it isn't much of a shelf. It's more of a ledge. However, you change the depth of the shelf and add little side pieces, it would make it functional enough to place your keys or mail, etc. Also, please add more pictures of your process.

[solipsism]

As stated you can make the top of the flat table to your desired dimensions. And add supports of your choosing as desired as well.

As far as the process, I think "paint it white" is pretty self explanatory, as is screw to the wall. If you wish more detailed painting instructions there are several to choose from on this site.

[LauraC184]

thank you for the term, "mirror harp." I've never known what to call it! I'm trying to attach a picture of another way to use this lovely piece, and, well, i'll keep trying...

[LauraC184]

https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/BettyTable/tools/listings/248237782?ref=listing_card_body&from_page=/your/listings

[bethmwl]

Very nice, I like the slimness.

[floatchick]

Thank you for the clarification, it helped me visualize the project better.

[floatchick]

the mirror in your photo at the top doesn't show any fancy scrollwork that is shown in your final product. the 2nd picture is very confusing as there a pieces of wood that seem to be unrelated to your project.

[solipsism]

Sometimes you dont take pictures and have to retrofit things. lol.

The whole project just requires a mirror with it's support ,and something of the desired dimensions to put on top of the table to fit your needs. The mirror doesnt have to match at all actually, and there are an infinite variety of the basic turn of the century dresser mirror you can use from plain to fancy.

As far as the picture of all the pieces on the floor, I indicated what you would choose in a typical neighbourhood garage sale, or what might be laying around a salvage shop, etc. Not all the pieces show would be used for this project...thus the arrows showing what would be useful in the pile for this case.

[solipsism]

For instance if you want a much fancier table...you could start with the mirror support from a dresser like this: (but please only used junky unloved pieces, not antiques in good shape, i cannot advocate destroying good or even refinishable pieces.)

http://russellvilleantiques.com/wp/wp-content/uplo...

[solipsism]

You might note that the scrollwork comes WITH the source antique part, you dont have to add it. Yes the pics were retrofitted as there were no originals, but it is a concept here not anything involving any detailed thought.