I found this old mirror at a thrift shop and it definately was a throw back to yester year...especially in the red colour I found it in.
I actually got it for a good price and new with a little paint and lots of TLC I could transform it.
I refinished this years ago so unfortunately I do not have the original picture before my transformation.

It is not that difficult to do and easier to work with in a garage with cardboard laid down on the ground.
It dries better in summer than winter.
The most difficult thing to decide it what colours you want to choose for your home.
The contouring colour could have red, dark brown or black underneath.

Step 1:

Purchase an item you wish to refurbish

Step 2:

Decide on the paint colours you wish to use for your decor
I decided that Distressed Burnished Gold would suit my decor and I wanted black undertones.

With med. grade sand paper, sand around the item, where you would like it to be more distressed in different places
Corners, tops etc. to remove some of the finish or paint the item has already.
This will help your chosen paints to "stick"

Any imperfections will add to the distressed Antique look

Paint the item with flat black water based paint.
Make sure it can be used for wood.
Allow to dry according to can directions.

Sand all over to remove some of the paint, again to distress the item.
My frame had alot of detail so, fold or make the sand paper into a tube shape to fit the grooves and shape of your item.

Step 3:

Using a slightly damp cloth wipe any dust from the frame.
Allow to dry again.

Make sure you purchase compatible metallic paint to go with the undercoat of paint

Coat with burnished gold paint using a small brush to get into the grooves and corners.
You will need instruction at the paint or craft store to get the right type to use for wood.
Brush with heavy and light strokes to cover or expose the paint underneath for the distressed Antique look.

Before it dries, you may wipe with a lint free cloth to remove some paint to expose the black underneath.

Allow it to dry completely.

If you like, with a wet clean brush dipped into the black paint, lightly stroke the black over the gold to further distress the frame.
Wipe away quickly to "dirty" the gold. This is the burnished look which makes items look aged.

Alternatively sand certain "areas" to distress further, then lightly stroke the wet brush with black paint to deposit more black to the area. Wiping and adding as you go.

Allow to dry, spray varnish to finish...You will need help at the paint or craft store to decide on what type of finish you would like.
I chose semi, so it was not too shiny. Again it must be compatible with the previous paints.

If the item has a mirror and it can not be removed, tape well on the inside frame to prevent any paint deposits.
Paint can easily be scraped off with a blade in case of accidents.