Using Salvaged Windows to Decorate

Salvaged windows always make for great homebar decorations. Whether they are tall windows that can liven up the entrance or long windows that can add dimension over a table with a set of stools, salvaged windows add character. Sometimes, leaving them painted the way they were abandoned is a classy touch.

Here's a unique idea from a Marine buddy of mine. He installed this in his homebar and it came out great! He is working on a fisherman's style pub for his homebar. I think it fits perfectly.

Items You Will Need:

- Salvaged Window

- Mirror

- Paint Scraper

- Sand Paper

- Glass Cutter

- Hammer

- Stain

- Hinges

As I said before, leaving them painted the way they were abandoned is a classy touch. But, staining them also looks nice. It's up to personal style.

When you find a nice abandoned window, make sure you don't leave it behind. I am always feeling as if someone else will come along and get it if I don't grab it while I have the chance. I know it's not logical. The window might have been sitting there for fifteen, twenty years or more. But, that's my luck! Avoid having my luck and grab that window as soon as you get a chance.

Take it home and put it in the garage so that your wife can complain about it for a few weeks. Make sure it's in her way! That's the way my Marine buddy did it and I wouldn't want to leave out any of the steps.

Scrape the paint completely off the pane. Then, sand down until it looks completely new. On my friend's window, the glass was determined "not reusable." After several cleanings, there was no way to get years of guck and gook completely off of the glass. So, he managed it a different way.

Cut the glass from the window. Of course, a glass cutter will work. But, my friend chose to put a cloth down and break it with a hammer. He was very cautious pulling all the glass out of the pane. Make sure you do the same.

Stain the wood. Stain is good enough. But, there are other ideas some people might find more their style. Use lacquer. Find a color you like. It's your window. It's up to you. But, my friend liked stain so he went with it.

Pull the border from where the glass used to sit. Put the mirrors gently into place where the glass used to be. Replace the border, and you have a great looking window that will look back at you as it's hanging on the wall.

My friend called me to help him hang it. So, I came over and we used the hinges to hang it on the wall. The window hangs down from the hinges, so it opens upward. It's a really neat effect.

Of course after hanging the window, we were talking about what he went through to put in the mirrors. That's when I told him about the self-adhesive mirror tiles he could have used. He wasn't happy. He could have saved some money and bought some beer with it. But, I directed his attention back to the fact that he had a good looking window.

It really did add a nice touch to his rustic, fisherman style homebar. But, it doesn't have to be an abandoned window. Abandoned doors, old wood and anything else that's salvageable can be used to add character to your homebar.