I recently finished some long over due wedding presents for my cousins. Both are walnut but have 2 totally different looks. My inspiration for each piece came from the wood I used. The walnut for the “rustic” mirror was from a lumber yard that deals with reclaimed wood. I was told the walnut was from an old barn. I love all the worm holes and deep purple color. I decided to use a mortise and tenon construction to really give it a rustic look. I love how it turned out. The wood for the other walnut mirror was left over from a large project. I decided to go with a traditional construction for this mirror. I mitered the corners and used some rosewood for the outside splines. I love the look of the 2 woods together. The rosewood is so subtle next to the walnut. The rosewood was given to me by my uncle in Pennsylvania. I should call this one the “Pennsylvania” mirror since the walnut came from there too. The third mirror was one I had sitting around the shop but never finished it. I finally finished it and gave it to my niece. It is a square frame made from curly maple with walnut splines. The curl of the maple has great figure. I had a lot of fun making them and can’t wait to make some more!
Ellen Kaspern Design 