Add A Bit Of Shine To Any Room With This DIY IKEA Mirrored Side Table

There are certain design ideas, shapes, colors, and textures that remain evergreen. Even if their influence ebbs and flows a little from year to year, they're always being utilized somewhere in the culture. Examples of evergreen designs are basic geometric shapes like squares and circles, as well as classics like animal prints. The use of mirrors, both decoratively and as furniture or accessories, is a style that also never really goes away. A gleaming table in an otherwise matte room can add a touch of pizazz and texture. That's just what you can create with this elegant side table using inexpensive mirrors from IKEA. The highest-cost version of this project might be around $110, but you can also make a super-budget-friendly one for about $55. 

Mirrors can help solve the typical cramped feel or lighting problem in small spaces. They bounce reflections around to create the illusion of more depth and space than exists. Plus, mirrors gather all available light and reliably amplify it, illuminating a darker space. Aside from adding a crisp chic to your living room, this is also a perfect DIY project to do to either visually expand or brighten your space.

For this project, you'll need two sets of IKEA's MADESJÖ mirrors. One MADESJÖ package comes with four rectangular and square mirrors in different sizes for $18.99, but you'll need to double a few of them up to create a complete mirroring effect. You'll also need IKEA's BLÅSER round mirror for $7.99 to serve as the tabletop. Getting the right glue is important; E6000 glue works on glass (Amazon, $9.50).

As viewed from above, the finished base will form a T-shape. Use the large rectangle as the building block with a "wing," a slender rectangle, jutting out from the middle. Glue two bases and two wings to each other. Then once dry, glue the wing to the middle of the base. Then adhere IKEA's BLÅSER round mirror to the top.

There are additional ways to construct this table. Seen from above, a different version looks like a cross shape with two wings jutting out from opposite sides. This requires purchasing four sets of MADESJÖ mirrors. Alternatively, sandwich a piece of pine between the two wing mirrors. Cut the wood (like this $15 board from Menards) so it juts ¾ inch past the mirrors. Sand the edge to a beautiful finish. Then glue the mirrors to the pine and glue the whole thing to the base. Unless you fortify it with wood, we recommend you only use this lightweight table decoratively and store nothing on top. Keep the mirrors streak-free with hydrogen peroxide.