Really, I am such a contrarian, anti-authoritarian, pain-in-it, yes I am. If I have any sense whatsoever that the design powers-that-be believe something is *hideous*, I will go out of my way to find a way to say that it is fantastic. Sometimes I think I can cloud my own vision. But not in the case of: Mirror tiles from the 1970s. My vision is not clouded, it is clear: These are so much fun. Life is short. Have A LOT of fun. And if you Go Too Far with Decorating — Heck, It’s Only Decorating. I recently went on the hunt for vintage mirror tile, and here is what I found, along with lots of artsy fartsy photos of two boxes of New Old Stock diamond coppertone mirror tiles that are now mine all mine *buwaha* or however you spell it evil laugh…
I got the idea to use mirror tiles when I began thinking about decorating ideas for my office/studio remodel. As regular readers know, I have become a bit obsessed with the 1970s. My office/studio will be My Hippy Place.
I don’t know exactly how mirror tiles entered my consciousness. For sure, I’ve seen quite a few of them, for example, in time capsule houses. Usually, they are discussed with derision. Definition of derision, from The Free Dictionary:
However, I thing that they are pretty darn cool. You can use as many or few as you like. They are DIY. They reflect light back into a room. They have texture. Why the heck not.
I originally went looking for gold vein mirror tile. The classique. However, I could not find any new. Well, correction: My glass guy here in Lenox, Carl at Lenox Glass, did find me some new. It was just what I was looking for, but OMG, it was $80 per tile. Yes: $80 per tile.
I also found some on craigslist — gold vein tiles, vintage, 44 pieces for $88 dollars, or something like that, in Cranston, Rhode Island. That’s a three-hour drive for me. I thought about it. But my tusch hurt just thinking about it. Update: They are still there, price is down to $1 a tile. That’s a great deal!
I searched ebay and etsy. Etsy – Bingo! – I found the little motherlode that I was looking for: Several styles of New Old Stock mirror tiles from seller cosasraras. There was a big stash uncovered that is now being unloaded.
Cosasraras has faux bois woodgrain mirror tiles (above). These were very tempting.
Cosasraras has black vein mirror tile.
She has mirror tiles with little diamonds outlined in white. There are two “colors” of mirror in this design: plain mirror inside white-painted diamonds, and coppertone mirror inside the white diamonds. I took a chance and ordered the coppertone. It’s kind of pinkish copper — the photos up higher and thumbnailed on the right are pretty true. I like my tiles a lot. They are weird.
Oh, cosasraras has scenics, too — like the sailing ship, above. Note how it is framed with the faux bois.
There are even Miro-esque scenes. Miro Mirro mirror tiles, hahaha. The come-hither poses on these boxes: priceless. Mirror tiles must have been 70s codes for … swingers? Cover your eyes, under-18s!
Airplane tiles. Ukelele. You gotta love the 70s. You gotta.
Repita: New Old Stock 1976 Mirror tile from cosasraras on etsy, still some left.
Retro Renovation Best of 2010: 9 favorite mid century decorating stories 
Atomic clock and sign art by Stevotomic 
Erica Wilson demonstrates crewel embroidery and needlepoint in this 1970s video 
1940s decor — 32 pages of designs and ideas from 1944 
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Pam,
I truly Love your website and I thank you very much for adding the mirrors in your page!!!
My friend Renee -76yrs- kept the boxes in the basement of her business’s building for decades. She used to make beautiful chandeliers, lamps, etc, and used to sell other decoration items at her place since the 70’s… She retired few years ago and by chance, I found them and offered to help selling them at my etsy shop after her business was burglarized last year. She is moving to Brussels to be close to her children and need to clean up her building right away. You are helping her a lot by adding these mirrors in your site and both of us are so Grateful to you for it!
I am going to visit her later on today along with my notebook so she can see her mirrors and your whole website and I can’t wait to see her face.
My hand is well now and I am using gloves when I go to dig at her basement. LOL
We thank you very much, Pam!!!
Alicia
Alicia, do you have many of the black veined or smoked mirror tiles? I work with a museum and am curating an exhibit for which these would be great.
Jeff
jpierce1@brenau.edu
Beat these: http://www.mattcintosh.com/ebay/1121/sas.jpg
I had gotten a box of 120 new of the less lively ones new from ACE hardware about 10 years ago, but never did anything with them. (I seen some pictures above with the same kind). But these, I got them on freecycle a couple years ago, maybe about 30…a few more broken…and I use them as a backdrop for my ebay stuff…since I doubt anyone else can match that.
Dear Pam,
I am so thankful that you are bringing the Hoyne mirror tiles back to life! In the 70’s, my parents had a horse stable that housed our show horses. On the huge wall in the kitchen, my father installed Hoyne tiles. The center was a Hoyne mirror tiles scene of running mustangs and the outer framing was the gold veined mirror tiles, there were many boxes of the gold veined tiles used to surround the running mustangs mirror tiles. Also downstairs in the bar area was more Hoyne gold veined mirror tiles behind the bar.
I have an extra set of the Hoyne mirror tile running mustangs still in the original box never used. I have searched the web to see if anyone else has the running mustangs and have not seen any at all. Is there any way to upload photos here so that I can post some photos here on your blog? They are truly beautiful and I would like ones who read your blog here to see that there is another scene of tiles done by the Hoyne that is rare.
Respectfully,
Paula
Paula, you can send them to me at retrorenovation@gmail.com. Thanks!!
Dear Pam,
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I emailed you photos last night, hope that you can see them ok.
Respectfully,
Paula
hmmm, Paula, I did not get them. Can you check the address again and try again? Thanks, Pam
Dear Paam, Thank you for letting me know that you did not get them, I resent the photos to you just now. Hope that works.
Respectfully,
Paula
Dear Pam,
The mistake was that I accidentally added an s at the end of renovation in the email address. Sorry about that.
Respectfully,
Paula
I have six 12″ X 12″ panels with a red vein-y design that are really awesome. I am thinking of putting them in a ceiling corner with at least one on the ceiling and four of them directly below. And I have a disco ball to hang in front!
I waaaaaant a disco ball!
I got mine at the Import House in Yellow Springs, Ohio. It was $20.
http://www.importhouses.com/#!beauty_care/cfvg
did you get them recently? are they “new” as in made today?
They came out of 60s split-level house in Delhi, Ohio – a suburb of Cincinnati. They were on a closet door. They’ve been in my garage for about five years – I just started thinking about them again!
That make sense. I am not aware of any companies that still make these for sale today.
Hi Pam and all –
I have purchased 3 packages of the diamond design mirrors off the seller on Etsy that you hipped us to last year. Just got the last package this week.
The seller said to be sure and use “Liquid Nails”. Went to the hardware store today and all the Liquid Nails products said not to use on mirrors. I got home, went to their web page and they have one product specific for mirrors.
I’m writing to ask what you used to put your mirror tiles up, or any of the other readers – what did they use. I want the wall to look as original (to the times) as possible but Mr. Wonderful keeps coming up with *ideas* of alternative ways to do it – which would NOT be authentic to the times (mounting on a thin piece of plywood, mounting with thin rails of wood in-between each row….).
Any thoughts on the best adhesive to use are welcome! These will be going on a painted wall in the living room.
hannah
Hope this helps. I am selling 45 new/unused “antique gold vein” mirror tiles. The tiles are different from the “gold vein” mirror tiles they have a smoke or dark finish that is different from the silver finish. I posted several pictures of the tiles and one picture had a standard plain mirror tile next to the antique gold vein mirror. If you are looking for antique gold vein mirror tiles there is a chance that a seller will post that they are selling antique gold vein when it should read vintage 70s gold vein mirror tiles. Someone drove 2.5 hours to my house to buy the tiles I have only to find that they were the wrong ones. When taking pictures of mirrors they often pick up back ground colors.
In 60 years they will be antique antique gold vein mirror tiles. LOL
Bill
Bill, you can add these to our buy/sell forum be sure to read the instructions. No buying/selling here on the main blog. Go to https://retrorenovation.com/forums Good luck!
interested in antique smoked of veined mirror tile 1 or 2…
diana, you need to look in the story for the etsy seller listed – she’s the one with the tiles for sale. if she still has them. otherwise, search on ebay or etsy, good luck …
Anyone have a DIY technique for the smoked gold vein mirror look? I want to use it as table top mirror for my bar cart…
I don’t…. I don’t think you can get the look without just having the tiles… stalk ebay for authentic vintage….
I am looking for the 12″ gold veined tile mirror. Do you have any in stock?
Thanking you in advance for your response.
Sincerely,
Larry
I remember all of them! I had the gold-vein tiles in the living room! (Disclaimer: They were there when I bought the place, along with the variegated-green shag carpet.) Disco ball needed, indeed. And never even thought of it!