Some adore looking at themselves in the mirror – you know who you are – while for others, even the quickest of glances makes us painfully self-aware. But love your reflection or loathe it, the simple fact is that most homes could do with more mirrors (at least one in every room is a decent rubric), as their impact is often entirely out of proportion to their modest demands on space, and on your wallet. Both practical and decorative, a good mirror can shout a dramatic statement or create such subtle optical illusions you barely notice them, yet they make the scheme sing anyway. They create an illusion of space, increase natural light, and add depth and style to virtually any room.
Basically, they’re brilliant, the interior designer’s best friend.
Take one recent project we worked on: a nice big house, but with a small entrance hall. Naturally, the owners wanted it bigger – so we relocated one wall and gained a half metre or so. Not enough, said the client – and they were right. It still lacked natural light, warmth and character. Mirrors, of course, were the way forward. We put in large antiqued ones – hand-silvered, mottled, clouded and otherwise distressed – with a shadow gap (a narrow recess between two surfaces, giving a subtle shadow line effect) and backlit with LEDs. The light suddenly bounced around everywhere, and the space seemed much bigger: wider, more welcoming, anything but featureless, but at the same time the mirror texture meant it never felt too busy or awash with reflections either. Success!
Reflection of you
Of course, mirrors are for more than just rescuing a small space from gloomy obscurity. They’re also an incredibly useful form of decoration in their own right, whether your style runs minimal or flamboyant. Almost any mirror can introduce a vital focal point to an otherwise plain wall, and many actually work as artwork too. Used on their own, or combined with pictures (paintings, photography, what-have-you) in an intriguingly higgledy piggledy scheme, they’re a dream. (Or forget the art and just run with a collection of small mirrors, which offer the potential for a free and immediate style uplift at some point in the future – just swap ’em around to change the look in an instant.) And while a single large picture might overpower a smaller room, large mirrors generally do the opposite; it’s hard to go too big, in fact. (And hard to go too small, too – even the tiniest reflective sliver goes a long way.)
Entirely mirrored walls can multiply stunning outdoor views, or allow for some serious playfulness. Imagine mirroring every square foot of wall around a fireplace, say, then hanging a picture above it so it appears to be floating in space. And as we interior designers often like to play with texture, breaking a room up into different areas and creating pockets of curiosity through a mixture of hard and soft, matt and gloss, rough and smooth, mirrors can play an important part here too. A reflective surface lifts a dull area and creates contrast, moving the eye from one space to another while subtly reflecting the opposite side of the room.
A few words of caution, though: mirrors are rarely a one-for-one swap with a picture. Paintings are usually placed around head height (say, five feet off the ground), but with a mirror, catching the most light (and the best reflection) is more vital; yes, in a hallway you likely want it to be low enough that you can check your look before leaving, but in a living room higher might be better, to show off your fancy chandelier. Hey, now you’ve got two of them – the real one and the one seen ‘through the looking glass’.
Oh, and remember that mirrors in bedrooms can be risky. Yes, you want to see what your clothes look like on, but one that reflects the bed itself may not always be conducive to the relaxing environment you’re presumably trying to create here…
Here come the mirrors, man
Mirror placement matters: put one behind a lamp and it reflects the light, making a corner or alcove brighter and creating atmosphere. Here are other spots that might be crying out for a mirror…
Opposite a window
This is a banker, and works every time: not only will the mirror bring more natural light into your room, but – if you’re lucky – will reflect some appealing greenery too, bringing the outdoors in.
Above a door
No, you won’t be able to see yourself in it. But it will add depth, height and light to the room. Since you’re not really looking at it, cheap and cheerful should be fine.
At the end of a corridor
Mirrors look amazing at the end of a narrow space – paired with a table and lamp or maybe a plant, they’re perfect.
In a dining room
Reflected candlelight can create an amazing atmosphere, but be careful: not everyone likes watching themselves eat!
On a table top
Even the smallest swathe of mirror can work surprisingly hard, and a mirrored coffee table top (or just a mirrored tray sitting on a regular table) is a cheap, low risk way to bring more light into a room.
On a headboard
Mirrors near a bed may be risky, but – bizarrely – ones that are actually part of it are often fine. A mirrored headboard can add light and interest to a space and, if overlaid with detailing to protect it and hide any smudges, is surprisingly practical too.
In a bathroom
Mirrored walls are at their best here too, accentuating what limited space you have – but they’re obviously great on cabinet doors too.
In a kitchen
If you’re not averse to regular cleaning, mirrors can look great on the splash back.
On furniture
The best mirrored furniture is generally a lightly used hero piece, like a rarely opened chest of drawers – and especially one with handles or protective fretwork or overlays you can touch. You want any smearing will be both rare and well-disguised.
In a garden
Mirrors trick the eye just as easily outside too. A mirror can make your small urban garden feel twice as big, or add interest in a larger space too.
Caught my eye
Kirsty’s interiors edit for May
- Antique French faux bamboo wall mirror c.1920 by Rag & Bone, contact for specific stock and prices;www.ragandbonebristol.com
- Regency fluted column mirror by Overmantels, £1,985;www.overmantels.co.uk
- Pigeonole mirror shelf by Atkin & Thyme, £429;www.atkinandthyme.co.uk
- Charming mirror by Pooky, in turquoise, navy or white, £240;www.pooky.com
Image Credits: See published article
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