decorating with mirrors

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall!

Mirrors have been used as decorative pieces and for vanity for centuries. The history of mirrors goes back to the 3rd century BC when mirrors were exclusive owned by royalty! By 12th century this changed, mirrors became a must for every women. Polished stone or metal were used as the first mirror, later mirrors were made by a coating aluminum/silver/gold on flat glass which then becomes a perfect reflecting surface. Earliest mirrors were hand mirrors. Here’s an example of an ancient Egyptian mirror, which is 2000 years old!

bronze mirror source: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display.aspx?id=91663

make-up source: http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptsocialsystems.html

For more information on ancient mirrors visit http://www.egyptological.com/2011/06/reflections-of-eternity-3869

Mirrors, apart from being a vanity, are best used to create an illusion of space in interior design. Mirrors are no longer a must in the bathrooms only, they are a decorative element with a huge purpose in any room. A strategically placed mirror can magnify and lighten up the space by reflecting light.

A bold decorative mirror can also serve as a stunning focal point in a room. Here it is used to create an architectural detail in the room. This mirror should be placed at average eye-level and should be seen from the entry-way, and the main areas of the room to maximize it’s effect. Center the mirror from five feet above the ground to get an average eye-level. Furniture should face this focal point to have a dramatic effect.

A small space can be maximized by painting the walls light and by placing a decorative mirror where light hits the most. The light walls will reflect this extra light as well resulting an illusion of a larger space. Similarly, a mirror on a dark wall can offset the darkness and enhance the wall color.

Consider the size of the room and available wall space before you pick your mirror – this can be a little tricky! Once you get a feel for the size, next you have a vast variety of shapes, colors, and styles available to you to pick. Frame color can be a tough choice – you can pick a base color such as white, black, silver, or chrome or match the frame to the color scheme in your room. Again, the style has to match or enhance the rest of the decor in the room.

Height of ceiling is also an important factor – if the ceiling is high consider a heavy mirror and place it horizontally, for a low ceiling a lighter vertical mirror will work better.

When placing mirror right across the window make sure it does not cause glares, and make sure the mirror does not reflect the television monitor, which can be disturbing. Try not to place a mirror in a room full of windows. A mirror should reflect something eye-catching! Therefore, see what it reflects – it could be a beautiful garden, reflections of the sky thru a window, a chandelier, an art work, etc.,

Remember, a bathroom mirror should withstand moisture and when you look into, it should have some depth just not a flat view. A well sealed mirror usually withstands moisture better. Light above this mirror is also very important to get a good portrait of yourself! You need adequate light for best results. Illuminated bathroom mirrors are in style these days, see an example below.

Here are several examples that illustrate the use of wall mirrors in interior design.

Entry Way