Seeing only a utilitarian necessity in bathrooms, hallways and closets, many decorators forget to think of mirrors as decorating tools.
If used creatively, however, mirrors have the ability to transform any room in the house in surprising ways.
And while adding smoke gives them a fraudulent reputation, let mirrors deceive and delight in your home.
Create a Window Where There Is No Window
The light, shine and shape of a mirror can have the effect of a window in a space.
Arranging furniture or layering objects in front of a mirror in the same way one would in front of a window can completely transform and wake up a room. Apartmenttherapy.com has some great examples of how to do this.
Make a Small Space Appear Larger
The reflective properties of a mirror can greatly influence a person’s perception of space.
A small room with a floor-to-ceiling wall of mirror or even a large framed mirror will literally make a room seem doubled in physical space to the eye. The website Popsugar shows this beautifully.
Replace Your ‘Art Gallery’
When a piece of art is just not right, a mirror is often the answer. Sometimes a wall needs something, but art is not it.
Hanging a mirror has the effect of providing adornment that is interesting to the eye in a subtle, but not demanding way. Sunset Magazine offers practical ideas for ways to use mirrors instead of art.
Enhance Collections and Layer Décor Items
By arranging objects in front of mirrors, several things can be accomplished. The reflective background will enhance decorative objects, such as a collection of candlesticks or small, framed drawings, for example.
The collection will also appear larger because of the mirror’s doubling effect. Check out the home decorating blog The Design Wotcha for ideas.
Multiply for Additional Intrigue
If one mirror seems lonely, go with two … or three … or more.
Sometimes a mirror seems too stark alone on a wall. For a fun way to bring that bounce of light and to avoid the effect of a solitary mirror, use several mirrors together on a wall to create an intriguing composition.
Elle Decor assembled a gallery of examples that you could use for inspiration.
Lighten a Room Instantly
Bring light into a dark spot in a house by putting a lamp or candles in front of a mirror. In these cases, the mirror may blend into the background, but extra light will flood the space in an attractive and subtle way.
The effect of candlelight is especially beautiful when reflected in mirrors. As always, you can count on Pinterest to show creative ways to do it yourself.
Give New Life to An Old Frame
Mirrors can be timeless. If you have an old mirror that feels dated in your attic, consider painting the frame to give it a new chapter.
In most cases, refurbishing a mirror is an easy weekend DIY project. The website PrettyHandyGirl has creative ideas to give mirrors a second chance.
Shine Inside and Out
The strategic placement of a mirror in a garden can provide many of the same benefits that indoor mirrors can do.
The mirrors can be attractive and surprising focal points in and of themselves in a garden. Putting a mirror on a wall surrounded by a climbing vine can create “a window” into another space.
The use of a larger mirror can reflect the landscape and make a garden seem doubled in size. Sunset Magazine has some beautiful examples.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Hilary Doubleday can be reached at hdoubleday@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.