No matter how big, beautiful and airy your home is, you’ll always want it to be bigger and lighter. Making good use of mirrors is a great way to create a larger and brighter appearance of any room in your house. Large mirrors can widen space, become a feature piece and even create the optical illusion of doubling the size of a room. Plus there are endless options available to online shoppers, giving you the chance to make a real fun statement at the click of a button.
Arched, antique, floor, overmantle and Venetian mirrors are just some of the selection available through specialist websites. But taking the time to find the right style, space and size for your home will really pay off. Alyssa Wolfe, writing for Elle Décor, explains: “With so many shapes, sizes, and styles, mirrors are a versatile decorative element which gives instant polish to a room with little effort. They can do wonders – from illuminating dark corners to adding elegance and drama to an area to creating the illusion of space. They can even serve as works of art.”
However, remember to get that tape measure out before finalising your purchase. Consider the colour and theme throughout your room and really visualise what you want to do with the space. Big stretches of mirrors will instantly add depth and airiness to confined spaces. Groups of mirrors can create the same effect as large mirrors in corridors and offer a quirky alternative to the more traditional matching styles. If you’re really stuck for space, get a mirror with a narrow, unfussy frame to improve the effect and increase the space.
Positioning a sizable mirror opposite a living room window will optimise the effect of natural light and subtly create more depth. Choosing a mirror that is similar in style and size to your window frame will give the appearance of wider windows and double the incoming light. If you have the space, distributing a set of three large mirrors across the walls will really tie a room in nicely. Equally, if a space feels cramped, place a mirror where you would normally place a side table to elongate the space rather than fill it.
You could use an old classic mirror, such as the over-mantle mirror, which will beautifully balance the appearance of a dark fireplace. Making this mirror as tall as possible will also have the added effect of making your room seem taller. Alternatively, a small but stand out feature mirror can add an interesting focal point to a plain room. A large free-standing mirror will provide a similarly stylish but more feminine investment piece. But a small mirror with a big design can capture attention at a lesser cost of space and money.
Although you can rarely have enough mirrors, it pays to think the smaller details through. With so many options available to you, a mirror can really make the most of the space that you have. Whatever elements your room is missing or lacking in can be compensated for. Better still, in taking this route you can add an element of fun, style and depth to any room at a reasonable cost.
