2020 was the year when our appearance wasn't the most important thing. There were no parties to go to, no fancy dinners, no 500-person weddings. But, ironically, interest in mirrors skyrocketed. CB2 reported that mirrors are the most searched for home product, with over 4 million inquiries. 1stDibs saw his double-digit increase across mirror searches, and especially his triple-digit increase in “Ultrafragola”, designed by Ettore Sottsass for his Poltronova. (Celebrity owners include Lena Dunham and Bella Hadid.) Meanwhile, the New York Design Center also reported “mirror sales are up'' at its brick-and-mortar outpost, The Gallery at 200 Rex. “I am doing so.”
The question is, why? Are we just masochists who like to stare at ourselves sloppy in sweatpants? Are we so vain that we need a “selfie mirror” to keep our Instagram content flowing? After all, we didn’t buy a mirror because we wanted to see something. I bought a mirror so I could look away.
For so many of us, our lives were once spent in several places outside of our homes: our offices, our cars, local restaurants, and the homes of family and friends. But the pandemic shut everything down and we were stuck at home. Suddenly, we were literally staring at a wall for months on end. And then their blank spaces began to bother us.
So how can we meet them? Yes, it's art, but art can be difficult to choose and expensive. But mirrors are a simple and effective way to fill that gap. “Mirrors are an easy and sure-fire way to fill up wall space without expending too much creative energy,” Andrea Elman, CB2's product development lead, tells VOGUE.
Therefore, it is not rectangular wall mirrors with plain frames that are in trend. Rather, it is a decorative piece that doubles as an aesthetic accent. “They are statement pieces,” Ehrmann explains. Emily B. Collins, director of The Gallery at 200 Rex at the New York Design Center, agrees. “Most people who shop at The Gallery at 200 Rex aren't necessarily looking for a mirror to check their reflection or apply makeup,” but instead serve as an art alternative. To do. ”
This is an interesting return to the mirror's historical purpose of reflecting the sun rather than a human face. “Many of the mirrors we sell, from 18th-century carved Rococo mirrors to François Lembo mid-century modern mirrors with enamel and hammer decoration, primarily reflect light. “It's designed to do that,” Collins said. “Over the last year, mirror sales have increased as consumers and designers alike have focused more on the exterior of their homes, reflecting a trend in which antique mirrors were originally designed to 'brighten up a space.' . ”