Usually a final resting place to check your appearance before walking out the door, mirrors serve an important function in most homes. They range from simple and calm to artistic and glamorous statement pieces. We asked experts for advice on how to make the most of them.
To maximize the mirror effect and create a focal point on your wall, consider a large mirror. “I would choose him one size larger than you originally expected,” says Andrea West, a Utah-based interior designer and owner of Andrea West Design. . “Increasing the scale a bit makes it look more dramatic, continues the line of sight, and visually expands the space.”
To open up a small, cramped bathroom, West installed a floor-to-ceiling mirror that draws the eye upwards and creates the illusion of a sky-high ceiling. However, when placing mirrors on top of furniture, West recommends splaying them upwards instead of outwards. The mirror should not be wider than the area on which it is hung.
If a large mirror does not work, a small mirror can be beautiful and impressive. Tricia Huntley, founder of Washington, D.C.-based firm Huntley & Co. Interior Design, says a small mirror on a wall can make a strong impact and create an intimate experience. If this is the effect you want, she warns against crowding the surrounding wall space with other objects. “A small space doesn't feel as big when there's more than one person,” she says.
Mirrors help make a space feel larger because light reflects off the glass and back into the space. Huntley likes to hang a mirror opposite a window to take advantage of natural light, but if your room doesn't have a window, you can achieve a similar effect by placing a mirror near a light fixture.
West advises placing a mirror on the opposite side of the room's entrance. This “greeting technique” is often used to make narrow entrances and hallways feel larger. Try to hang the mirror on the opposite side of what you want to see reflected. “Place it opposite something that reflects what would normally make you really happy,” says Kim Vargo, co-founder of the blog Yellow Brick Home. “If you only have bifold doors, you don't want it bouncing off your closet door.”
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You may want to draw your eyes upward to make the ceiling appear higher, but you don't want someone with their head tilted looking into the mirror. “If it's too high, the room will feel more disconnected,” says West. “Going a little lower makes the space feel more intimate.” It's not the mirror's height, but its size, that makes a room seem taller, she says. Scott Vargo, co-founder of Yellow Brick Home, hangs mirrors at eye level so the center of the frame is about 48 to 50 inches from the floor.
Jackie Harris, who runs Packharbour Antiques in London with her son Martin Fowler, advises avoiding clutter and leaving large gaps between furniture and mirrors to achieve a cohesive look. Masu.
There are no hard and fast rules when decorating mirrors. To achieve a personal and collected look, West considers the room's existing furniture. She tends to choose the opposite. In a very angular space, she chooses a round mirror. “If your furniture has a lot of clean lines, introduce a more ornate mirror that adds more character and detail,” she says.
If you can't find the mirror you like in the store, try yard sales. Choosing an interesting frame and pairing it with new glass is a relatively inexpensive DIY project that the Vargos have used to create several custom mirrors for their home. Once you find a great antique frame, Harris recommends his plate of aged mirrors to complete the look. (Check out antique stores, garage sales, and contact glass stores.)
Don't be afraid to mix ingredients. Huntley mixes metals in many of his projects to get a curated look, and suggests using metals “with a patina rather than a very plain finish.” West also encourages mixing materials such as metal and wood. By looking for the same undertones, you can polish away seemingly disparate areas.
Having multiple simple mirrors in your room will give it a chic look. Scott Virgo cautions against changing sizes and shapes to mirror each other. This creates a restless and enjoyable fun effect.
Hanging and selecting a mirror can be a daunting task, but keeping it clean and usable doesn't have to be difficult. “It's very low maintenance and best left alone,” says Fowler. If your mirror gets dusty, Harris recommends dusting it with a feather duster or applying a little window cleaner to the plate.
Also, if you've purchased something very heavy or valuable, you may want to hire a professional to help you hang the mirror, experts say. If hanging is not possible, consider leaning a large, heavy mirror against the wall. Please install it safely and avoid placing it in a high traffic area where it could fall over.
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