Welcome to “Notified,” the design trend column of “The Goods.” Did you know you've seen them everywhere? Let me explain it.
What are they: A small circular mirror with rays or bars extending in all directions. They are often wall-mounted as separate pieces above beds, mantels, and consoles, and are most often used purely decoratively rather than functionally.
Where is it: Anywhere on a blank wall. You can find it in homes across the country, especially in fancy, formal or bohemian-chic spaces, and in the wall art sections of home improvement stores from Target to West Elm.
Why you're seeing them everywhere now: You've probably seen them everywhere in your life, but whether you notice them or not depends on how much you notice them on a relatively bland wall decor. It depends on your interest. Now that we're staring into each other's homes via Zoom, you may have recently seen a glimmer of sharp objects in the background of your co-worker's disembodied head. It's a sunburst mirror!
For me, I started noticing them on The Real Housewives of New York City. We were at Carole Radziwill's Soho Loft. It had an incredibly vintage tiger-print sofa, a sky staircase, and several small animals, all named “Baby.” Carol's apartment was cooler than any other housewife's house, so she was horrified by an object on the wall.
Carol Radziwill and Sunburst Mirror.bravo
It was a mirror too small to use, with numerous metal rods sticking out of it, and I realized then that I had been plagued by these things all my life. Whether it's in my sister's kitchen or in the affordable home collections of various demi-celebrities, there are paintings, framed photos, clocks, and other things on the walls that have at least a little bit of personality and meaning. Ugly fake sun instead.
It's not the lack of functionality that bothers me. Beautiful and unnecessary things are the best. — it's the fact that they often seem like interesting replacements. They are agnostic about taste and style. It's just as common in modernist spaces as it is in traditional spaces, but just having a circular object in between two rectangular objects makes it feel like an afterthought. They are space fillers.
But we hear that sunburst mirrors are classic without being boring, versatile without being tasteless, and will stand the test of time. Let someone smart explain it to you.
Virgin and Child with Two Angels, Paolo di Giovanni Fei, 1380s. PHAS/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Although there is an aesthetic connection to medieval artists who depicted gods and saints with halos often stylized with golden rays, the origin of the sun-shaped mirror is partially attributed to the Sun King Louis 14 It can be traced back to the world. Louis, who ruled France from 1643 to his 1715, did not have an actual sunburst-shaped mirror, but Louis loved both the sun motif and his own reflection, and the Mirror of Versailles He famously spent the equivalent of millions of dollars between them.
Antiques dealer Louis Bofferding told the Wall Street Journal in 2010 that sunburst mirrors may have been an accidental result of the French Revolution. “The revolutionaries stormed, shuttered and even destroyed monasteries, monasteries and churches. Among the spoils of the mob were the golden rays of heaven with the halo of the Holy Family and saints on the altars. It included a halo,” he said. “It wasn't long before enterprising antique dealers and collectors bought empty sunbursts for songs, inserted mirrors into the cavities, and created what would become a popular song of the 20th century. ” (The Catholic Church has always been a trendsetter.)
Set designer Tony Duquette's 1950 Beverly Hills home.Shirley C. Burden/Condé Nast/Getty Images
But the real reason they're so popular today may be traced to Hollywood Regency, a 1930s decorating style that combined glitzy luxury and eclecticism. Think luxurious furniture with vibrant jewel tones and sparkling metal hardware. According to Christie's design expert Elizabeth Muir, much of this style can be attributed to legendary set designer Tony Duquette. Duquette designed interiors for films such as the Ziegfeld Follies, Frank He Can-Can starring Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine, and Broadway's original Camelot. “His room is like a stage set,” she explains. “Duquette used[the sunburst mirror]as a theatrical element. It catches the eye.”
In the 1960s, they became ubiquitous for entirely different reasons. It's the public's obsession with NASA and all things in this world. “When you watch an episode of 'Mad Men,' you might see space-age phenomena like atoms,” explains Apartment Therapy Home Director Daniel Blundell. His graphic designs of the 1950s and 1960s also often featured starburst motifs that evoke futurism. A decade later, designers created similar sun-shaped mirrors using natural fibers such as rattan. (In the '80s, they were no longer fashionable; as Blundell explains, “The shapes were more cylindrical. I don't think the sun was a big motif back then.”)
1968 Sunburst Mirror. H. Armstrong Roberts/Getty Images
Blundell's theory as to why sunburst mirrors began making a comeback in the '90s has something to do with the witchy aesthetic of the time, which coincided with the growing acceptance of New Age beliefs. “There was a sunburst mirror growing in the bathroom,” she says. “It had a celestial theme, and it was the first little kick in astrology. I don't think it really reminded me of Louis XIV, I think it was just like, 'Wow, stars are cool.' Space is cool. ”
Of course, astrological aesthetics are also in fashion now. But Muir suggests that our renewed interest in sunburst shapes is a reaction to a decade-long love affair with minimalism. “We are moving away from Swedish modernism,” she says. “We're seeing people asking for more materials and wanting that focus again. It's a return to maximalism.” 1970s-inspired sunburst mirrors are now available at West Elm and Urban Outfitters.
A discreet sunburst mirror that shines in a bohemian-chic space.Getty Images
Interest in sunburst mirrors certainly seems to be growing. According to Google Trends, searches are on the rise. Perhaps this is also related to the situational effects of isolation. Redecorating your home is a popular way to kill time, and sunburst mirrors are also highly DIYable, making them a fun project to spend an afternoon on.
Muir, like all the design and interior professionals I've talked to and read online, loves sunburst mirrors. “I think she's the perfect piece to draw attention to a room and make it really nice,” she says.
Blundell claims that not only are these mirrors packed with art history, but sunburst mirrors actually have a function in the room. “It's a harmonious, eye-catching shape. Circular and fun shapes are always great because they draw the eye and help create sightlines around the space. Always add light to the space. It looks like there's more natural light coming in, and the space may feel a little larger.
An episode of the short-lived Bravo show Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis that aired from 2012 to 2013. Isabella Vosmikova/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images
It turns out that sunburst mirrors are actually good and have a history of being stylish, useful, and not completely boring. Some of them are cute! But the first thing I think the next time I see a sunburst mirror (I don't have any in my apartment, so it probably won't last for months) is that they exist to be forgotten. I still think that's the case. I don't think it's a crime.
In fact, Blundell says it makes them more durable. “[The sunburst]is an interesting shape, but it's also familiar. But it's often the best thing,” she says. “That's the only thing my mom and I can agree on. They're just beautiful, you know?”
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