Designing a space that reflects your style
It’s easy to take for granted certain elements of our home – the kitchen will have a sink, the bedroom, a bed, the powder room, and a mirror. But just because these details are expected, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve some attention. Mirrors show you what you look like and, with some careful design consideration, can also be a reflection of your style and the space they are in.
Mirrors increase light, create depth and add a decorative element wherever you choose to place them, with part of their beauty lying in their ability to be placed wherever you want. Mirrors are like moveable, decorative windows, allowing a customizable approach to bringing brightness and a great expanse to any area of your house.
The most obvious benefit of adding a mirror to your space is its ability to reflect all that is in front of it. A reflection can emphasize an incredible view, expand an adjacent room or create patterns and special effects from existing colours and shapes.
While you might think you have the perfect place for a mirror based on your design preferences or open wall space, it’s important to consider the reflection. What does the mirror look back on? Will you be enhancing the room or potentially exposing areas you’d rather keep hidden? Will the reflected colours complement or compete with those on the wall behind the mirror? What benefits does the placement of the mirror bring to your room?
A mirror doesn’t just offer a good place to check your own reflection but instead can create an aesthetically pleasing illusion. Add a mirror across from or adjacent to an amazing view and you can double your viewing pleasure. Or hang one at the end of a hallway and you instantly appear to have extra room. The strategic placement of mirrors around your home offers an easy way to visually expand your space.
Entryways are always a popular place for a mirror. Without much natural light and often on the smaller side, a mirror can enhance the lighting, colours or artwork used to decorate an easily-neglected and often dark space. And, of course, a mirror in an entryway allows you a last minute look at your own appearance before running out the door.
If big and bold is what you’re going for, an extra-large mirror can be an audacious addition to your home. Simply framed or ornately enclosed, a full-size mirror can easily become a focal point in a room; it’s a work of art on its own with minimal work required to create maximum impact. Propping a large mirror up against a wall adds an inviting element to your space yet still appears dramatic and eye-catching.
Similar to works of art, mirrors should be proportional to the walls they’re placed on or the mirrors they are placed with. A small mirror on a large wall should be avoided – consider instead grouping similar ones together in succession or create a gallery wall to improve the visual appeal. Treat smaller mirrors as you would framed photos or art prints.
Multiple mirrors can be visually stunning and still expand a room without the weight of one large mirror. Hang several long mirrors horizontally to stretch out your space or line a wall with a dozen square mirrors for a decorative and reflective addition.
A floor-to-ceiling mirror in a bedroom or bathroom can create the illusion of more space but serves the important purpose of helping one dress for the day. Similarly, mirrors in front of sinks in your powder room or ensuite should enhance or embrace the decorative style of the space but also be big enough and well-lit for daily use.
Mirrors can add the perfect decorative touch to your home, especially when framed appropriately. A frame can take a mirror from modern to vintage, rustic to minimalist or all things in between. Take inventory of the surrounding pieces in your home and pick a mirror – and its frame – to match.
A sunburst mirror may just be your style and the perfect addition to a front entrance or over your bed. Or maybe your guest room is shabby chic and a group of mirrors in vintage frames will complete the look.
Keep in mind that mirrors don’t have to be rectangular. Add a circle, hexagon or oval-shaped mirror to your space to up the design element. The right shape can act as a piece of art or perfect the feel of your room while bringing all the benefits of a mirror surface as well.
Let the mirrors around your home reflect you and your design style. Pick the right mirror, put it in the perfect place and you’ll like what you see looking back at you.
