Decorating
Styling: 11 Ways to Make Mirrors Work for You
From big light-bouncers to dainty decorative gems, mirrors of all designs can help your home shine. Here’s how to use them to best effect
Mirrors do so many great jobs, reflecting light, visually doubling space, adding sparkle to your scheme – not to mention helping you leave the house looking respectable. There are myriad designs available – from oversized to overmantel, vintage to convex – so it’s important to know what’s going to work within your home. Here are 11 ways mirrors can be used successfully in a multitude of spaces to add depth and style.
Mix and match
A compilation of vintage mismatched mirrors turns any wall into a work of art without being as visually heavy as actual pictures. The bonus of this approach is that you can build up the wall as your collection grows, with small mirrors like these often easy (and inexpensive) to source at second-hand shops and car-boot sales.
A compilation of vintage mismatched mirrors turns any wall into a work of art without being as visually heavy as actual pictures. The bonus of this approach is that you can build up the wall as your collection grows, with small mirrors like these often easy (and inexpensive) to source at second-hand shops and car-boot sales.
Weave in another window
A window-style mirror with Victorian-look leaded bars can help trick the eye into thinking you’re really looking beyond the room you’re in. While the feeling of added space is welcome in most rooms, this style can work particularly well in an area with small – or even no – windows, such as an internal bathroom.
A window-style mirror with Victorian-look leaded bars can help trick the eye into thinking you’re really looking beyond the room you’re in. While the feeling of added space is welcome in most rooms, this style can work particularly well in an area with small – or even no – windows, such as an internal bathroom.
Change perspectives
A convex mirror offers an interesting alternative to standard glass, distorting the reflection of the room to take more of it in, and almost becoming a work of art in its own right.
A convex mirror offers an interesting alternative to standard glass, distorting the reflection of the room to take more of it in, and almost becoming a work of art in its own right.
Style with several sizes
For a contemporary alternative to the vintage mismatched mirrors look, opt for a few different sizes of the same modern design. You’ll get similar eclectic visual interest, but with a more polished finish.
If you’re not sure how best to arrange your mirrors, draw around them on a sheet of newspaper, then cut out the shapes and stick them to your wall with masking tape. You can then play with the positions until you are happy before you start drilling holes.
For a contemporary alternative to the vintage mismatched mirrors look, opt for a few different sizes of the same modern design. You’ll get similar eclectic visual interest, but with a more polished finish.
If you’re not sure how best to arrange your mirrors, draw around them on a sheet of newspaper, then cut out the shapes and stick them to your wall with masking tape. You can then play with the positions until you are happy before you start drilling holes.
Tie it together
For a cohesive feel, coordinate your mirror with another design element in the room. Here, the black trim on these blinds ties in beautifully with the mirror’s black frame.
For a cohesive feel, coordinate your mirror with another design element in the room. Here, the black trim on these blinds ties in beautifully with the mirror’s black frame.
Spruce up your splashback
Mirrors can offer an unusual but effective choice for a kitchen splashback, especially in a dark kitchen where natural light is lacking. For something less unwieldy than a giant pane, create a similar look using mirrored tiles. Bear in mind, however, that any dirt and mess on the worktop will be amplified through its reflections!
Mirrors can offer an unusual but effective choice for a kitchen splashback, especially in a dark kitchen where natural light is lacking. For something less unwieldy than a giant pane, create a similar look using mirrored tiles. Bear in mind, however, that any dirt and mess on the worktop will be amplified through its reflections!
Plump for portable
Freestanding mirrors can make a statement as much as any other piece of furniture. Look for clever designs like this one, which also incorporates storage – perfect for a bedroom or hallway.
Freestanding mirrors can make a statement as much as any other piece of furniture. Look for clever designs like this one, which also incorporates storage – perfect for a bedroom or hallway.
Add some outdoor magic
Mirrors can work surprisingly well as garden décor, particularly vintage designs, where the conditions might encourage foxing of the glass. Hang one on a back wall to instantly double the space in your garden, or go to town creating a quirky outside ‘feature wall’.
See more ways to use mirrors in an outside space
TELL US…
How have you used mirrors in your home? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Mirrors can work surprisingly well as garden décor, particularly vintage designs, where the conditions might encourage foxing of the glass. Hang one on a back wall to instantly double the space in your garden, or go to town creating a quirky outside ‘feature wall’.
See more ways to use mirrors in an outside space
TELL US…
How have you used mirrors in your home? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Make the most of a convex mirror’s ability to distort a reflection and consider placing one in a room covered in lively wallpaper. The stretched and skewed patterns it creates will make for an interesting display.
Explore 9 ways to pack a punch with patterns