Decorating
11 Ways Mirrors Can Max Your Space by Creating an Optical Illusion
Dramatically boosting the feeling of space and adding a cool flash of glamour, mirrors can totally transform a room, whatever its size
Mirrors are frequently found in bathrooms and bedrooms, and often hung over the fireplace, but their role in a home can be far greater and more dramatic than this. While essential for checking your appearance, they can also radically boost the sense of space in a room. Used creatively, mirrors can create fascinating optical illusions, seeming to expand a cramped nook or endow an already generous space with the ultimate wow factor.
Prop and go
A huge freestanding mirror propped against a wall will brilliantly boost the sense of space in a room. Plus, you can reposition it to refresh the look and take it with you if you move house. Placing some furniture in front, as seen here, softens any glare and creates further interesting reflections.
A huge freestanding mirror propped against a wall will brilliantly boost the sense of space in a room. Plus, you can reposition it to refresh the look and take it with you if you move house. Placing some furniture in front, as seen here, softens any glare and creates further interesting reflections.
Fill the alcoves
Mirror tiles fitted into the alcoves either side of the fireplace give this compact living space a gloss of elegance and a greater feeling of space. A further genius touch is arranging the seating symmetrically, so that it’s perfectly aligned to create long reflections in each alcove.
These mirror tiles have a soft, antiqued finish, providing a gentler, warmer feel than a single piece of super-shiny mirrored glass.
Mirror tiles fitted into the alcoves either side of the fireplace give this compact living space a gloss of elegance and a greater feeling of space. A further genius touch is arranging the seating symmetrically, so that it’s perfectly aligned to create long reflections in each alcove.
These mirror tiles have a soft, antiqued finish, providing a gentler, warmer feel than a single piece of super-shiny mirrored glass.
Work them on wardrobes
In a compact bedroom, mirrors fitted to wardrobes are incredibly useful. They make the space feel generous and are, of course, handy for checking how you look. Mirrors are used to great effect in this bedroom, which is decorated in a simple white scheme, helping it to feel as big and light as possible.
In a compact bedroom, mirrors fitted to wardrobes are incredibly useful. They make the space feel generous and are, of course, handy for checking how you look. Mirrors are used to great effect in this bedroom, which is decorated in a simple white scheme, helping it to feel as big and light as possible.
Improve a tiny office
This clever office in a cupboard, with a small bar alongside, is transformed by mirrors fitted on the interior walls. They give these mini spaces depth and, when anyone is working at the desk, provide them with a sense of the room opening up behind them to help keep claustrophobia at bay!
Discover 8 nifty ways to squeeze in a study space ready for exams
This clever office in a cupboard, with a small bar alongside, is transformed by mirrors fitted on the interior walls. They give these mini spaces depth and, when anyone is working at the desk, provide them with a sense of the room opening up behind them to help keep claustrophobia at bay!
Discover 8 nifty ways to squeeze in a study space ready for exams
Reach to the top
This narrow double bedroom has a strip of mellow, antiqued mirror high above the bed. It gives the room a feeling of depth (notice how the upper part of the window is reflected in it), without disturbing the warm, cosy feel with too many sparkly, reflective surfaces.
Luxe up your bedroom with glam mixed metals
This narrow double bedroom has a strip of mellow, antiqued mirror high above the bed. It gives the room a feeling of depth (notice how the upper part of the window is reflected in it), without disturbing the warm, cosy feel with too many sparkly, reflective surfaces.
Luxe up your bedroom with glam mixed metals
Boost a hall
Add depth and brightness to a hallway by fitting a made-to-measure mirror to one wall. Halls often suffer from feeling gloomy or cramped, but a
simple floor-to-ceiling mirror will bounce the light around and brighten the space.
Add depth and brightness to a hallway by fitting a made-to-measure mirror to one wall. Halls often suffer from feeling gloomy or cramped, but a
simple floor-to-ceiling mirror will bounce the light around and brighten the space.
Try a strip or two
The problem with using mirrors across a whole wall is that it can feel confusing. Where does the real room stop and the reflected one start? While this level of optical illusion may work in some rooms, if it feels too much for your space, consider this clever alternative.
These ingenious mirror strips do the work of expanding the room without reflecting every last detail or baffling the eye.
The problem with using mirrors across a whole wall is that it can feel confusing. Where does the real room stop and the reflected one start? While this level of optical illusion may work in some rooms, if it feels too much for your space, consider this clever alternative.
These ingenious mirror strips do the work of expanding the room without reflecting every last detail or baffling the eye.
Take it higher
Mirrors are brilliantly useful when space is short, but they can also bring the wow factor to a well-proportioned room, lending a sense of drama while maxing the feeling of size.
This fabulous space with its soaring ceiling is instantly doubled by adding a wall of framed mirrors, with mirrored doors too. The pitched roof is reflected back, creating a lovely sense of symmetry, and the showstopper chandelier looks twice as fabulous!
Mirrors are brilliantly useful when space is short, but they can also bring the wow factor to a well-proportioned room, lending a sense of drama while maxing the feeling of size.
This fabulous space with its soaring ceiling is instantly doubled by adding a wall of framed mirrors, with mirrored doors too. The pitched roof is reflected back, creating a lovely sense of symmetry, and the showstopper chandelier looks twice as fabulous!
Fit across two walls
To radically increase the feeling of space but also play around with the potential of exciting, multiple reflections, try fitting mirrors to two adjoining walls. This creates an abundance of reflections and perspectives, giving the room an expansive and glamorous feel.
To radically increase the feeling of space but also play around with the potential of exciting, multiple reflections, try fitting mirrors to two adjoining walls. This creates an abundance of reflections and perspectives, giving the room an expansive and glamorous feel.
Big up the smallest room
Prevent a petite cloakroom from feeling too pint-sized by fitting mirrors to one wall. The softly antiqued glass used here turns the mirrors into a decorative feature rather than a purely practical one, but they still perform the same proportion-boosting service as a standard mirror.
TELL US…
Have you used mirrors to increase the sense of space in your home? Tell us more in the Comments below.
Prevent a petite cloakroom from feeling too pint-sized by fitting mirrors to one wall. The softly antiqued glass used here turns the mirrors into a decorative feature rather than a purely practical one, but they still perform the same proportion-boosting service as a standard mirror.
TELL US…
Have you used mirrors to increase the sense of space in your home? Tell us more in the Comments below.
If your narrow galley kitchen is giving you cabin fever, beef up its sense of space by fitting a mirror along one wall. Suddenly, those long, lean dimensions fill out and the mirror also makes a handy splashback.