How to Use Mirrors to Transform Your Home

A decorator’s secret weapon, mirrors are more than a practical object in which to check your own reflection; in the right hands, a beautiful mirror can be used to amplify light, add drama, create interesting reflections and frame views. Think beyond the bathroom and take a look at these design tips for using mirrors to transform your home.

Using Mirrors to Brighten a Room

To increase the amount of natural light cast around a room, simply place a mirror opposite or beside a window; no matter how gloomy the sky is outside, it will harness any available daylight. The bigger the mirror, the brighter and larger the space will feel.

In a bedroom, for instance, an oversized mirror is the perfect piece to make the space feel lighter and more open – especially when placed above a mirrored chest of drawers for extra reflective power.

It’s not just natural light that can be manipulated in this way; mirrors are great at emphasising the output from other light sources, too. If you’re tasked with decorating a cavernous space or a dark corner, placing a mirror near a table lamp can make all the difference.

How to Create a Focal Point with a Mirror

When it comes to choosing wall art for your home, decorative mirrors with ornate frames or sculptural designs, such as our Sega Mirror, can make as much of an impact as paintings. Mantelpieces are often popular spots above which to hang a mirror, but, in rooms lacking this feature, a large mirror is a great tool for dictating the centre of the room.

Alternatively, experiment with using a grouping of smaller-sized mirrors to add decorative touches to a plain wall. Whether you choose uniformity with styles of the same shape and frame colour, or curate an eclectic mix of designs and sizes, such as contemporary silhouettes teamed with antique mirrors, the outcome will make a shining statement.

Make your Mirror a Window

In windowless rooms – typically, that’s bathrooms – a mirror can make a world of difference; go big and choose a sizeable design to really maximise the luminosity and make the space feel bigger. Frameless mirrors are great tools in these instances – look for a design that fits your space from wall to wall to create a seamless effect.

Another clever trick in darker areas of the home (think hallways) is to select a mirror that’s designed to mimic the shape of a traditional window frame, such as our Ikkuna Mirror; this allows you to create the illusion of light spilling through a window.

Play Around with Shapes and Symmetry

Don’t get hung up on practicality and function by sticking to traditional rectangular mirrors – why not opt for a round or oval mirror, or seek out less conventional shapes, such as our Tipperary and Quatrefolium designs?

Placement and positioning are open to interpretation, too. Experiment, for example, by hanging a vertical mirror horizontally behind a bed, in place of a headboard. This is both surprising and impactful. And why not try framing a view? When used in pairs either side of a window or doorway, mirrors create a sense of balance and harmony, reflecting the opposite side of the room front to back, as well as left to right.

Don’t Forget to Embrace Mirrors Outdoors

Mirrors aren’t restricted to the interior walls of your home: take them outside and use them to introduce more natural light to a north-facing patio, a basement-level garden or a shady courtyard. Positioned opposite a patch of greenery, a mirror will create an even greater illusion of space and a touch of whimsy, too.

There really aren’t any hard-and-fast rules when using mirrors outdoors: play around by hanging a cluster of small and unusually shaped mirrors on a wall, or lean a tall mirror against a balcony rail (or wall) for a hint of holiday inspired styling. A weathered patina can add character, but if you’re planning on leaving your mirrors outside throughout the seasons, make sure to check they’re weatherproof.