Brighten Up Your Interior Decorating Plans With Mirrors
By Nancy Dean
Mirrors can be used to give the illusion of spaciousness to a small room, to increase the natural lighting, in strategic positions for the quick mirror check, to be used as accent pieces on tabletops, and to bring an outside view in. All of these make use the mirrors magical quality to amplify and reflect light. Mirrors can be use in any design décor from contemporary to antique.
To Increase Spaciousness
If you have a small room, a wall covered in mirror tiles might be just the thing to give the illusion of space. If you want to keep people from banging their noses on the tile, pick a mirrored tile which has a design overlay etched on it. This provides the space illusion without necessarily causing anyone to mistake the room as bigger than it actually is.
A large wall mirror will also have the same effect. Some people choose to put a large wall mirror on their mantles or add mirror tile highlights along the wall here and there.
Increasing Natural Lighting
A well-placed mirror will increase the natural lighting in your room. If you put it in such a manner that it disperses the outside light without actually reflecting it causing unnecessary glares, you have got it just right.
Beauty Mirrors
If you are decorating bathrooms, bedrooms, or entryways, mirrors are important features to give people a place to check themselves before they appear in public. A full-length mirror plus a facial mirror is important in bathrooms and bedrooms. You can hide a full-length mirror on the back of any door now. They come available in think mirror kits at any home improvement store.
Mirrors in bathrooms should be lighted as close to possible as natural lighting. Harsh fluorescent lighting is going to make makeup look different than natural lighting. In addition, there should be magnifying mirrors for grooming the eyebrows and other small areas.
As Accents
Mirrors are beautiful as accents on tabletops. They can hold candle votives and thus reflect the light and bring some sparkle to a living room or dining room area. They can also be use as pedestals for crystal figurines or any other small collectible.
To Bring An Outside View In
One of the most interesting uses of mirrors is to bring an outside view indoors. If you have a particularly beautiful view outside a window, why not reflect it multiple times inside? It makes for more light, more interest, and a feeling of nature indoors.
One thing to remember when hanging or using mirrors is that they are glass. You want to hang them securely so they don’t fall. Many large antique mirrors are exceedingly heavy and should be hung on studs so as to have sufficient support. If you have children in the house, do not keep glass or mirror pieces out on your table where they can accidentally break it and cut themselves. As always, safety should be first and beauty second.
About the Author: When you're shopping for mirrors, get a great deal by using coupons from JTV. Jewelry Television has some very elaborate, expensive mirrors along with more affordable, but still stylish, offerings.
|