A well-placed mirror can transform the look and feel of your living room. Mirrors can make a room feel larger, can increase the light in a room without having to run more lamps or bulbs, and it can give a room an authentic elegant glow and design to a room. When it comes to placing a mirror in your living room, creating the feel of more space and providing more light are tremendous benefits. Your living room is often the go-to room in your home for hosting guests.
But there are so many mirrors to choose from, how do I pick out the right one?
We hear this question quite a bit, so we wanted to provide you with a guide to choosing the perfect mirror for your living room.
While the perfect mirror, and the perfect placement of the mirror, can change the dynamic of your living room, the wrong mirror or the wrong placement can distract and mess up the look and feel of your living room. Since mirrors will only reflect what’s in front of them, choosing which wall to hang the mirror is an important step in the process. The way your mirror reflects within your living room will alter the experience of being in that room.
When finding and hanging your living room mirror, you’ll need to pay attention to the size of the mirror, where you’re hanging it, the style of the mirror, and the shape of the mirror.
When it comes to mirrors, size matters. The size of your mirror directly influences the effect the mirror has in your living room. Because size is so important, you first need to ask yourself whether the goal of the mirror is to be the focal point of your living room or whether the intention is to serve an accent role. That question usually will come down to the other art that is in the room. Think about your bathroom mirror. It’s more than likely the signature focal point of your bathroom. You have faucets, towel holders, small art, and other bathroom accessories in there to support the grand mirror that dominates the attention in your bathroom. Is that your goal for your living room mirror?
If it is and there won’t be much eye-grabbing art in the living room, then you’re probably going to want to get a big mirror that will add to the space of the room and make it more comfortable and spacious. When referring to the size of mirrors, think about them in relation to the wall they’re hanging from.A big mirror sometimes will require some accessorizing with small fixtures to be placed around or near it. Some good options to consider for that role are wall sconces, tasteful picture frames, and shelving.
If you’re hoping for the mirror to serve as an accent to a highly decorated and artistic living room, you’ll want to go with a smaller mirror. Smaller mirrors can be used as accents, catching light sources and reflecting light towards darker portions of a room. Smaller mirrors can also be used to reflect other decorative items such as art, tables, cabinets, or pieces of furniture.
Where to hang your mirror depends greatly on the type of mirror that you have. A large eye-grabbing mirror might work best if it’s centered on a large piece of furniture such as a sofa. Large mirrors also look great if they’re anchored to a mantel top. When exploring that route, the mantel and the style of the mirror need to be in agreement with each other. A small mirror on a expansive wall will look lost and insignificant, especially if the mirror isn’t being accented by other items on the wall to attract attention.
Regardless of the size and positioning of the mirror, you’ll want to keep the mirror positioned in a way that reflects light appropriately. But playing with the angles that your mirror and the reflecting light source are positioned, you can dictate how big and how well-lit the room appears.
As is the case with most decor, shape plays an important role in defining how a piece fits in a given space. When it comes to a mirror, the shape and style dictate mood, tone, and accentuate the other items in a room. A long horizontal shape will serve to make the width of a room more prominent as it helps sweep your eye along a straight, long line. A tall vertical-shaped mirror will call attention to the height of a room, as its shape commands the eye to travel up towards the ceiling. If you’re going for a less commanding look and instead are aiming for restrained, an angular shape such as a square or rectangle will do the trick. Going for goofy and fun? Finding a rounded mirror or a curved frame for a softer to give the room a whimsical feel. You can even create your own shape by grouping several mirrors together, similar to grouping framed photographs can create shapes.
The style of the mirror and frame also plays a huge factor. Your mirrors can reflect the style you already have in your room. A quiet and quaint room might call for a subtle and traditional mirror whereas an elegant room filled with golds, yellows, and whites calls for a large and authoritative mirror. Or, unleash your inner Avant-Garde and go with conflicting styles that aim to create an unusual statement. Why not try and have a rustic-looking mirror above a modern leather couch?
The same goes for selecting the mirror’s frame, if the mirror you’ve selected doesn’t come with one, or if you’re repurposing an mirror from a different frame. An ornate, carved or gilt frame is often best used when trying to set a traditional tone. Looking for some flavor? Try a frame that has culture and character to it that can either contrast or complement the other items in your living room.
Has this article driven up a desire to add a new mirror to your living room? Harkraft has your covered. We have a wide variety of mirror solutions for almost any room in your home. Whether you need help selecting the perfect mirror, or help to installing your new mirror in the perfect place, we can help you out. Learn more about the custom mirror products that Harkraft delivers or contact us today to make an appointment.
