In Alice Through the Looking Glass, seven and a half year old Alice manages to step through the mirror in her kitchen into a fantastical world of the living chess pieces and the jabberwock. In Anne of Green Gables, Anne tells Marilla of Katie Maurice, her only friend who lived in the reflective glass of a bookcase. While you likely won’t find magical worlds or potential friends in the mirrors in your own home, even everyday mirrors are useful for much more than admiring your reflection.
Expanding Spaces.
Oversized mirrors are a decorator’s most valuable tool in making small or cramped rooms feel like large, open spaces. A giant floor mirror creates an illusion that a room is twice as large as it is; paired with intentional minimalism, a mirror can visually open the space. An area that would otherwise feel ordinary becomes luxurious instead. Mirrors are best used in small entryways — where you can also give yourself a quick inspection before running out the door — and powder rooms.
Create Harmony.
Feng shui, or Chinese geomancy, is an ancient tradition for creating harmony within a space and the people who dwell there. In practice since 4000 BCE, and using techniques developed during the neolithic (Stone Age) period of ancient China, feng shui has guided the Chinese in creating human-built environments that have good energy—or qi. One important tool in creating harmonic places according to feng shui is the position of mirrors.
According to feng shui principles, a mirror should not be placed directly across from your front door, but perpendicular to it instead. A large mirror should be hung in your dining room, representing your capacity for wealth, but mirrors should be avoided in the kitchen, and especially across from the stove. Glass backsplashes are fine, but mirror backsplashes should be avoided. Mirrors are welcome in hallways, but are best placed in the middle or on a landing rather than at the end of the hall. A mirror in the living room is good—it’s doubles the number of guests and family members at your events, but a mirror in an office that reflects your desk is bad as it doubles your workload.
Mirrors have been used to decorate and improve our homes for thousands of years. A carefully positioned mirror can serve as an admirable second window in a room. By placing a large mirror across from a sunny window, you double the light creating a virtual window. Whether you believe in feng shui or not, one thing is certain, never underestimate the benefits of deliberate design in the layout of your home! Come by House of Mirrors and Glass today to find the perfect mirror to complement your existing design elements, while making your home feel bigger and brighter.
