Finding the Perfect Mirror Can Have a Big Impact

By Lisa Schryver, Brand Publishing Writer

Decorating with mirrors isn’t easy, but by following some simple guidelines you can reflect good taste throughout your home.

Mirrors come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and it’s not always apparent when and where to hang them in ways that are functional and aesthetically pleasing. Properly deployed, mirrors can make a room seem bigger by tricking the eye into seeing the space as larger than it really is. Mirrors also can bring light into areas that would otherwise need artificial illumination to avoid being gloomy.

In short, mirrors aren’t just for bathrooms anymore.

Finding the right mirror is something Connie Sherrard knows a lot about. Sherrard is a design consultant in the Fort Myers location of Baer’s Furniture, a family owned chain with 15 locations throughout Florida. Homeowners can avoid making common mistakes by following a few of Sherrard’s tips.

Proportion

Often mirrors are not stand-alone decor items in the home. They’re frequently hung above console tables or mantles. The key to pairing a mirror with another piece of furniture is to understand proportions. For example, Sherrard advises homeowners to be mindful of the size of the furniture and surrounding space before choosing a mirror.

“If it’s a small foyer and you’ve got a 36-inch console in there, that’s not very wide, so I wouldn’t want to put a tall, skinny mirror into it because it would just be too tall and too skinny,” she explains. “You have to make sure that you balance out the proportions.”

Alternatively, consider matching the width of a table or mantle with a large oval mirror, or a set of several smaller mirrors. A bank of mirrors also works well if you have a large open area, Sherrard says.

Tall, floor-length mirrors are perfect for areas with high ceilings or just about any room with enough wall space. Floor-length mirrors also happen to be incredibly versatile — use them horizontally in lieu of a headboard or behind a sofa to add more light and give the impression of more space.

Sherrard says she likes using tall, leaning floor mirrors in the bedroom to add depth, but advises aginst this if small children are frequent visitors.

“Most of the baby boomers now have grandkids coming to their house,” she says. “I just worked with a customer and that mirror was about 6 feet tall, 5 inches wide, but because of the little ones we hung it on the wall about a foot off the floor. We did that because I know she has grandkids and didn’t feel comfortable just leaning it against the wall.”

Style

More than anything, Sherrard says the biggest mistake homeowners make with mirrors is in failing to take the reflection into account before installation. No one wants to look at a mirror and see a dusty corner or an awkward angle. Instead, think of the mirror as the canvas and the reflection as the painting, she says.

“My biggest thing is, it could be a beautiful mirror, but reflect something that’s not appealing to the eye,” Sherrard adds. “In Florida, everyone has ceiling fans — and I hate to see fans reflected in a mirror.”

Sherrard recalls working with a client who had positioned a table against a breakfast nook wall. One person sitting at the table had a view of the water outside, while the other person had a view of the wall. Sherrard and her team were able to position a mirror on the wall so that it reflected the beautiful scenery outside and so everyone enjoyed a great view during breakfast.

“It’s like seeing a picture,” she says. “Mirrors just make a room seem larger.”