Latest Interiors: Mirror Image

Mirrors are an interior designer’s best friend. And not just because they need to put their contact lenses in or check their reflection on a Friday night. Oh no, mirrors are much more useful than that.

Used correctly, the right mirror can make a small room seem bigger, a dark room brighter, or a low ceiling higher.

Mirrors can also be used to highlight focal points or disguise blemishes. And that’s before you’ve even stepped into those skinny jeans and tried to check your reflection from behind. This week, Latest Interiors gets the low down on decorating with mirrors.

Make a statement
First and foremost, a statement mirror can be a thing of beauty. Large, gilt-edged, ornate mirrors look marvellous over period fireplaces and in Regency hallways. For a more contemporary look, go with a plainer frame such as simple silver or a thin band of dark wood.

The beauty of the piece will be in what it reflects – so you’d better keep that living space tidy! Large, statement mirrors above or opposite open fires or gentle, toned down light sources add to the ambience of a winter room.

If there’s something you’d rather hide – some dodgy plasterwork or a nasty stain – then a strategically placed mirror will cover it up nicely.

Let in the light
A good-sized mirror will also add light in darker rooms. Where natural light sources are scarce or ceilings are low, a wall-to-wall mirror will act like a window, appearing to double the available light.

You can also use strips of mirror in more creative ways: along the side of a bath, a kitchen splash-back or underneath units, or down a small, facing wall in landings and halls, to change your perception of the space and add more light.

Extra space
The larger the mirror, the more light it will reflect. In small (and very small) rooms, try covering the facing wall (the one you see on entry) with a floor-to-ceiling mirror; the room will appear to be much larger and, of course, brighter.

Reflective surfaces elsewhere in your room – a mirrored table or unit, a mirrored wall cabinet – will seem to take up less space and bring in the light.

Mirrored dining room table-tops might seem rather brave, but set for dinner with sparkling tea-lights and shiny silver cutlery, they look absolutely amazing. Your evening will most certainly shine.