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How to Use Mirrors in Interior Design

While the concept of interior design may be slightly fanciful and artistic, it underpins an industry that grows at a CAGR of 3.8% on average. As a result, it was worth £6.4 billion at the end of 2018, with this driven by both commercial and residential projects.

Residential interior design services are particularly popular, while there are many design techniques used to make the most of people’s living spaces. For example, a mirror is widely considered to be a designer’s and secret weapon, thanks to its potential to transform space, frame views and create interesting reflections.

In this post, we’ll explore this further, while asking precisely how mirrors can transform your interior space.

Photo by Max Vakhtbovych from Pexels

Why are Mirrors Such Useful Interior Tools

We live in an age where new-build properties are increasingly compact, with this creating issues in terms of maximising the sense of space available.

This means that modern properties are often devoice of natural light, while they’re also relatively cramped and liable to become cluttered during the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

After all, humans have a tendency to hoard material possessions over time, with this often based on childhood emotions and sentiment (amongst other things).

If it’s hard to effectively declutter your cramped interior space over time, you can utilise mirrors to transform individual rooms and make them appear far more palatable. More specifically, mirrors are capable of reflecting natural light and creating the illusion of space within your home, with floor length mirrors particularly effective so long as they’re placed in the correct position.

You can also use a number of smaller mirrors above items of furniture on one or two adjacent walls, in a bid to maximise the impact of natural light further as it moves across and throughout your home.

This takes the emphasis of the cramped nature of a particular room, making it appear bigger and more spacious in the process.

Image from Apartment Therapy

How to Use Mirrors as Interior Design Tools

Of course, execution is everything when using mirrors in your home interior, which is why you need to take care of both practical and design-led considerations.

For example, mirrors can represent a significant safety hazard in the event of a fall or breakage, so it’s crucial that you fix them securely to surfaces.

From an artistic perspective, we’d also recommend opting for the largest mirror possible within each interior space, so that you can afford to make the most of every ray of natural light that reaches the surface.

Image from Apartment Therapy

Similarly, you’ll also have to take when placing the mirror, as in addition to amplifying the sense of space, this will also reflect whatever is in front of it and you’ll need to ensure that you make the most dramatic visual statement imaginable.

You should also consider creating a bespoke gallery of mirrors, which help to reflect light and also create a vignette or striking, space-enhancing focal point in your hall or on your landing.

Similarly, round mirrors will soften a space that’s furnished with hard materials, as this creates a superior fot than square or rectangular pieces on an awkward or unusual-shaped wall.

Gail P
I am a beachy type of person, living in Newport Beach, and oftentimes I’ll go for a swim with my daughter. When I’m bored, I’ll help make package boxes for my little girl’s sticker company on Etsy.