- Strategically place mirrors across or near sources of natural light
- Use vintage mirrors to give your home a more luxe look
- Choose large mirrors to make small spaces appear larger
Have you heard the news about the power of a well-placed mirror? If not, I’m here to spread it: From large-and-in-charge pieces that bounce a ton of light to beautiful antique pieces that add visual interest, mirrors are the secret ingredient your space has been missing. Think your home is too dark or too small? Think again—you likely just need better—and better-placed—mirrors. Need to add a luxe layer to your space? Try a mirror.
Below, I’m walking you through all the tips and tricks of decorating with mirrors so you can instantly upgrade your space—no renovation required.
Want Your Home to Feel Brighter? Place Mirrors Strategically
If a lack of natural light is your home’s biggest issue, you may just need more mirrors. A well-placed mirror will drastically improve your room’s natural light without blinding anyone. Your best bet is to place one either directly across from a window—giving your space the feel of a second window—or perpendicular to it, so you can bounce more light across a greater swath of the room. Creating a “second window” effect with your mirror is perfect for living rooms, especially in ranch-style homes with a single large picture window, while perpendicular placement works especially well in entryways, where light filters in through the door or sidelights.
If you don’t have a ton of natural light, also consider adding a lamp or two. Place them in small, dark corners and position a mirror directly across—this will brighten the entire area and cast a cozy, warm glow in the once-dark space. The same rule applies to pendant lights and sconces.
RELATED: The Three Types of Lighting Every Home Needs
Want Your Home to Look More Expensive? Go Vintage
Looking for an easy way to upgrade your walls without using art? Try a vintage mirror. Even in poor condition, an antique or vintage mirror adds a luxe feel to any space. Start at your local antiques store and seek out interesting shapes, like a shield mirror or one with an intricately carved wood frame. The more unique the look, the more of a one-of-a-kind feel it will give your space.
You’re also going to want to look for mirrors with foxing. Even if you’ve never heard of foxing, you’ll recognize it: that dappled aging around the edges of antique mirrors—it usually looks like a silvery or brown rust within the glass. Foxing occurs over long periods of exposure to moisture and air. Once moisture or air gets between the glass and the mercury or silver backing, it begins to erode, leaving behind that delightfully aged look.
Want Your Home to Look Bigger? Emphasize Scale
As a homes editor, I spend a lot of time looking at people’s homes. One of the biggest mistakes I see homeowners make is buying art that is the wrong size—people often go too small and hang it too high on the wall. It may seem counterintuitive, but the bigger the mirror you install, the bigger your space will feel.
If you have a smaller home with low ceilings or cramped rooms, you don’t want to emphasize that small space with equally small art. Instead, you want to trick the eye, literally, by filling the room with larger items to take up more wall space. That applies to mirrors, as well. Go for larger mirrors like in the room pictured above. Search for mirror styles such as pediment, Louis, or Trumeau mirrors. Pier mirrors are also a great option if you want a large, floor-to-ceiling mirror for your living room or hallway.
Tip for Hanging
When it comes to hanging, the rules for hanging mirrors and art differ slightly. Excuse me while I step onto my soapbox real quick. If there’s one piece of advice I could give every homeowner, it’s this: Unless you’re hanging multiple items and covering an entire wall, art should always be hung at eye level, meaning the center point of your art should always be at eye level—you should never have to strain your neck upward to view the artwork in your own home!
Mirrors, however, should be hung ever-so-slightly higher—I’m talking by an inch or two. You’ll want to ensure the tallest member of your household, as well as the smallest, can step back and see themselves. Unlike hanging art, this may take some family participation.
Anna Logan is the Deputy Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
