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Bridget A. Otto, The Oregonian
August 24, 2006
Unfortunately, the mirror over the bathroom sink rarely—if ever—lies. What you see is what you get.
But that doesn't mean you can't use mirrors to create illusion. A strategically placed mirror won't make you look younger, but it might lighten that dark corner near the entry or make the small guest room appear larger.
You can even create the illusion of a window.
Whether used alone or grouped with artwork, mirrors are terrific interior design tools. There's little restriction on how a mirror can be hung—unless dictated by the frame—and they come in an endless array of sizes, shapes and styles.
"They are awesome," says Suzanne Gallagher, author of a new book, "The Fine Art of Wall Design" (Alta Press, 2006), and a Portland-area design consultant.
That's not to say you can't make a mistake with a mirror, though.
The same reflective quality that lightens and enlarges a space can also magnify flaws or drab spaces.
Gallagher notes, for example, that a mirror hung too high will reflect only the ceiling.
Likewise, designer Patti Marvitz warns, a reflection doubles what's in the room, so you'd better like what you see in the room. She once saw a mirror that reflected a stovepipe in such a way that the room appeared to have 20 stovepipes in it.
That's not so good.
What's good is hanging a mirror so that it adds ambience, light and interest. Take the dining room, for instance.
If there are candles on the table, the mirror multiplies the effect. And the reflection of people seated around the table creates a festive feeling.
Gallagher has had clients squirm at the thought of mirrors in the dining room, but she persists. The mirrors create the illusion of activity in the room—like a fun restaurant.
"Who has ever been in a restaurant when you are the only one there?" she asks, laughing.
Don't forget the cardinal rule here: A misplaced mirror may cut off the heads of seated diners—again, not so good.
Mirrors can also disguise.
A mirror hung on an interior door—say, a hallway closet door—instantly makes the plain door interesting.
A mirrored wall creates the illusion that a room continues, whereas a plain wall stops the line of sight.
In Linda Barker's book, "Wall to Wall" (Clarkson Potter, 2005), she shows a white wall studded with identical round mirrors the size of sandwich plates. The mirrors are placed in three vertical rows, looking like holes punched through the wall to create a geometric, pop-art design.
In a room with limited light, Marvitz placed a mirror at an angle to capture a chandelier, reflecting its light and creating the effect of two chandeliers.
"There's unlimited use," she says of mirrors.
Other trends include leaning a large decorative mirror against a wall in a hallway or entry. Or, replacing a plain full-length mirror on a bedroom closet door with a large stand-alone mirror reminiscent of old-fashioned dressing rooms.
Marvitz is a fan of making a grand statement in a small space. In one room, she tucked a 7-by-4-foot mirror in a space nearly that size. It didn't overwhelm; it opened the room.
Placing identical large mirrors side by side can create the illusion of a wall of windows where there's otherwise a plain wall. Placing a mirror of the same size between two windows can help light bounce around the room while also looking like another window.
Follow the general rule of grouping in odd numbers, says Marvitz. (Which reminds me, I want to challenge this "rule" in another column some time: Stay tuned.)
It's also a good idea to enlist the help of someone willing to hold the mirror in place while you check how and what it reflects before you go to the trouble of hanging it.
And just as that mirror in the bathroom has a practical purpose, so does the pretty one in the front hall, says Gallagher.
That way you'll never end up saying, "I didn't know that was sticking to my skirt!"
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