The magic of mirrors

They shimmer, they glow, they sparkle, they gleam. In daytime, they can send light streaming into the darkest corners of a room. And after sundown, well, let's just say that if you've never spent an evening in a room lit by soft candles reflected in gilt-framed mirrors, you've been missing out.

Nothing lights up a room like mirrors, and you don't have to pay your local power company for the privilege. You also don't need an Old Master budget to hang gorgeous works of art on your walls. There are old mirrors out there that will knock your socks off. 

The mother of all mirrored rooms is the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. A little over the top, 
but you get the idea.

Now that I've got that out of my system, we can enter the real world. May I suggest that instead of putting a big-screen TV over your mantel, you use a mirror? 

(The men are booing, I know.)

Miles Redd room via Elle Decor

Gorgeous moss-framed mirror in a Bunny-Williams decorated library

Thomas Jayne dining room -- with all that elaborate molding, he kept the mirror simple.

 Casual bedroom, luxurious bed, semi-formal trumeau propped against the wall. Unbeatable combination. Just don't look when you first get out of the bed in the morning!

Montauk bedroom by Vicente Wolf

This gorgeous mirror used as a headboard gives new meaning to the term "bedhead."

via Country Living

Mirrored closet doors make this corner come alive. One of these days, I'm going to mirror my old bedroom closets like this. When all the other projects are done. If I'm still in the house at that time, alive and breathing.  

Small mirror, big impact. You can see the dining room in its reflection.

Lisa's house (see previous posts)

A stunning dining room by Darryl Carter, with oversized twin mirrors flanking the doorway. How many people would just hang a couple of paintings in those spaces? The mirrors add so much depth to the room.

Isabel Lopez Quesada hung this elaborate Venetian mirror in a modern den. The rococo-shaped frame helps to soften the hard lines in the room. 

When was the last time you saw a bathroom remodel that looked like this? Talk about thinking out of the box! The mirror over the tub is pure genius. 

I used to think Federal style was kind of stodgy, until Thomas Jayne came along. Here, he uses a big mirror to make a big statement in a New York entry hall. I think a mirror like this costs about as much as an Old Master. But if you're ever hit by thieves, they won't think of taking it.

In a guest bedroom, a pretty little mirror tucked behind a bed.

 

Source: unknown

 For me, decorating doesn't get any better than this. Amelia Handegan's lovely living room has silk taffeta curtains, an antique sofa, and an oversized gilt mirror reflecting the airy, ethereal chandelier and mantel with its row of blossom-filled vases. The stuff that dreams are made of.

Helene Aumont put a large mirror over an Empire commode in this Paris apartment. Again, those silk curtains. Big sigh.

Candlelight and mirrors in Valentino's dining room. Don't you want to have dinner here tonight? And every night? Those servants are a nice touch, don't you think?

 Imelda Marcos had her shoes. For me, the one thing I can't resist buying more of is antique mirrors. I have a house full of them, and if I had any wall space left, I would buy more.

Just as earrings light up a face, mirrors light up a room. And...with mirrors everywhere, you always have a place to check your lipstick.

© 2013 by A Silken Swoon. All rights reserved.