Mirrors, aside from being decorative, are also bought for function. Mirrors are essential in getting ready in the morning, above vanities or located on your home’s walkway. After all, looking sharp and pleasant is necessary before leaving your homes.
However, mirrors are reflective surfaces. And another side effect of putting mirrors into a room is that it reflects light, and whatever is in front of it. But we will cover everything in this article, if you are looking for a selection of mirrors check out Americas 11 Best Farmhouse Mirrors You Can Buy Online.
Will a mirror open up a room?
First, let’s talk about the meaning of “opening up a room”. If you take this phrase synonymous with “widening a room” or “giving the illusion of a wider room”, then, the answer is that yes, a mirror can open up a room.
The size and orientation of a mirror will determine its effect on a room. A tall mirror will stretch the wall vertically, providing the illusion of a higher ceiling. A horizontally long mirror, on the other hand, will widen the width of the room, because of the mirror’s long horizontal surface.
So, yes. Hypothetically, a mirror may open up a room if it is the right shape and orientation.
If a room has a long ceiling, a large, tall mirror will certainly stretch it to the eye vertically. However, if you place a horizontal mirror on a room with a low ceiling, you are only emphasizing the low height of the ceiling. Use the size and orientation of the mirror to your advantage.
How can I hang a mirror to widen a room?
The size of the mirror is a significant factor in its effect on a room. It should be big enough actually to make a difference. If it’s too small, its impact will be barely noticeable, and it will only pale into the background as wall decor or a wall accent.
1. For one, you can have a mirror wall. Cover a wall with one, large mirror, or with multiple mirrors. The goal here is to make the mirror surface more than the surface of the wall. You can have a full-length, floor to ceiling large window, on one side of your wall, to create the illusion of having more space than you indeed do. The mirror will duplicate the scene in front of it, stretching out the room more significant than its actual size.
2. Place it in front of single objects. As mentioned above, mirrors are reflective surfaces and will duplicate whatever is in front of them. You don’t want to replicate something inadequate or cluttered. That’s why it’s best to place it in front of single objects, for example. If you have a freestanding bathtub, you may place a vertical mirror behind one of the shorter sides of the tub, go to this article for more information on what kind of mirror to install in a big bathroom. Or, you may choose to replicate the dining table scene, if it is also freestanding.
3. Change your shelves into multifunctional mirrors. If your room is cluttered, with a lot of shelves and hanging decors, why not swap out some of these pieces to open up the wall and bring in more light and more surface? Instead of shelves, you may use a mirror that also has a shelving unit. Instead of paintings on your wall, why not employ a decorative mirror for brightness and aesthetics?
4. Use mirrored doors or mirrored door cabinets. Similar to the idea of swapping out furniture and decor for mirrors, you may also choose the mirror versions of doors and door cabinets. If there are a lot of doors in your home, used for closet spaces or small rooms, swap some of them to mirror doors and reflect the solid walls that are located in front. This will help bounce off the light deeper, making the appearance of having a more extensive space. And while there are feng shui laws against mirrors in front of windows or doors, there’s nothing that says mirrors can’t be doors.
Will a mirror make a room less cluttered?
The easy answer to this question is that, yes, a mirror has the potential to make a room less cluttered.
A mirror will reflect whatever is in front of it, and if the scene in front of the mirror is cluttered, with too many items, it will only duplicate this scene, on the opposite side of the wall.
That’s why the placement of a mirror should be carefully taken into consideration. It should never be placed in front of a busy, detestable scene.
How can a mirror make a room less cluttered?
The general rule here is to reflect clean surfaces, instead of cluttered ones. If you duplicate busy scenes, you are only making the clutter in your room much worse, as it is now visible in two places, rather than merely just one.
Place a mirror in front of single and freestanding scenes or objects. If you’re not sure, you can never go wrong with duplicating a plain wall.
Will a mirror brighten a room?
Another side effect of mirrors to a room is that it brings brightness through the extra light.
Mirrors are reflective and will reflect the light that filters into a room. It will redistribute this duplicated light, making the room brighter than it originally was.
The best place to put a mirror, to brighten a room, is on the wall beside a window. The light coming in from the window will be reflected by the surface of the wall, on the remaining four sides of the room.
How will a mirror brighten a room?
Place mirrors near windows, or light sources. But, don’t place them directly in front of the windows. There is a feng shui law that is against putting mirrors in front of doors or windows, as they can serve as a “portal” for negative energy. While this feng shui law may sound ridiculous to some, there is an actual reason for it. You don’t want light coming into your room to go out of the room, through the same window.
That’s why it’s best to place it near sources of light or bright surfaces, such as light walls, bulbs, or chandeliers.
This article was a discussion on whether or not mirrors can widen a room and make them look less cluttered. We also detailed how you can place your mirrors to maximize the usage and effects that you can get from your mirrors.