Mirrors are a must in small rooms
A magic show is generally based on slight of hand, hidden trapdoors and other tricks of the trade, including the all-important mirror.
"As I was going up the stair, I met a man who wasn't there!" I love this little ditty, and when you observe the magic that a mirror can deliver to a tiny space, it isn't hard to get into a very playful mood.
A mirror lets us see things that aren't really there and in so doing, can be an artful distraction. When we say something is all smoke and mirrors, the inference is that it is fake. Yet smoke and mirrors can assist a petite room feel larger in a genuine way.
Mirror is an unbeatable interior finish material to create the illusion of space. The use of mirror has changed with each era. In the 1970s, it was in vogue to plaster the entire bathroom wall with a countertop-to-ceiling mirror. This generous use of mirror did make these rooms feel large.
In recent years, however, this approach has not been favored. It is more popular to break up the mirrors and to use framed mirrors instead of one enormous wall.
Also, you must be extremely careful about what is reflected in your use of mirror. This might be the most important aspect of including this material. Here we see a carefully scripted and minimal mirror that has been cut to line up perfectly with the vessel-style sink. The dominant reflection is the crystal light fixture, which is a delicious foil against the clean, simple while tile of the shower on the other side of the room.
Mirrors can be used creatively behind a cook top or range if one is willing to constantly clean it. It's a fabulous, if impractical, application to create a sense of more space when used as the backsplash behind a sink or work counter in a galley kitchen. Often mirrors are used as the backsplash in home entertaining bars or coffee bars. In Craftsman-style homes, the classic built-in dining room buffet always had a mirror as the backdrop.
I have a mirror hanging behind the toilet in our master bathroom. When using the toilet one faces another mirror and from time to time it is obvious that the reflection goes on to infinity. To this day it amuses me. You surely remember when, as a child, you first understood the idea of repetition and reflection. It's mysterious and fun. But remember those mirror squares that people glued on the walls? Not only was that a tedious treatment, it generally looked cheap. Now days the same idea is often interpreted by hanging dozens of framed, tiny mirrors on a large wall. It is more respectable!
You might consider adding mirror to the back of open bookcases or to the surface of a door in a narrow passageway. Structural columns or other undesirable architectural features with mirror will not make them disappear, but the will be less noticeable.
One serious warning: Be careful to avoid reflecting ugly joints, unpainted supports or utilitarian shelf brackets. If you are in doubt about what you will see, test things out with a small hand mirror before investing in an expensive custom installation.
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
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