Mirrors aren’t just a household accessory to help you get dressed in the mornings or check your hair one last time before heading out the door. Mirrors are also a key design feature for any home or business, because of their ability to bring extra light into any space. Adding a mirror in the right spot can transform a space into a bright and airy room you’ll want to spend a whole lot more time in. When used correctly, mirrors can enhance just about any interior or exterior design.
So how do you know if you’re adding a mirror in the perfect place? The following guidelines will help you decide the optimal spot for your mirrors, whether they are for your home or business.
Making the best use of your windows
The best areas to use a mirror are the spots where natural light floods into the room. Mirrors act as a natural light diffuser, spreading light from a concentrated area throughout the rest of the space. If you have a window in the room, place your mirror directly across from it, or at an angle when the sunlight reaches it. This way, the light bounces off of the mirror and brightens up the room. While this works best with natural light, you can use the same technique to spread artificial light too.
Creating the illusion of space
Have you ever been in a store where you think you can see an extra section out of the corner of your eye, but it turns out that the extra space is merely a mirror? That’s because mirrors create the illusion of space, almost like tricking our minds into thinking there’s more than there really is. When you have a smaller area like a bathroom, narrow hallway, and other smaller spaces, adding a mirror can make it feel larger. For example, using a floor-length vertical mirror adds considerable dimension to a room. You could even place this mirror horizontally to make the room appear wider.
Outdoor spaces with an abundance of natural light can also benefit from mirrors. They make any garden look larger and more luscious. Plus, they reflect all the hard work you’ve been putting into those flower beds!
The more reflection, the better
Mirrors subconsciously make people feel more comfortable. It opens up the space by reflecting surfaces. A bare wall might be jarring and obtrusive – not something you want guests in your home or clients in your workplace to feel. Of course, mirrors are also functional in different spaces. Your guests may want to check their appearance in the bathroom of your home after a meal, or before a meeting in your office space. Mirrors are especially important in the retail space where customers need to try on or envision themselves with your product. They also allow you to choose the things you want people to see, by highlighting and therefore focusing attention on these elements.
Cleaner surfaces make brighter surfaces
Mirrors are also an easy surface to clean. The cleaner the surfaces in your space are, the lighter and brighter the entire room feels. It can also hide unsightly marks on the walls. Instead of continually repainting the area, consider using a mirror that only requires a quick wipe down. A product like ClearShield may come in handy here.
Other things to consider when choosing to use mirror
When deciding to use a mirror to brighten up your home or office space, it’s important to consider the following:
Do you need safety mirror?
Imagine how dangerous it would be if your shower door could crack and break while you use it? Or if a mirror in your store breaks and injures a customer. The dangers of broken glass are obvious. This is where toughened/safety glass or mirror comes in. In spaces where people might touch a mirror like in a dressing room or bathroom, the risks are too high to ignore. It is important to decide when safety mirror is a necessity to protect people from serious injury.
Is mirror a good fit?
The benefits of using mirror are only applicable when it fits flawlessly into your space – from both a design and measurement perspective. A mirror that is unusually large or small in conjunction with the space can feel out of place. This is also why measurement is vital – to ensure the size of the mirror will realistically fit in place. You may want to consult an expert on this, as even the smallest mistake will make a noticeable difference. At Aluview our years of experience ensure that we have all the right tools and materials for fitting just about any mirror, regardless of size.
Can you think of a space that could benefit from the light and bright qualities of mirror?
