Nearly all homes have a mirror somewhere, be it in the bathroom, over the mantelpiece or perhaps in the hallway, but a lot of the time mirrors are overlooked as an invaluable interior design tool. Mirrors can be used for so much more than just a quick image check as you run out of the door, but many people overlook just how much more they can offer. Mirrors can be used to make tiny spaces seem much bigger, dark spaces seem much lighter, whole rooms take on a new dimension when a large mirror is strategically placed giving a totally new feel.

Dark hallways can be made to seem much brighter and airy if a mirror is hung somewhere it can reflect light back, giving the illusion of a bigger, lighter space. The same applies to any dark recesses in a room, by hanging a wall mirror there it will reflect light back into the recess and make it seem less gloomy. The most important thing to remember when using a mirror to create the illusion of space and light is to make sure it has a source of light to reflect, the perfect spot to hang a mirror to create the illusion of light is near a door or window where it can catch the light at an angle and reflect it back.

Mirrors can add brilliant imagery to plants, sculpture and candles. Placing a mirror behind candles doubles their effect and can throw some surreal reflections around the room, of course make sure the candles aren’t too close to the mirror as this could create a fire hazard. Plants can seem so much bigger with a mirror behind them, seeming to more than double in size, great if you love plants but don’t have the room needed for big plants.

Thanks to the massive range of mirrors available, there is a size and shape of mirror to suit everyone’s needs, with specialist bathroom mirrors that don’t mist up, large ornate mirrors to go over fireplaces or in a dining room, selections of small, funky-shape mirrors to decorate a section of wall with or free standing mirrors to go in your bedroom, the choice is endless.

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