Well sit down, take a few measured breaths and relax; decorating is supposed to be fun and should reflect your personality – not the emotionally stressed state that you may find yourself in when faced with a fashion-challenged area of your home. There is a possible solution that you may not have considered; but if you sit and reflect for a moment it may come to you. Mirrors are often used in home decor and they can serve many purposes other than just checking yourself out before you leave home.

Liette Tousignant, VP New Product Development at Under The Roof Decorating, has been dealing with many such decorating issues for years. As a result, she knows a lot about using mirrors as decorating features. One of her favourite ways to decorate with mirrors is to pick up six small identical mirrors from Ikea, which can then be positioned to create various wall arrangements. “The possibilities are virtually endless,” says Liette. “It’s a quick and funky way to decorate for under $30.” Liette says that there are some traditional places that mirrors can be found, such as bathrooms and entranceways, however she suggests that mirrors can be used as a decorating tool as well. “Mirrors can open up a space, add light to a room and even make low ceilings appear to be higher,” says Liette. “As well, long hallways can be shortened and made to appear less narrow just by placing a table with a mirror at the end of it.”

According to Liette, one of the more dramatic ways to enhance a fireplace as a focal point of the room is to showcase a large mirror above the mantel. As a matter of fact, she has done just that in her own home. “My husband and I decided to incorporate built-in shelving units on either side of the fireplace which left the space above the mantel bare. I searched high and low for a piece of art that would suit the spot, but nothing looked right there,” admits Liette. “Every piece of art that I used either added too much colour or just made the space look crowded. Eventually I decided to try holding up one of my larger mirrors over the mantel and I knew I’d found what I was looking for. I had a glass company come out and measure the space and they installed a mirror to exactly fit that spot. It looks fabulous!” One of the tips that Liette has for anyone having a piece of mirror specially cut for an area, is to let the professionals do the measuring. “If the company makes a mistake with the measurements, they will fix it,” says Liette. “However, if you get the measurements wrong then you’re stuck with a mirror that doesn’t fit or the cost of doing it all over again.” Liette has a few other words of wisdom for decorating with mirrors as well. “When you’re hanging larger mirrors, make sure you like what is reflected; a doorway, bathroom or a messy room will detract from the effect you’re going for. As well, use d-rings to hang your mirrors as they will help keep them flush against the wall, and placing those little rubber bumpers on the back of the frame will keep them hanging nice and straight,” advises Liette. “And last but not least, don’t overdo it; decorate with mirrors in small doses. Too many mirrors in an area can be confusing.”

Another lady who knows her way around mirrors is Tracy Topham, who has her own interior design company, (Tracy Topham Interior Design). Tracy says that she decorates many private homes, but that she also decorates showhomes for Heartland Homes and for Hawthorne Homes (The multi-family division of the company). “I’ve got more residential work but Heartland and Hawthorne have been giving me more in the last three or four years with all the showhomes that they have been bringing out.” says Tracy. One of the more recent showhomes that Tracy decorated with mirrors is the Libero in the Mosaic of New Brighton. As you enter this showhome there is a very stunning mirror sitting over the living room sofa. “I toyed between getting a really tall piece of art for this area and then decided upon a mirror,” says Tracy. “I didn’t want to add a lot of colour but I also wanted it to be a focal point.” Well she succeeded, and this mirror purchased from a modern furniture store called Koolhaus, is very eye-catching indeed.

Another show home that Tracy decorated using mirrors is a semi-detached home on Elgin Place, also in the SE. This floor plan was designed with the living room and dining room next to each other - leading to the kitchen; all the rooms in a row. Using thick strips of mirror, Tracy created lines of mirror alternating with strips of millwork to stretch the length of the living room and dining room. The result is that the long floor plan is opened up and made to look wider. “When you have a living room and dining room together, sometimes art above the couch and more art above the dining room table ends up with the two combating,” says Tracy. “It sometimes helps to introduce a mirror in one section.” In this case the mirrors run the length of both rooms and the effect is quite dramatic. “I got the idea from something I saw it on the cover of a Home Decorating magazine and I reproduced the idea here,” says Tracy. “It makes the space feel bigger and there was no need to for any other artwork.” Tracy says that she likes mirrors because they come in lots of geometric shapes and can really make a big impact if that’s what you’re looking for. Alternately, she says that mirrors can also become a neutral element where you don’t want to add more colours but you need to fill up a space. Tracy says that you can find some inexpensive yet attractive mirrors in places like Ikea, and even Superstore. However, if they don’t have what you’re looking for, you can find more unique pieces at places like Chintz & Company and other home decor shops.

So if you are stuck for decorating ideas and artwork just doesn’t seem to fit, maybe pick up a mirror or two and see if you like what’s reflected.  CL