One of the best ways to add decorative charm to a living room is to learn how to decorate it with mirrors. They can help make a room feel more spacious and bright, be the perfect place to add ornate detail with a vintage frame, or become a stunning focal point. But as with any large piece of furniture, it can be daunting to figure out what type of mirror to look for and what will look best in the space. To help us, we turned to Whitney Vredenburgh, owner of Nested Spaces Home Staging & Design, who specializes in home staging, is certified by Home Staging Resource, and is a proud RESA-PRO member.
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Vredenburgh revealed the best tips for choosing, buying and placing large mirrors in living rooms and living rooms in an exclusive interview for House Digest. Learn where to best place a mirror and the impact it can have on a room. Then use the golden ratio to make sure a large mirror fits the actual size of your living room and furniture.
Consider the room for which you want to buy a mirror
To figure out where to hang a large or oversized mirror in the living room, “consider angles, dimensions and room size,” advises Vredenburgh in an exclusive interview with House Digest. If you plan to put up another wall art next to the mirror, don’t go too big as this can look cramped and cluttered – always keep in mind the relationship between the mirror and the wall size. Don’t forget to consider lighting or whether a room feels dark or claustrophobic as “mirrors make a room seem larger than it is by throwing light into the room,” says Vredenburgh.
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However, large mirrors are not just limited to small living rooms, they can work really well in large rooms too, especially if you use a mirror to fill empty space on the wall, as Vredenburgh notes: “They can also serve as a piece of art and focal point in a room, especially if you don’t have a fireplace (and even if you do!).” If you want to make sure the mirror is a focal point in the room, “hang mirrors on large walls in a family room or in a corner of a family room, or above a mantel, console table or credenza,” Vredenburgh says, drawing the eye to the mirror and the architectural interest of the room.
Measure twice, buy once
You may be wondering how big a large mirror needs to be. This will, of course, depend on the size of your living room as well as the other furniture the mirror will sit next to. Vredenburgh has a few golden rules for measuring and buying the right size mirror. “Measure your space before adding a mirror,” says Vredenburgh, adding, “As a general rule, for a mantel or console table, a mirror should be at least 6 to 12 inches shorter than the mantel. In a corner, you can lean a mirror against it, which should be at least 60 inches tall and 36 inches wide.”
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Thankfully, you don’t have to run to the mall or an expensive home decor store to do this, Vredenburgh tells House Digest exclusively. She says you can find budget-friendly success by shopping at a few popular home decor retailers, and recommends “At Home, Target and Home Goods.” These are big-box stores that often have great deals. Ultimately, if you’re still not sure what style of mirror you’re looking for, there are a few mirror styles that work pretty universally, says Vredenburgh, who advises, “A black or dark wood framed mirror will fit in almost any home and feel like a timeless piece for all homes.”
