Mirrors create visual effects that can be quite stunning, allowing you to highlight and direct focus in a room however you wish. There a couple of things you can achieve with mirrors – including making small rooms look more spacious and cutting up the appearance of larger objects that take up a lot of space. You never know, some of these tricks are likely to teach you a few things you didn’t know about design.

Doubling Up

A mirror placed across from one of your favourite pieces will help accentuate it, as well as give the illusion of having two unique pieces. This trick works equally well with highlighting art that appears on the opposite wall from the mirror. Seeing double of a piece you enjoy is sure to wow your visitors, especially those who are major art enthusiasts.

Another way this technique can benefit you is when your home is decorated for the holidays, and you want to make a major impression. Using mirrors to highlight a nicely-decorated tree or an assortment of figurines will give your area even more holiday cheer. Using reflective surfaces the right way will allow you to avoid adding too many extra decorative items that don’t enhance your space as much.

Let in the Light

Natural light is a perfect way to keep everyone happy and brighten up a room, especially during the winter months when we have fewer hours of light. If you need more light in an area that’s not near one of your windows, the mirror will help reflect more light. Should you go for a decor style that includes white walls, you’ll be able to make even more use of the area.

If you use one of your rooms as an arts and crafts area, the increased lighting that mirrors add will help you in the long run. Putting your whole work area in front of a window is not always practical, depending on where you have everything else in the room. The extra lighting effects will help you make the most of the light available and possibly give you further inspiration for new ideas.

Fake It

Creating fake windows using mirrors brightens up even the most open of homes to a big degree. Multiple mirrors in a grid design have the effect of double-paned windows. Placing this mirror grid across from one of your real windows will give you an interesting new take on things going on outdoors.

This look is one that is perfect to put to maximum use in celebrating the seasons. Setting up decor that matches the view that you have in your fake window is one way to make the most of this opportunity. You’ll have especially dazzling effects during the fall foliage season and Christmastime snowfalls.

Make Your Mirror the Centre of Attention

Reflective surfaces make great conversation pieces, with good reason. Making a mirror your room’s focal point, you’ll be able to highlight more of what you want your visitors to focus on in the room. Mirrors stand out against the decor easily by highlighting both motion and light.

If you’re skeptical about the value of this trick, think about boutiques you may have visited where some of the mirrors are at the centre of the store instead of along the walls. You’ve probably noticed that these mirrors pick up more of what is going on in the store at any given time. The more people’s attention ends up drawn to specific areas of the store, the more likely customers are to check out your displays.

You Can’t Have Too Many

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a mirror in each room, especially if you’re attracted to feng shui design ideas. A good thing about placing a mirror in each of your rooms is that you can choose a style to match the decor for each. You don’t need to worry about having a matching style throughout your whole house.

One example is using a smaller, geometric-style mirror in your foyer while using a large, formal design in your dining room. A series of smaller mirrors in smaller rooms can also bring about positive decorative effects. Letting your imagination take hold is the key to making this look work.

Of course, Sterling homes will allow you to have a home that looks just the way you want. Contact us today to get more information or see any one of our show homes – we’d love to help you get started.

Photo credit: luxury bedroom