Mirrors are one of the indispensable elements of every apartment and house. After all, long gone are the medieval times when people had to wonder how they actually looked and how a particular outfit looked on them. Nowadays, however, mirrors play more than just a functional role. They also have decorative potential, being one of the basic design elements of many rooms. In this short post, describing each of their successive elements, we will present how to fully exploit their potential and choose the perfect mirror for your needs.
The Most Important Aspects of a Mirror
From a layman's perspective, there is not much in a mirror to modify or choose from - just a simple piece of glass meant to reflect our reflection. In fact, however, its specific elements have a huge impact not only on appearance, but also on functionality. Below are those aspects that most affect its usability and appearance.
Quality
In order for a mirror to show its full design and functional potential, it must be of good quality and durable - it is not an art to replace it every year. The trick is to choose one that will serve us for many years. Much has to say here about the quality of the panes - the higher it is, the higher is also the price, but also the resistance to dirt, especially permanent dirt. The quality of the mirror is also evident in its workmanship and the components for its installation.
Dominant Color
The most commonly used color in mirrors is silver - but it is not our only option. If we think that a different color suits a particular room, we can choose products with a graphite coating - this darkens the actual image, while making it slightly less accurate. This solution works well, for example, in hallways, which are the showcase of a house or apartment - it will give it character while fulfilling its function. However, we will have to turn a blind eye to the accuracy of the image reproduction.
Mounting
Mirrors can be mounted in three ways - to make them look best, we need to choose the one most suitable for our solution and specific room. The options we have are:
- paste-in mirrors - they are great in places where we want to "inscribe them" in the wall, for example, in bathrooms - they cannot be moved, but they can add character and coherence to the interior;
- hanging mirrors - their advantage is the freedom of lighting. They create a special atmosphere and can be freely rehung;
- standing mirrors - they are the least safe - especially if you live with a child or a pet. They also take up a lot of space, but they are also the most mobile - there is no problem to move them from the bedroom to the living room.
Lighting
There are plenty of ways to illuminate a mirror in your own home or apartment. Everything here depends on our artistic sense. However, it is very important to have moderation and sensitivity in this, because lighting affects not only the appearance of this functional-decorative element, but also the comfort of its use.
By far the most popular is illumination with lamps mounted directly on the mirror, which gives freedom in the choice of lighting points and the possibility of achieving very good light. Lighting around the mirror (or on its sides) is also quite popular, but it performs only a decorative function, not illuminating the sheet itself and us - which is what we usually care about most. There is also an option with sandblasted backlighting on the panel, the most varied and designer option, but also requiring a main light - especially when present in the bathroom.
Destination
To realize the potential of a mirror, we must choose it properly for the room it will go into. It is the room that actually defines many factors, such as the need for light, its shape or appearance. Mirrors are most often installed in:
- hallway - the mirror, next to umbrella stands or clothes hangers, is an indispensable part of the hallway, where most attention is paid to its functional side. Here it should be large and representative - preferably with a decorative frame, usually without lighting (or with delicate lighting) - because this room is usually dominated by the main lighting;
- bathroom - it is impossible to imagine a bathroom without a mirror, which is often its central element; it should reflect the arrangement of the bathroom, but also be properly illuminated - so that you can fix your makeup in it or take a perfect look at yourself;
- living room - plant stands, candlesticks or stands are not the only elements of living room decoration. More and more often mirrors are also included in its arrangement - but here more emphasis is placed on their decorative rather than functional qualities;
- bedroom - mirrors are also breaking through into these rooms, very often ending up in the area of the bed, not infrequently being part of the furniture (especially the wardrobe).
Summary
Wanting to exploit the potential of mirrors, it is necessary to skillfully combine their functionality with a striking appearance. Mirrors present in the offer of our store fulfill their basic function, and at the same time perfectly complement any room, optically enlarging the space, but at the same time they harmonize well with both minimalist and glamorous arrangements. Let us remember to choose one that will cope best with the convention we have created ourselves.
