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Great Tips for Buying Decorative Mirrors for Your Home

Puja Lalwani
Mirrors can do more than one thing at a time, and so well, that you will wonder why you ended up buying works of art when all you should have done was bought decorative mirrors and used them in your home. Here's a guide on buying great decorative mirrors.
The vogue for decorating with reflective glass reached its peak under Louis XIV, whose personal collection of treasures included 563 mirrors ...

―Martha Stewart Living, February 2008
Louis XIV set the trend for owning hundreds of mirrors. When placed appropriately, mirrors can add a whole new dimension to your home. And according to popular opinion, no amount of mirrors is too much! Though you may want to use them for decorative purposes, they can always be utilitarian.
So how are they useful in more than one way? Mirrors ...
  • ... allow you to check yourself out every so often.
  • ... serve as standalone works of art.
  • ... make a small area look larger.
  • ... reflect light when placed strategically.
  • ... add versatility to a room that is lacking it.
Keep in mind that decorative mirrors are an expensive purchase, but if purchased wisely, they can make all the difference to your room that the previous points suggest.

Tips to Consider When Buying Decorative Mirrors

Placement and Size
Where are you going to place the mirror? That will determine the size you can get.
  • Above a mantel? A small circular or square framed mirror can add to the rustic charm of the room.
  • Place a huge mirror in the narrow passage to make it look larger.
  • In the dining area? Not many people enjoy watching themselves eat, so ideally, if you must place a mirror here (perhaps because it is opposite a window and can help intensify the natural light your home receives), get a size that does not allow one to see themselves while eating, yet adds the decorative element as well as serves the purpose.
  • Want to take a quick look at yourself before leaving the house? A tall, narrow mirror serves the purpose well and even adds to the character of the entryway (particularly if it is a small area).

Some mirrors may look simple and light but may be quite heavy. So, ensure that the wall you have chosen to place it on can bear its weight.

Maintenance

What is it going to take to clean the mirror in this image?
Will the mirror on the right be able to withstand the moisture that prevails in a bathroom?
The material of the frame can play a massive role in deciding what you want. For example, you can have a mirror framed in leather, you can have one framed with wrought iron, it could have an abstract metallic design, or it could be a simple wooden frame.
Depending on the elaborateness of a mirror, you will have to ensure that you are able to take care of it. While cleaning a mirror is not difficult, the elaborate frame around it may pose a bit of a challenge. Before you purchase it, find out how it should be maintained.

Theme of the Room

What does your room look like? Does it follow a theme?
  • Does it exude the elegance of a palace? Choose an ornate mirror.
  • Does it portray the rustic charm of a cottage? Go for a mirror with a lovely wooden frame.
  • Does it exhibit the vibrancy of eclecticism or the sleekness of contemporary design? Go for a unique framed mirror.
While the mirror must blend in or stand out, it should not in any way, stick out like a sore thumb in the room.

Types

Framed or frameless?
There are framed decorative mirrors and there are those without frames.
If you have a smaller area, go for ones without frames because they look sleeker in the space. Such mirrors can be cut in different (even irregular) shapes, and can fit in perfectly with the décor of your room.
Frameless mirrors usually fit extremely well in modern, contemporary, and eclectic setups.
The shapes alone can add the necessary dynamism to the room. This does not undermine the fact that framed mirrors are not the ideal choice. Given the right amount of space and focus, they will do wonders to the area.
It cannot be denied that decorative mirrors are expensive, but neither can the fact that these really do make a massive difference to the way something as small as a wall to something as big as a room looks. So, choose wisely and ensure that it results in money well-spent!