A Guide for Strategic Mirror Placement

Strategic mirror placements are energy efficient solutions, helping reflect natural light and lowering expensive electric bills. Mirrors are designed to help reflect light, which makes rooms appear larger and more inviting. While dark colors absorb light, mirrors make rooms brighter.

The following highlights how to select wall mirrors for homes, blending design and decor with energy-saving function.

• Placement – Mirrors should be placed near lights, but not in a direct path that causes unsightly brightness and blindness. When hanging mirrors, the reflection of nearby lights should be taken into consideration. Strategic placement is also beneficial. Hanging mirrors across from windows actually gives the illusion that rooms have twice as many windows, making them feel significantly brighter.
• Size – The size of a wall mirror can make or break a room. Small framed mirrors are perfect for mural-style pairings. Groupings of mirrors help to reflect light and can add an interesting dynamic focal point to plain walls or hallways. Consider incorporating collages across from bright windows to help increase natural light.
• Selection – Before purchasing or selecting mirrors, it’s best to consider the style and decor of specific rooms. Mirrors should reflect a cohesive style that blends well with furniture, artwork, area rugs, etc. Frameless mirrors are extremely versatile, as they can be mixed and matched with future home or office designs, colors and styles. Thick frames are designed to minimize the amount of light penetration, which makes these solid choices for overly bright areas. Thin frames help reflect more light, which makes them ideal for darker homes or hallways.
• Untraditional – While most mirrors are hung on walls, there are many untraditional ways to incorporate mirrors into homes. Consider hanging several mirrors in a linear pattern on one wall, or even line the back of room dividers or bookshelves with small mirrors for an interesting textural impact. Furniture that incorporates mirrors, such as tables, wardrobes or chairs, adds a translucent appearance to small rooms, making them feel much larger and more inviting. Add mirrored coasters, glass vases, candleholders or mirrored trays to help reflect decorative accents or centerpieces.

Whether people live in sunny or overcast areas, adding mirrors to homes is a healthy way to boost natural light, which has a direct impact on mood. The human body requires healthy amounts of natural light to survive. In fact, both Vitamin D and biological rhythms can easily be altered by lack of light. Adding a variety of mirrors throughout homes helps improve light reflections, adds balance to design decor and helps decrease overall costly energy expenses.