A mirror makes a room brighter, spacious
Feb 27, 2009
Mirrors have slowly but surely walked into our homes as part of décor. Used creatively, they add light and depth to a room. Nothing beats the life a mirror brings into a room.
By harriet Birungi
Mirrors have slowly but surely walked into our homes as part of décor. Used creatively, they add light and depth to a room. Nothing beats the life a mirror brings into a room.
Pauline Butagira, an interior designer says mirrors are the contemporary way of enhancing brightness in a room and making it appear spacious.
“You can transform a small room to seem spacious, by using mirrors. They are the economical way to bringing brightness in a house without spending much,†adds Butagira.
Place the mirrors at key points, like the walls and corners to make the room look larger. They do not have to be big mirrors, adds the interior designer. Even small size mirrors will create an illusion of greater space. The trick is in placing the mirror to face the direction where light comes from, so that it is reflected in other areas.
You can use the mirror to reflect a doorway. Since a doorway leads to corresponding rooms or hallways, when you place the mirror on a wall parallel to it, it offers your room more dimension.
If you want to have a uniform colour theme which is the modern way of decorating, Butagira suggests investing in a decorative mirror. Place the mirror in a certain angle so that colours from different directions are reflected where you want.
She also advises using a mirror to take light to other places of the interior. One feature often undermined, is the ability of the mirror to spread light in a room. If a room is dark, it can be easily brightened up by cleverly placing a mirror where direct light can be reflected around the room. It doesn’t have to be sunlight but any source of light. Placing a mirror near a decorative lamp would also do wonders.
Mirrors are embraced by many in the hotel and restaurant, salon and entertainment business to create ambience. Their use as interior décor dates back to the 17th century. Small bits of glass were then used to adorn decorative items. Seeing the beauty with which they brought, creative designers embraced the practice of using them to enhance the interior.
Butagira says mirrors are the economical way to partition space at work places.You may also use glass to show some of your antique collections. By having glass doors for your shelf or side-board, you can show the unique pieces inside.
Mirrors can take any shape depending on the character of the person and taste, says Butagira. If you are the type who loves nature, you may get an animal art piece, cut out a portion and have a mirror fixed. That way, you will have a mirror and your love for nature flaunted.
And should you want to decorate your child’s room with something they love, you can look for that item and use it as a frame for the mirror.
To keep the mirror clean, use warm water with a soft, cotton cloth. But should you want to apply some glass cleaners, which must be ammonia and vinegar-free, then apply the cleaning agent directly to a soft, cotton cloth and then wipe the mirror. If you cannot get the cloth, use old newspapers, they leave the mirror shinny and sparkling.
Butagira recommends busy corridors and confined areas, as the best places to have mirrors. These help people see around the corner.
A bathroom is one more traditional site of mirror installation, while a sittingroom is another place to consider. You can experiment with the mirror and make the sittingroom unique. Place the mirror opposite a window to bring the outdoors inside.
You can also use mirrors to duplicate beauty. For instance, if you have an aquarium and you want to display that beauty, hang a mirror up and show those amazing saltwater fish.
The bedroom is another area. The mirror can be placed as part of the wardrobe to ease dressing and on the dressing table for application of make-up.
Remember, nothing brings a room to life like the power of spectacular mirrors!
Mirrors have slowly but surely walked into our homes as part of décor. Used creatively, they add light and depth to a room. Nothing beats the life a mirror brings into a room.
Pauline Butagira, an interior designer says mirrors are the contemporary way of enhancing brightness in a room and making it appear spacious.
“You can transform a small room to seem spacious, by using mirrors. They are the economical way to bringing brightness in a house without spending much,†adds Butagira.
Place the mirrors at key points, like the walls and corners to make the room look larger. They do not have to be big mirrors, adds the interior designer. Even small size mirrors will create an illusion of greater space. The trick is in placing the mirror to face the direction where light comes from, so that it is reflected in other areas.
You can use the mirror to reflect a doorway. Since a doorway leads to corresponding rooms or hallways, when you place the mirror on a wall parallel to it, it offers your room more dimension.
If you want to have a uniform colour theme which is the modern way of decorating, Butagira suggests investing in a decorative mirror. Place the mirror in a certain angle so that colours from different directions are reflected where you want.
She also advises using a mirror to take light to other places of the interior. One feature often undermined, is the ability of the mirror to spread light in a room. If a room is dark, it can be easily brightened up by cleverly placing a mirror where direct light can be reflected around the room. It doesn’t have to be sunlight but any source of light. Placing a mirror near a decorative lamp would also do wonders.
Mirrors are embraced by many in the hotel and restaurant, salon and entertainment business to create ambience. Their use as interior décor dates back to the 17th century. Small bits of glass were then used to adorn decorative items. Seeing the beauty with which they brought, creative designers embraced the practice of using them to enhance the interior.
Butagira says mirrors are the economical way to partition space at work places.You may also use glass to show some of your antique collections. By having glass doors for your shelf or side-board, you can show the unique pieces inside.
Mirrors can take any shape depending on the character of the person and taste, says Butagira. If you are the type who loves nature, you may get an animal art piece, cut out a portion and have a mirror fixed. That way, you will have a mirror and your love for nature flaunted.
And should you want to decorate your child’s room with something they love, you can look for that item and use it as a frame for the mirror.
To keep the mirror clean, use warm water with a soft, cotton cloth. But should you want to apply some glass cleaners, which must be ammonia and vinegar-free, then apply the cleaning agent directly to a soft, cotton cloth and then wipe the mirror. If you cannot get the cloth, use old newspapers, they leave the mirror shinny and sparkling.
Butagira recommends busy corridors and confined areas, as the best places to have mirrors. These help people see around the corner.
A bathroom is one more traditional site of mirror installation, while a sittingroom is another place to consider. You can experiment with the mirror and make the sittingroom unique. Place the mirror opposite a window to bring the outdoors inside.
You can also use mirrors to duplicate beauty. For instance, if you have an aquarium and you want to display that beauty, hang a mirror up and show those amazing saltwater fish.
The bedroom is another area. The mirror can be placed as part of the wardrobe to ease dressing and on the dressing table for application of make-up.
Remember, nothing brings a room to life like the power of spectacular mirrors!