You want your home to reflect your personality, that’s a given. And what better way to do that than adding a mirror that exudes your personal style? This means finding where to put a mirror in your living room to see your décor really come to life.
Why you might want to implement mirrors into your living room décor
There are many reasons you may want to invest in a new mirror for your living room, both aesthetically and ergonomically driven. And these will impact your final decision as well as the design style you land on. Here are just a few you should be considering.
Throws light back into the space
This trick is as timeless as it is handy; introduce mirrors and reflective surfaces into your living room to illuminate gloomy nooks and crannies and see the vibe of the space uplifted too. And you don’t have to go overboard either when opting for a group of smaller mirrors on several walls is within your remit.
Enlarges the look of your room
From a feng shui perspective, mirrors are said to propel ‘qi’ or spiritual energy around the room; this affecting how you feel and inhabit the space. Now, whether you abide by its mysterious principals or follow more science-based reasoning, living room mirror placement will drastically reshape how you perceive a space. Reflecting a happy backdrop will multiply happy feelings.
So if you want to create a room that is larger than life, or you simply want to distract from a narrow living room introduce additional mirrors as they will direct light back into the room, illuminating the walls, floor and your carefully curated furnishings.
Creates a focal point
Who doesn’t love a focal point? By hanging a mirror tactically within your living room, you can draw attention to period features such as a fireplace or draw the eye towards a central spot in order to create harmony. You might even want to switch things up a bit and place it slight off kilter. More on this later…
Adds character
Mirrors are wonderfully character-building, and that’s undeniable. Whether you opt for something sleek and modern or rustic and homey, there’s a mirror out there to act as the cherry on top of your living room design from country-style decoration to art deco chic.
Builds layers
Building up layers of texture in your living room will instantly make it more appealing to the eye and create a more sophisticated look whatever the style. Generally speaking, there are two ways to achieve this:
- Install a mirror with a textured or layered frame that will add further dimension to the wall.
- Place it in such a way that textures within the room e.g., sofa materials and fabrics are reflected by its surface.
Mirror placement 101: creative living room mirror ideas
So we’ve talked about the reasons behind tweaking your mirror décor, but what about placement? Where is the optimal place to put a mirror in the living room? Let’s take a look.
1. At eye level
This principle is well-loved by interior designers due to its knock-on effect of cohesion and bouncing brightness about the room. It works because the maximum amount of light will enter your eyes, transforming the space.
Create the illusion of a bigger room by placing a large mirror at eye level or roughly 60 inches from the floor to the midpoint of the glass. Then use this as a guideline for wall art and other hangings to create a sense of cohesion that will tie the room together, contributing to a roomier feel.
2. Opposite beautiful views
If your living room is blessed with gorgeous views to the envy of your friends, it’d be a waste not to leverage them to your advantage. And that starts with reflecting the greenery or cityscape back into the room with an opposite facing mirror.
There’s plenty of opportunity to customise this to your tastes and needs. For instance, you might only want a glimpse of the world outside your window and, thus, might prefer a small wall mirror as opposed to a full-length standing one.
3. Above the fireplace
This is a classic choice well-suited to a traditional or retro-style living room. Two aims are accomplished at once: you will draw attention to your lovely fireplace and add a sense of depth into the room.
4. Dress the mantelpiece
Now, if your fireplace is looking particularly stark and you don’t prescribe to the notion of maximalism, dressing it with a simplistic dressing table mirror can make all the difference. In addition to the benefits you’ll get in terms of evoking depth, you can make the mantle pop by choosing a complementary frame.
5. On a gallery wall
Mirrors work surprisingly well next to artwork and other wall hangings. A ‘weathered’ copper wall mirror works beautifully to distract from a tiny space and will tie your collection of artwork together. Simply hang it adjacent to your art and you have a tasteful display, enhancing the overall look.
6. Choose an oversized floor mirrors
You may believe that an oversized floor mirror belongs in a bedroom – but they’re so much more versatile than that. Including one in your living room will boost the brightness in the room and add a dash of drama to the space.
7. Plan around light sources
A fairly simple trick, but a reliable one. Plan where you hang your mirrors and other reflective surfaces around the points in the room that emit light. This could be a table lamp, candles, floor lamp, a window, the list goes on…
Just make sure your fixtures fit seamlessly into the décor. For instance, if you suffer from a low-ceilinged room, pair your mirror with more creative lighting ideas such as illuminating the centrepiece of the room with an overhead pendant light.
8. Decorative mirrors & asymmetrical mirror
Symmetry isn’t everything. In fact, sometimes its opposite can really harmonise a room. Whether it’s a trendy wavy mirror, organic shape or something even wackier, these mirrors stand in as works of art in their own right, adding an unexpected yet quirky charm.
9. Grouping mirrors
Embellish a plain-looking room with a group of small mirrors. They don’t have to be perfectly coordinated as long as they have one element to tie them all together, and this will subtly introduce a pinch of light into the mix. Not ideal for darker rooms, but they do look stunning.
Start placing your mirror(s)
And we’ve reached the end. Now you should know where to put a mirror in your living room to enhance the space alongside its natural features.
Whether a smattering of smaller mirrors catches your eye or you’re working with a bolder full-length glass, for extra brightness place them in relation to your light sources – with this you can’t go wrong!
