Mirrors in the living room interior: features, varieties, selection and installation

Mirrors are an integral part of any modern design style. They are able to visually enlarge the room, make it brighter and more comfortable. This article will focus on mirrors in the living room interior: common varieties, as well as the features of their selection and installation.

If earlier the mirror in the premises was used only for its intended purpose and performed its direct function, then today it has become a full-fledged part of the interior and is capable of performing a number of tasks in the design of a room.

• The mirror is a versatile tool for expanding space in small apartments. It is able to naturally expand the room, make it more spacious, comfortable and voluminous. When drawing up the design of a small room, specialists always include at least one mirror surface in the project.
• High quality lighting. In dark living rooms or rooms that lack light, you simply cannot do without such an important element of the interior as a mirror. To get the most out of the mirrors, place them opposite the illuminated or backlit elements. These elements can be a light fixture, window or other reflective surface.
• Fullness and comfort. If your living room suffers from a lack of decor and interior elements, a massive mirror can freely solve this problem. Specular reflection visually increases the number of objects in the room, making it cozy, but not overwhelmed.
• Changing the dimensions of the room.With the help of mirrors with a certain shape, you can artificially change the parameters of your living room. So, a large vertical mirror will visually increase the height of your room, and a wide mirror on the entire wall will give it more natural volume.
• Stylish solution. Well-chosen and expensive mirrors can give even the most mediocre living room a sophisticated and individual look.
• Finding accents. A well-placed mirror is able to highlight a certain object or group of objects against the background of the entire room. This can be either a regular tea set or a vase, shelves or rack.

Depending on the placement, all mirror elements can be divided into several varieties.

• Built-in. This type, in turn, is divided into 2 independent types - built into furniture and built into niches and walls. For example, mirrors built into furniture today are considered not only a fashionable design move, but also a practical, rational interior solution. Built-in mirrors can be found in wardrobes, dressers and coffee tables.

• Wall mounted. Usually these are not particularly large mirrors, which are used both to give the room more natural light, and to harmonize the chosen style solution.

• Outdoor. These mirrors are fairly oversized models with wide frames that are installed at an angle to the wall or placed on a special stand.

• Ceiling. They prefer to call this type mirrored ceilings. It is designed to increase the height of the room and give it more depth.

Mirrors in the living room interior can be of different shapes and sizes, depending on the chosen design style and the available dimensions of the room. The most popular varieties are listed below. Dimensions can be as follows:

• large - as a rule, the length or width of these models exceeds 100 cm; such models are used to visually enlarge the living room;
• small - this includes models of mirrors with a length or width of up to 50–70 cm; such mirrors perfectly complement the interior and focus on interior elements.

The shapes of the mirrors can be as follows:

• square - models of this shape look great in strict and laconic design styles, for example, minimalism;

• rectangular - correctly selected rectangular mirrors are able to endow the room with proportionality and harmony, they look great in any style;

• round - a popular model for rooms that lack soft details; round models bring comfort and order to the living room;

• oval - such mirrors do not focus on interior elements, but balance the sharp and soft features in the interior of the room and smooth out the difference in different style solutions;

• curly - not a particularly popular version of mirrors, which is made to order and used in a strictly defined style; curved and curved lines are not uncommon here, which, for example, is characteristic of such a style as hi-tech.

Mirrors can be used and decorated in different ways depending on the chosen design style.

• Classic. For this style, models with wooden or forged frames are just ideal, and models of mirrors built into furniture - a wardrobe, chest of drawers or a coffee table will look good here.

• Baroque. This design style looks great with mirrors, the frame components of which are made in the form of stucco, mosaic or gilding.

• Provence. Models with numerous patterns are suitable for this style.Models with wooden, metal or wooden stucco molding will look great here.

• Country. Living room mirrors in this style should be framed with decorative twigs or rattan. This will give the whole room more natural coziness and warmth.

• Minimalism. This style prefers the simplest possible mirrors without frame components and facet.

• Modern. Natural motives must be present in the design of mirrors of this style. If it is a metal or wooden stucco molding, then it is made in the form of fancy leaves and branches.

There are many models in the mirror market today with a wide variety of designs. Below are the most common design options for mirrors for the living room. There are several types of mirrors depending on the design of the frame elements.

• No frame elements. They look great in hi-tech and minimalism, and are usually placed to make the living room more dynamic and spacious.

• Frame models. The frame is able not only to keep the mirror from damage, but also to perfectly fit the model into a certain interior or style (for harmony with furniture, paintings, floors and other interior elements).

• Facet models. The facet gives the mirrors a solid and rich look. Even the simplest shape and size of a facet mirror can make it stylish and beautiful.

• Wooden frame elements. As a rule, they are in perfect harmony with the classic and Scandinavian styles in the interior, and also perfectly complement the elements of wooden furniture.

• Bindings in the form of a window. This version of mirrors is intended to endow the room with coziness and harmony. Often such models are found in Provence or country living rooms.

• Forged frames. This mirror design option looks good in Victorian, Art Deco, Baroque and Classic styles. Frames of this type are needed to bring rigor and completeness to the interior. Interesting and original design.

• Illumination under the frame or in place of the frame. Usually such models have a special LED strip, which gives any mirror a mysterious look.

• Mirror panel. An extraordinary design option for the living room - in this case, the panel usually occupies some specific part of the wall and not only visually expands the room, but also reflects the sun's rays in a special way, thereby illuminating the entire room.

• Original decor. Models with frames in the form of mosaics, rhinestones, paintings or stones. This version of the mirrors refreshes the room, focuses on the winning elements of the interior.

• Drawings. In some design styles, such drawings can look very advantageous - a particularly pleasant effect is created when light hits such drawings.

• Mirror compositions. In this case, using small mirrors of various shapes and sizes, original mirror surfaces are created. This option can look good in any interior, subject to the general style solution in the hall. Mirror compositions are ideal for arranging an unusual living room in a non-standard style.

• Curves of the model. Such mirrored surfaces serve exclusively for entertainment and design purposes and can also be used to create unusual compositions.

Since a mirror is a full-fledged element of the interior in modern apartments, its choice should be taken very carefully. Below are the points to which it is recommended to pay attention.

• Require a manufacturer's certificate. Despite the fact that mirrors do not belong to items that are subject to mandatory certification, you have the right to demand from the store a certificate from the manufacturer itself. This document will indicate the materials that will be used in the manufacture of the model you purchased.
• Thickness. Remember, the thicker the mirror, the greater the chance that it will serve you for a long time - too thin models can not only have an uneven surface, but also deform over time from temperatures. Moreover, the thicker the model, the more robust and resistant it is to mechanical damage and transportation. The optimum thickness should be from 4 to 6 cm. Please note that all high-quality mirror models are made of sheet silicate glass of the M1, M2 and M3 brands.
• Uniformity. The main feature of a good mirror is an absolutely smooth surface without rough areas, dots and scratches. Close attention should be paid to the presence of so-called air bubbles. If you find any of the described shortcomings, it is not advisable to take such a model.
• Coating. A quality mirror can be recognized by the number of coatings and the quality of the glass sheet. For example, in expensive models there are always three levels of coverage: reflective (usually made of silver), protective (previously copper films were used as an anti-corrosion material, in modern models they are made of neutral metals), another protective (presented in the form of several layers paint or polymer coating), it is designed to protect the mirror from damage and moisture.
• Design - follow the decoration of the living room. Before choosing a mirror, do not forget to decide on the design style of the room and choose a mirror so that it does not stand out from the rest of the furniture and interior items.
• Dimensions. When buying large models, make sure you can deliver the model to your apartment - this may be hampered by the size of elevators, stairwells and intercom doors.

There are several ways to place mirrors in the living room.

• Whole wall or mirrored wall. This is the most effective option for visually expanding the living room. This option will make even a sparsely furnished room richer and more comfortable, as well as brighten it qualitatively.

• Above the sofa. One of the most common mirror placement options. It is practical at the same time, since the mirror effectively fulfills its direct function and does not spoil the design solution of your living room.

• In the corner. Models exhibited in such places are designed to visually extend the room, as well as to give it a special perspective due to a certain angle.

• In the fireplace area (usually above the fireplace). Thanks to some of the interior items displayed on the fireplace (vases, lamps, clocks), the mirror creates a real compositional center of the entire living room.

• In a wall or in a niche. A popular design option in fashion studios - here the model is designed not only to increase the size of the room, but also to fill your room with additional lighting.

• Over the table. One of the best options - here the mirror surface fulfills its main task, and also gives the room depth and grace.

• Above the dresser. Incredibly fashionable option for placing mirrors in minimalism and baroque styles. It is believed that the mirror should be slightly narrower in size than the chest of drawers to create a more harmonious overall picture.

• Between the Windows. This technique is used in square rooms with little free space. This arrangement gives the impression of an additional window.

• In the area of ​​the TV (usually on the sides or above the equipment). Against the background of a mirror-like surface, watching any movie looks especially exciting.

• On the ceiling. As already mentioned, these models are designed to visually raise the ceiling in your living room.It is not usually solid mirrored sheets that are used here to cover the ceiling, but many small reflective surfaces that together form one overall composition.

Below are presented successful and beautiful examples of the placement of mirrors in living rooms.

• An excellent solution for a living room in a classic style.

• Living room, made in the style of minimalism.

• Luxurious option in the Baroque style.

• The optimal choice for high-tech style.

For information on how to transform a room with a mirror, see the next video.