7 ways mirrors can make your rooms look bigger

13 April 2022

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5 min read

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The use and manipulation of space is a key component of strong interior design and there are many techniques you can apply to enhance it. Mirrors are amazing ornamental features whose qualities can be harnessed for precisely this purpose. Furthermore, there are many ways in which mirrors can be used to make rooms look bigger giving you an array of options that you can tailor to suit your needs.

When it comes to design in your home, you can only work with the space that you have without undertaking a huge renovation. That being the case, it makes sense to employ the most effective strategies that can be done quickly and easily. Using mirrors to improve the sense of space in a room is a great example of this and one which many have done successfully.

Audrey Mirror from Poliform

Do mirrors make rooms look bigger?

Mirrors can make your rooms look much bigger when used in the right way. Fundamentally they help to create long lines of sight and reflect light around your room. The lighter your home is, the bigger it will feel and these eight tips demonstrate the many different ways you increase the feeling of spaciousness.

1. Group small mirrors together

To keep costs down while making the most of your natural light, buy a series of small mirrors and group them together on a wall. Larger mirrors, while spectacular, can often be more expensive than the sum of more modest choices and their arrangement allows you to create something unique.

You could choose to go for identical frameless mirrors, different styled framed mirrors, group them symmetrically or arrange them randomly - the choices are plentiful and is something you can have a great deal of fun with.

GmbH Eyeshine Oval Mirrors from Space Furniture

2. Use tall mirrors to elongate walls

A tall wall mirror can help to create an optimal illusion accentuating the height of your walls. This will make them appear longer highlighting the vertical lines of sight.

For maximum effect, position your tall mirrors in front of doorways or opposite sources of natural light.

Silhouette Mirror Rectangle by Fredericia from Cult Design

3. Attach mirrors to your cabinet doors

A mirror does not always have to be the focal point in the room. In fact, you can use mirrors indirectly within a room as an addition or complement to other pieces of decor.

Attaching mirrors to your cabinet doors is a great way of creating a design feature, without pulling focus in your room. You can do this yourself using small mirrors, mirrored tiles or tiles with a reflective sheen as a way to give old cabinets new life. Alternatively, you can also buy mirrored cabinets, increasing the amount of storage you have too.

4. Install a mirror glass splashback

Australians spend a lot of time cooking in their kitchens which is also a gathering place to socialise with friends. Adding mirrors in a kitchen isn’t as common as in other rooms in the house but is something worth considering if you are one of the many who are spending a lot of time there.

A mirror glass splashback is a great way to brighten up a space in your kitchen. If done across an entire kitchen panel, it will make it seem much more spacious as well. They are incredibly easy to clean up, especially compared to cleaning grouting between tiles so you won't have any trouble keeping it looking great.

A dramatic smoked mirror splashback

5. A mirror by your table

A large mirror on the wall before your dining table will help to make this social space feel much bigger. This also makes it easier for you to fill your dining room with gentle light, the mirror's reflection amplifying your light sources.

It reflects softer lighting back, brightening the room without creating a harsh glare. Candles are a perfect example that is complementary to this but pendant lights with dimmers will also work giving you the flexibility to get the mood exactly right.

Related article - 8 luxurious mirrors for lounge rooms

6. Create a fake window

Large windows can make a room feel much bigger than it actually is. However, installing a new window is very expensive and takes a lot of work. That’s where fake windows come in.

You can create a fake window wherever you like in your home to instantly brighten a space up.

You can do this using a series to mirror tiles within a window-style frame. Or simply place a large window tile within a window style of frame. Better still, you can actually buy mirrors in this exact style and just like that, you have yourself a fake window.

Small or long fake windows can look great in hallway spaces. Or for a living room transformation, place a large fake window between your real ones.

Crawford Rectangular 16 Pane Mirror Black from OneWorld Collection

7. Buy mirrored furniture and art

Mirrored furniture can help to maximise the natural light in a room in a similar way to mirrored cabinet doors. It can also help to create statement pieces around your home.

Mirrored furniture can take a variety of different forms with some of the more popular being dressing tables and coffee tables. Both are excellent functional pieces of furniture that can add depth and layers of light to a space.

Mirrored art is always a captivating point of difference that can brighten a room and dazzle your guests. Examples of this include sculpture and wall art, both of which will create mesmerising optical illusions suitable for a range of home decorating styles.

Part of the MOODLUM collection from Dean Norton

Use mirrors to make your home bigger with style

As you can see, mirrors can absolutely make your home look bigger with a variety of ways of doing so. Whether it’s using small mirrors together, installing a glass mirror splashback or creating a fake window you too can take advantage of this interior design trick to brighten up your space.

Related article: 15 stunning bathroom mirror ideas for Australian homes

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