Decorating With Multiple Mirrors

Bring the Drama

• One large mirror in a handsome frame makes a statement, but multiple mirrors reflecting the light from a crystal chandelier deliver major drama to a dining room. A wall of mirrors in a variety of frame shapes and sizes provides a room or a wall above a staircase with a focal point that gives visitors pause. As long as your walls can support the weight, multiple mirror placement is limited only by your imagination.

Light up a Room

• In addition to adding an element of design, mirrors help to brighten a room. If you live in an apartment with a window facing an air shaft or in a home with a long, dark hallway, multiple mirrors combined with the right lighting scheme can come to the rescue. Light-colored walls also reflect light, but keep in mind that walls are not the only place where you can apply mirrors. Mirrored backsplashes, cabinets and furniture also bring light and sparkle to a room.

A Room With a Viewpoint

• Whether you are a modern minimalist or enjoy the comfortable clutter of bohemian chic, mirrors can work in your space. A small grouping of frameless mirrors on a bedroom wall can deliver a soft, romantic feel or an industrial look, depending on the shape and number of mirrors included in the group. Hang multiple mirrors in a variety of complementary frame shapes and sizes. The mirrors you choose might be expensive designer pieces or vintage finds from a flea market. Either way, your personality and design point of view shines through.

Plan Your Design

• Planning your mirror placement beforehand keeps you on track before you go shopping. Drywall requires different wall anchors than plaster does to keep mirrors securely seated. Your walls may not be able to support heavier mirrors, particularly if you are planning a grouping. Read the labels on picture-hanging hardware carefully for the amount of weight they will hold or consult home improvement store personnel. Before you start poking holes in your walls, set up your mirror grouping on the floor or a large table instead of immediately hanging them so that last-minute design revisions can be made. Also, while you're at the store, buy a carpenter's level. You may think you can "eyeball" mirror placement, but a carpenter's level ensures that multiple mirrors are hanging the way they should be.

Consider the View

• As you plan your mirror placement, don't forget about the view that the mirrors will reflect. Feng shui principles strongly oppose placing mirrors directly across from the front door, as it is believed that this particular placement repels positive energy. A cluster of bedroom mirrors placed across from the bathroom door may display images that you probably didn't have in mind. Mirror groupings are attention-grabbing. The first thing your visitors will be impressed and amazed by is your bright and distinctive decor, but the second thing they will notice is whatever the mirror reflects behind them.