Mirror Mirror

A mirror can be a great asset when you’re redecorating. Especially in smaller spaces, the reflection of light can brighten an area more than you’d first consider. When I was approached about tips for a room makeover using just one extra piece to make them more comfortable and inviting, it is one of the first things I’d consider as a way to add something decorative and yet also functional to a room.

In my list of tips for transforming your home on a budget, mirrors prominently feature, so when Ocean Finance got in touch for a collaboration about simple ways to makeover a room in your house, I immediately thought of adding a new one as a finishing touch for our living room, which we’ve been tinkering with for nearly a year and is very close to being exactly how we want it.

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This mirror from John Lewis really caught my eye – it’s the right balance of rustic and nautical, the perfect colour for our walls without being too obvious. It’s currently opposite the door, which can be off putting when you walk into a room, but we’ve placed it at a height that’s not too intrusive, and immediately it has made such a difference to how the room feels as you enter it.

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Thinking about the other rooms in our house, especially when it comes to selling a property – mirrors can be just the touch you need. We have a short corridor in the flat that connects all the rooms together. Not having it’s own window can mean that when the doors are closed, it’s quite dark and dingy. However. almost immediately after adding this huge round wooden mirror, the whole space has changed. It reflects the light, makes a focal point in the space (and is also really useful when you’re just about to dash out of the door!).

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In the office/second bedroom the only mirror is this little double sided mirror that I was bought a few years ago. It’s actually very useful as its got one side which magnifies and three light settings for outside, office and indoors. Mainly used for makeup application and putting in contact lenses, it’s far more practical than decorative.

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Our bedroom boasts a nice big window so is reasonably light, but we’ve strategically placed this mirror at an angle to reflect as much of it as we can, without being able to sit up in bed and look at yourself (you may be into that – I’m definitely not!).

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We also have this lovely strip of mirror that reflects tealights. My best friend bought it for my birthday and it creates the most beautiful ambient light when you’re feeling snuggly in winter.

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Last but not least on this rather bizarre tour of mirrors, is our bathroom. We’ve recently redone it, and are just finally trying to add the finishing touches so that it’s completely ready to reveal, but one thing we’re missing is a wall mirror as we keep fighting over the angle of the shaving mirror when we’re brushing our teeth. I’m still on the look out for one that’s suitable for the wet (most mirrors would end up destroyed by the steam) and I’d really like one that has some sort of magical anti-fogging glass – have any of you got one of these you’d recommend?

If you’re looking to improve the decor in your home, rather than get bogged down by everything you could possibly do in one go, maybe pick just one element like I’ve done here and focus on how each room works best with that. Consider the size, shape and style that you want the whole room to reflect and theme your mirror accordingly.