Styling with an Antique Floor Mirror

A thoughtfully arrayed and arranged interior does not begin and end with the armchairs, sofas, tables and other furniture a designer has decided to include in it. That is just the beginning.

Insightful decorators will first craft a vision before even selecting items of furniture and curating uniquely chosen items of decor and other accessories.

If you’ve worked tirelessly to cultivate a unique, French country aesthetic in your home, we can help you out - especially if you’ve been eyeing one of our stately antique floor mirrors.

How Antique Floor Mirrors Improve the Aesthetic of Your Interior Spaces
Only a part of the value of an antique floor mirror lies in its reflective surface. While you might use a floor mirror to pair your favorite footwear with a new outfit or to get ready before you go out, a floor mirror can also be used to lend immeasurable class and distinction to your interiors.

Transcend simple utility with these simple yet remarkable suggestions for decorating with an antique floor mirror.

Suggestions for Decorating with an Antique Floor Mirror
Two of the primary features offered by an antique floor mirror are its large reflective surface and the style and ornamentation of the frame.

Keeping these two features in mind will enable you to affect some of the following suggestions for using a floor mirror in the design of your home.

Flank It with Matching End Tables
Many of our antique floor mirrors are elegantly arrayed with ornately graven, gilded woodwork boasting florid, rococo patterns reminiscent of French provincial design.

One of the greatest ways to create a sense of harmony and balance is to set up your antique floor mirror prominently in the middle of a wall and flank it with two end tables or chests that match, or nearly match, the aesthetic of the mirror’s frame.

Doing so will balance not only the intended school of design with supporting effects, but will also create a sense of symmetry in the room.

Place It Behind a Short Chest or a Display Piece
Another alternative to flanking the mirror, any a great one to use with a full-length mirror that seems a little “too tall” for the setting, is to place a chest or table in front of it.

Just be aware of: this won’t look quite right if the mirror shows underneath of whatever you place in front of it. In fact, it will look a bit discordant. If you do choose a table instead of a chest or some other type of furniture, make sure the table is low enough or broad enough that it obscures the bottom portion of the mirror.

Use a Mirror to Highlight a Display
One gem of wisdom we can offer those who follow the above suggestion is to embellish the tabletop or chest surface with some choice of decorative elements.

Placing a small figurine, a historical curiosity, or another decorative fixture in front of a mirror, and in proximity to it, will add depth, color, and grace. The mirror will serve as an artistic backdrop to whatever you display before it, doubling its effect within the reflection.

Double Up for Depth
Speaking of “doubling” the effect, a creative way to engender a setting with symmetry is to balance one mirror with another. Place two mirrors side by side, or across from each other, and they will complement each other grandly.

While you can match the aesthetic closely, this is not necessary. You can instill a sense of artistry with two mirrors whose frames do not match, and remember, many colors, like gold and silver, go beautifully in each other’s company.

                           

Create a “False” Window
Another great tip we have for aspiring home decorators is that both floor and decorative wall mirrors can be used to add a “false” window to a room.

Do you have a room the layout of which you love, but which feels close or cluttered when arranged with furniture? Placing an antique floor mirror against a wall will simulate extra depth and will make the room feel more spacious - with almost no change whatsoever to its contents!

Place an Antique Floor Mirror at the End of a Hallway
On the topic of mirrors giving the impression of extra space: Have you ever noticed that hallways often feel so close, especially when they contain interposing pieces of furniture like tables and seating?

You can make a hallway feel much less cramped by placing a mirror at the end. Doing so will open it up - even though it’s just an illusion.

Placing a mirror at the end also performs the function of drawing attention to the decorations you’ve chosen for the hallway, which otherwise might be passed absentmindedly by.

Flank a Hallway
You can also make a hallway feel much more capacious by placing mirrors along the length of 

it, against the walls instead of at the ends. When staggered, these will “open up a hallway,” making it feel much roomier and wider than it actually is.

And, like placing a mirror at the end, this effect can also be used to call attention to the other decorative fixtures contained within the hallway itself.

Use Tall Mirrors to Add Space
Another creative way to use tall antique floor mirrors is to add space to any room that needs it. If you have a setting that could use a little extra space but there’s nothing you can remove from the room, try placing a tall floor mirror in the center of a wall where it will be easy to observe by both occupants and newcomers to the room.

Not only will this arrangement add space, but adding a mirror to a room like this will call extra attention to any other prominent fixtures of decor, reflecting the color, lines, and patterns of your decorative items.

Get in Touch with Us
Here at EloquenceⓇ, we offer a wide range of floor mirrors and other antique mirrors for sale in our catalog of fine furnishings. Keep in touch with us by following us on Pinterest and Instagram so you never miss a new highlight, and get in touch with us directly at 310-876-0661 if you ever have any questions!