In the dull January light, our homes can look a little lack lustre - Interior
Designer Jamie Hempsall looks at putting the shine back.
With the Christmas Decorations packed away our homes can
often feel dark and under-dressed at this time of the year. To avoid the January blues it is important to
try and maximise natural light wherever possible.
The ultimate way to bring more light in to your home is to
knock down a wall to the outside! However, you can achieve a similar effect by
creating an entire mirror wall (using a mosaic of large mirror pieces to add
interest). Visually extending your room not only adds light, but also promotes
a feeling of space and wellbeing.
Antiqued glass helps to soften the look to make this feature
work well in period homes. Work on a design with your glass merchant for an
individual finish and incorporate off-cuts to keep the cost down.
If considering DIY installation be aware of sharp edges and
handle your mirror with gloves whilst fixing. Ensure you have well prepared
flat walls and only use mirror adhesive. Take your time and let each piece set
in place before adding more. It may take a while, but the end result will be
worth it.
The most important skill of any mirror in an interiors
scheme is to reflect light. Placed opposite an existing window the mirror will
introduce addition exterior light into the room. This is particularly useful in
rooms with only one good natural light source.
It will also help brighten dark corners at the ends of long rooms. An
added bonus from using mirrors in this way is the introduction of a window view
on a wall that might otherwise hold little interest.
A light placed in front of a mirror will be amplified,
throwing more light back into the room than the original source could give on
its own. This light will possess a diffused, more forgiving quality that is useful
for hiding a multitude of sins in older properties.
Placing a mirror on a wall opposite a door also increases
the perception of space within a room as it immediately draws the eye of anyone
entering the room when they see a moving reflection. In turn, they will get a
feeling that the room extends beyond the end of the wall that they are looking
at. You can use this effect to even out the feel of long, thin rooms (placing
mirrors on the walls that are the shortest distance apart will lead people to
assume that the room is actually wider).
You can also extent the feeling of a short or dark landing
by placing a tall, ideally wide, mirror at its end. Add a contemporary feel by using
a large mirror with a thick frame (think leather or high gloss) and merely
resting this at an angle against the wall, rather than hanging it up - this
also works well in any dressing area, where space allows, as a funky
alternative to a free standing mirror.
On a final practical note, old houses always afforded
inhabitants the courtesy of a mirror directly inside the front door - allowing
guests arriving a chance to check their look was intact and anyone leaving to
ensure they can face the world, head held high. These days it may be more
practical in a downstairs cloakroom, but none the less it is a mirror worth
re-introducing if you do not have one already.
Jamie Hempsall, BIID, SBID is a multi-award winning interior designer.
