Is your living room suffering from a lack of natural sunlight? Do you find yourself constantly switching lights on during the day or struggling to create a bright, warm ambience in the evenings? The solution may be right in front of you – or rather, on your walls. Strategically placed mirrors can completely transform a dark, shadowy living space by reflecting light to even the dreariest corners of the room.
When used thoughtfully, mirrors act as mini light catchers, grabbing rays as they stream in through windows and bouncing them to spaces that would otherwise remain dim. You can amplify natural light, hide ugly fixtures, spotlight key decor details, and make your living room appear significantly larger with a few brilliantly positioned mirrors. Read on to discover professional designer tips and techniques for letting mirrors work their illuminating magic.
Determine Your Light Goals
Before rushing off to decorate your living room walls with mirrors, take time to analyze the space and identify your specific lighting challenges and goals. Is the room generally dark and gloomy during daylight hours despite having windows? Do you struggle to create a warm, welcoming ambiance for evening entertaining? Pinpoint the prime issues first.
Decide which changes would make the biggest difference in your living room. Do you want mirrors to deliver more brightness so you don’t have to turn lamps on midday? Are you aiming for a cozier, more spacious atmosphere? Establish clear illumination objectives so you can later place mirrors to directly accomplish these aims.
Assess Living Room’s Current Light Issues
Walk around your living room at different times of day to observe how natural and artificial light currently impacts the area. Make notes on particular spots that remain persistently dark or cold. Check whether certain fixtures like overhead pendant lights create glare or shadows instead of useful brightness. This lighting audit will clarify problem zones to tackle.
Decide Changes Wanted
List the ideal lighting enhancements you would like mirrors to help achieve. Do you want to spotlight a specific corner that stays dim to better highlight key furniture or decor? Are there house plants languishing from lack of sunlight that could benefit from reflective brightness? Establish illumination objectives to fulfill.
Think About Mirror Placement Possibilities
Armed with goals for better living room lighting, brainstorm possible mirror placement spots that could redirect sunlight or artificial light to accomplish aims. Imagine how angled wall or leaning mirrors might aim beams into gloomy spaces. Envision mirrors multiplying pendant glow to create warmer atmosphere. This mental exercise preps you for optimal mirror positioning.
Prime Mirror Placement Areas
Across From Windows
Station mirrors directly opposite any exterior windows – these strategically placed reflective surfaces grab incoming sunlight and bounce it deeper into the room. Floor-length mirrors work especially well for casting natural light towards darker rear walls and corners. Facing window glass, mirrors also endlessly reflect tree top views or sky colors for an almost magical expansion of outside within interior spaces.
- Reflect outside light deeper into room interior
- Illuminate once-gloomy back corners and walls
- Enhance and extend room views of outdoor scenery
Near Interior Light Fixtures
Place mirrors near existing ceiling fixture or mounted lights to multiply brightness effects. The reflective glass dramatically increases the visible glow radius of pendants, sconces and overhead lighting. An added bonus – mirrors can hide unattractive lamp shades or wiring by bouncing light while concealing flaws.
- Multiply brightness of pendant lights, sconces
- Make overhead lighting seem more powerful
- Hide unattractive light fixtures from view
Around Primary Seating Areas
Look for opportunities to install mirrors above, beside or behind living room seating arrangements. Mirrors positioned behind a sofa will make the piece seem to float while reflectively expanding the space. Mirrors situated across from seated vantage points can also strategically direct pendant or table lamp rays around the room.
- Angle mirror across sofa to reflect reading lamp glow outward
- Use mirrored coffee table to cast ambient lighting upwards
- Place mirrors behind seating to give illusion of more room
Get Creative with Mirror Height and Size
Hanging Mirrors Properly
Living room walls offer essentially endless possibilities for placing mirrors – but resist just randomly sticking them up based solely on available space. Purposefully adjust the height at which you hang mirrors to align with their intended reflective aims.
As a general guideline:
- Place taller mirrors higher, closer to the ceiling
- Keep wider mirrors closer to eye level
- Fine-tune exact height based on the mirror’s specialized purpose
Get Strategic with Leaning Mirrors
Consider leaning extremely tall or large mirrors against living room walls instead of drilling into the plaster to hang them. The angled angle allows for directing sunlight onto specific spaces as needed. Prop up medium-sized rectangular or oval mirrors on mantles or shelves to bounce light in unique ways.
- Lean extremely tall/large mirrors to aim/redirect light
- Angle to direct sunlight to darker specific spaces as needed
- Prop up medium mirrors on mantles or shelves as needed
Mix Various Mirror Sizes
Resist sticking with one mirror shape or dimension throughout the living room. Cluster or pair mirrors of varying sizes together across furnishings and walls to leverage their combined reflective power. Play around with angles – flat, tilted leaning and angled mirrors will all throw light differently to stir up interesting interplays of illumination.
- Combine clusters of different sized mirrors
- Leverage reflections and angles for lighting effects
- Manipulate perceptions of living room size as bonus
Enhance Specific Living Room Areas
Boost Brightness in Gloomy Corners
Battling persistently dim corners or walls? Install mirror(s) directly opposite the problem area to directly address the situation. A mirror situated across the room from a shadowy corner becomes a mini reflector, grabbing available light and aiming it right where you need it most.
- Install mirror directly opposite dark corner / wall
- Angle mirror to spread and amplify light to problem area
Reflect Sunshine Onto Houseplants
Living room greenery thrives when boosted with specialized care – and reflected light sources can create indoor plant happiness. Use mirrors to bounce stray sun rays and artificial fixture glow onto shelving that displays lush ferns, trailing ivy or potted orchids. Turn a once-barren bookshelf into an indoor greenhouse with this trick!
- Reflect sunlight onto thriving houseplants
- Create mini greenhouse effect on once-dark shelves
Spotlight Meaningful Decor Details
Draw attention to treasured artwork, shelves displaying collectibles or a beautiful cabinet showcasing accessories by spotlighting these focal points with flanking decorative mirrors. The reflective surfaces amplify both ambient room light and the desirability of the cherished furnishings or displays.
- Spotlight special living room decor pieces
- Create cool reflected shadowbox effect
Thoughtful Design Choices Expand Possibilities
The creative options for placing mirrors to elevate living room lighting extend far beyond generic rectangular mirrors uniformly lined up across a wall. Tailor mirror style choices and display configurations to your rooms existing design aesthetic for maximum cohesive impact.
Mirror Shapes and Frames
Choose circular, oval, rectangular, square and asymmetrically shaped mirrors with ornate gold frames for Traditional styled living rooms. Lean towards sleek solid wood framed or metal edged contemporary mirrors for modern minimalist spaces.
Creative Asymmetrical Layouts
Break up linear mirror gallery displays by mixing in differently sized and shaped mirrors across groupings. Cluster round beveled mirrors among rectangular surfaces for an eclectic arrangement that scatters light in fascinating angles to accentuate decor dimension.
Enhance Specific Spots with Mirrors
In addition to generally amplifying living room light, mirrors can also be used to highlight specific spaces or details.
Create a Gallery Wall with Mirrors
Consider incorporating mirrors into an artistic gallery wall display. Mix in mirrors of assorted sizes and shapes with other decorative pieces like artwork, wall shelves and mounted candles to create captivating shadowed interplays. The mirrors will both reflect ambient lighting onto the wall while creating striking compositions.
Use Mirrors to Highlight Architectural Features
Does your living room boast a unique starburst ceiling detail, carved fireplace mantel or arched built-in shelving? Place a large mirror directly opposite distinctive architectural elements to dramatically showcase these structural details. The mirror will reflect and repeat the appealing forms while drenching them in flattering illumination.
Mirror a Statement Piece
Spotlight prized living room furnishings like a high-backed bench, abstract sculpture or vibrant ottoman by positioning a mirror directly across from it. The reflective surface will beautifully bounce both room lighting and the form of the cherished statement piece to amplify visual interest and create living artwork.
Try framing a window with two mirrors to seamlessly connect outside scenery with interior space. The mirrors on either side of the view reflect lush backyard greenery, blue skies or textured woodlands indoors for a soothing, organic expansion that bathes walls in natural hues.
Get creative, dream big and discover how to transform dreary, dim living room spaces through the strategic placement of mirrors to bounce light around. A few smartly angled and sized mirrors can entirely change both the ambience and aesthetic of your primary living area.