Making the Most of Small Spaces with Decorative Mirrors

-->Most homes have that one space which seems too small to do anything with – either they block off a space, are positioned at a funny angle or are just too narrow do anything of use with, such as add some shelving or a piece of furniture.  Irritating they might be, but these are actually fantastic places to add a decorative mirror. 
As these mirrors are available in so many great sizes, you can be sure to find something to fit even the most awkwardly positioned of walls to turn into a great feature, rather than just drawing attention to it by leaving it bear.

Funny Angles – Funky Frames

Walls with weird angles can be found in most homes.  Either they are linked to the cupboard under the stairs for example or even in the bedroom.  Don’t despair over what to do with these spaces – they are a great way to show off some more unusual, modern styled mirrors which will give new life to your walls and add some interesting features, as well as detract from the odd shape of the wall.


Think about getting frames which are themselves full of different angles to create an interesting look, or multi facet mirror frames to make it more unique.

Small Walls – Make Them Bigger

A small, narrow wall can sometimes only leave room for a small picture frame of some kind, and probably not of any size large enough to do the image some justice.  A small wall mirror however could be just the solution, it will not only reflect light back into the room but you can play around with frames in a way that you can’t do as well with a photograph. 

There are many ideas for using decorative mirrors on your smaller walls.  A window mirror, for example, not only fills up the space, but also creates the illusion of an actual window, which will help to brighten up the room and make it appear larger than it actually is. 
 

 

Shut off Walls, Big PossibilitiesWalls that appear to shut off other walls are a decorating nightmare.  Especially if you want to turn these spaces into something pleasant and inviting.  Use an ornate mirror to make the space more appealing. This can also be a way of joining the two walls, rather than having one decorated and the other left bare and cold.

One idea to make the most of these spaces can be to connect the two walls by painting or wallpapering them the same colour and then extend the décor theme to both walls.  A distinctive decorative mirror will be the ideal way to style this.  This will not only help to make your home look bigger but will provide a great distraction from your troublesome wall.

With so many ways to use unique mirrors to enhance the look of all walls in the home, making a decision can be overwhelming.  Fortunately Exclusive Mirrors has a great selection to help make it easier for you.  Check out our great range of styles by clicking here for some fantastic decorative mirror inspiration.

More Space Please!

Recently we have been inundated with questions and requests about how to create more space within the home.

Where I can't physically stretch a room and make it larger (obviously!) there are so many tricks of the trade that can be used to make your rooms appear larger than they actually are! Some of the tips I can provide are actually common sense e.g. keeping a room free from clutter will make it feel bigger and others are more about using cleverly designed pieces of furniture to create illusions of space.

Put all of the simple tips together and voila!

I have written, received and published lots of blog posts about this topic:

http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/six-proven-strategies-to-make-your-home-look-spacious/515/

http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/how-to-use-mirrors-in-small-rooms/472/

http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/how-to-brighten-up-a-narrow-hallway/407/

http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/brighten-up-small-spaces-with-clever-use-of-light/395/

http://www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk/blog/how-to%E2%80%A6-use-mirrors-to-create-the-illusion-of-space/287/


Below is a summary of the findings...

1. Use mirrors - and more specifically large glass framed mirrors.
2. Strategic paint colours - even consider painting your ceiling the same colour as your walls to create a seemless room.
3. Avoid painting your walls bright white as this reflects the light and actually pulls the room in.
4. Open windows and maximise natural light - do not use heavy window dressings.
5. Add additional lighting through lamps as well as wall sconces and ceiling lights - position these in the outer most parts of the room e.g. dark corners. The taller the lamps the better - lift your ceiling.
6. Tidy up - the more you try to shove into a room, the smaller it will feel. A minimalistic approach that is clutter free will always appear larger than it already is. Get the balance right though as an empty room can in fact feel smaller than one with strategically placed furniture.
7. Use multi-functional furniture that has plenty of storage.
8. Chose plain, light flooring - bold patterns and bright colours can pull a room in nad make it feel smaller.

Put simply, you need to consider every item within your room, but also the construction of the room too e.g. where does natural light fall, how can I utilise the shape of the room to it's full advantage and so on.

Exclusive Interiors - Sneaky Peek!

Here at Exclusive Mirrors we are getting very excited about the launch of our new sister website exclusiveINTERIORS!

Due to launch November 2012: http://www.exclusiveinteriors.co.uk/


Exclusive Interiors will be our flagship online store, selling furniture products for every taste and design style. From rugs through to coffee tables, we have searched the globe to find products that are at the forefront of interior design, but that are still affordable.

We aim to offer a touch of 'Affordable Luxury'.

Here is a sneak preview of one of the fabulous products we have just listed...

Find this and more at Exclusive Interiors

Our New Product Range Is Out Of This World!

Keep up to date with all our latest NEW IN mirrors here:
New In Exclusive Mirrors

Grab your decorative wall mirrors today from www.exclusivemirrors.co.uk

The Perfect Walls for the Perfect Home

The Perfect Walls for the Perfect Home

When it comes to interior decoration we can all become carried away very easily; shopping for the perfect light fittings, soft furnishing, furniture and wall hangings is great fun but getting the wall coverings right first is an essential step to ensure that your room looks its best.

There are so many stylish designs now available with modern wallpapers that you can create a fantastic impact simply with your wall covering! Getting a good finish is absolutely crucial though to generating the “wow” factor as there is nothing worse than seeing beautiful, designer wallpaper that has been poorly hung and is peeling.

When we undertake an interior decoration project we always need to consider our budget; unless we have just won the lottery there will be a limit to what we spend so we need to carefully consider what is needed and split the costs appropriately. If you are purchasing some designer wallpaper for your home I would recommend putting some budget aside for lining paper. This might not be the most glamorous project to purchase but good quality lining paper  can help smooth out rough wall surfaces and provide a level base onto which you can hang your wallpaper.

Using lining paper on your internal walls can help achieve a better quality finish for the wallpaper you are hanging. The lining paper will aid the drying of the wallpaper and improve the look of the finished walls as the lining can help reduce shrinkage so that you carefully hung pieces of wallpaper line up. The use of lining paper can also help prevent the peeling of the wallpaper – don’t ruin the effect of great looking wallpaper by letting it peel and shrink. If you are not too confident with putting up lining paper then you can hunt down the paste-the-wall lining papers, which are exactly as named; you just paste-the-wall and then apply the lining paper directly!

So we now have a great looking wall covering, the smooth lining paper creates a great surface for our wallpaper and we can begin the fun part of thinking about home accessories to add to our walls!

A mirror is a “must have” wall accessory for any room in my opinion, as well as their practical purpose they help create a feeling of space and light within a room. At Exclusive Mirrors there is a huge range of mirrors to choose from so whatever style you prefer you are bound to find a suitable design. For larger rooms I love the free-standing mirrors which can be positioned to maximise the feeling of space in the room and the large chunky frames on some designs provide the room with a real focal piece of furniture.

If space is at a premium then a smaller wall mirror can be used to great effect; traditionally you will see mirrors positioned above fireplaces but why not be adventurous and experiment with the positioning of where you hang the mirror.

A framed print (or two) can be used to great effect in a room and there are plenty of designers now producing exquisite prints that can be bought from art fairs and markets or online. I would recommend framing your prints for a higher quality finish and the choice of designs is really down to your own personal tastes! If you are looking for something a little different and are not afraid to experiment with something a little kitsch then I think that flying ducks still look brilliant when matched up with the appropriate interior theme.

For rooms that need a little brightening some well-positioned wall lights can add sparkle to any room; my top tip for wall lights though is to not go over the top and add too many! I have seen some beautiful looking rooms spoilt by too many wall lights.

Interior design is a chance to express your tastes and create a beautiful home so have fun and watch the budget!

What Is 'Urban Loft?'

Urban loft is a relatively new term used in Interior Design to describe a design style that reflects life in a city.

The concept however is not so new, as this form of home decor began its existence through re-using old city buildings. Renovations on a grand scale, converting old city office blocks, mills, warehouses and factories into cutting edge modern homes. Open plan living, layering with sunken seating areas, mezzanine balcony floors, exposed brick work, ventilation ducts and plenty of raw materials create the fabrication of this design style. Add high tech appliances and gadgets, along with recycled industrial materials for furniture such as glass bottles, tin lids, tyres and so forth and you are really embracing urban decor.

As the concept has evolved it is not unusual for more modern buildings such as high rise apartments to adopt the styling. After all in incorporates elements from contemporary design, whilst also remaining functional and personal.

Of course like all interior design, what city life means to one person is completely different to another and this style is fantastic at allowing individual tastes and personalities to be stamped all over it.

For more information about the urban loft style and for 10 tips on how to achieve it in your home, check out my latest article published on the ezine website:

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Urban-Loft-Decorating-Style&id=7280542

As always, feel free to leave me your comments and requests for future features.

Thanks for reading!

Jo

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Decorative Wall Mirrors

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Decorative wall mirrors come in a huge selection of colours, shapes and sizes, each with an attractive frame. Regardless of your design style and the room in which you wish to display your mirror, you are certain to find a mirror that compliments your decor at Exclusive Mirrors.