How to decorate with mirrors in the living room
Often used both for functional and decorative purposes in areas such as bathrooms and bedrooms, mirrors can enhance virtually any space in your home. When it comes to your living room, you may have already selected chairs, bookcases, pictures, ornaments, lights and other pieces of furniture to lift the look and feel of the space, but you may be wondering what you can add as a final component to tie it all together.
An attractive mirror could be the answer. These accessories possess many benefits, such as making rooms lighter, creating an illusion of extra space, and covering up any unwanted imperfections. In this guide, we look at how you could introduce a mirror into your living room and how doing so could take your interior design to the next level.
How to hang a mirror on a wall
In a bedroom, freestanding mirrors can help to accentuate the space and give you a chance to see how you look in your outfits from top to toe. However, in a living room, a mirror is generally better suited to being hung on a wall. Whether it’s positioned opposite a window to bounce more natural light around the room or to work alongside other mirrors in an interesting pattern, you’ll need to make sure that your mirror is firmly secured on the wall.
To hang a mirror:
- Start by planning where you want it to go and check that nothing is behind this space in the wall that could prevent you from hanging it. There are tools that you can use to scan the chosen area. This equipment will alert you to any live wires or pipes that could potentially harm or obstruct you during the process of hanging your mirror.
- Hold your mirror up to the wall and mark where you want it to go with a pencil. The marking will either be an indication of the top of the mirror, the sides of the mirror or where the nail will go behind the mirror.
- At this point, you can choose how you want to hang your mirror. There are a number of methods, and some mirrors are fitted with a small hook on the back to save you the trouble of deciding the most appropriate option. However, in terms of large or awkwardly-shaped mirrors, it would be advisable to put a hook on either side of the mirror about a third of the way down the frame. Hammer a nail into the wall a few inches down from the top centre of where you want the mirror to go. You can then attach string to the hooks, allowing it to flow down by a couple of inches, and use it to suspend the mirror from the nail.
- Once you’ve hung the mirror, check that it’s straight by using a spirit level. If the mirror isn’t completely flat to the wall, you can secure it by putting mirror hanging strips, adhesive tape or even something as simple as Blu Tack in the corners or several areas along the back. Just be aware of how these methods might mark your wallpaper.
Although this is the most traditional method of hanging a mirror, there are other techniques that are better suited to mirrors of different shapes, sizes and styles. Read on for help on hanging your mirror to a door or tiles, or hanging a frameless mirror.I
How to attach a mirror to a wardrobe door
Attaching mirrors to wardrobes, cabinets or other pieces of furniture designed for storage is often something done in bedrooms. However, as some living rooms also have these items of furniture, it’s a worthwhile consideration if you feel that a mirror would upgrade your furniture or disguise imperfections.
How you attach the mirror onto the door of your wardrobe will depend on the mirror itself and the type of wood you’re fitting it to. For example, if you’re looking to fit a frameless mirror to a thin, hollow door, you could use an adhesive glue as long as you’re happy for the mirror to be permanently attached to the door. If you’re fitting a framed mirror on a thick door, you would be able to fit the mirror using small screws or nails connecting the mirror to the door through the frame.
How to mount a mirror on tiles
Tiles are rare in living rooms, but if the downstairs of your home is open plan or if you have a tiled wall for contrast, you may need help with hanging a mirror. Obviously, the concern with hanging a mirror on a tiled wall is that the tiles will split, crack and suffer damage.
However, you’re actually able to use the same steps as you would for hanging a mirror using hooks and a nail as long as you use a drill bit that is designed for penetrating tile without damaging it.
When it comes to drilling the hole (or holes if you’re mounting your mirror in a different way), you should start by wetting the drill bit before carefully drilling into the tile. To minimise the risk of damage, take regular breaks and apply more water during the drilling process to cool it down. After drilling the hole, you should fit a wall plug as this will help to prevent any damage once the nail or screw is fitted.
How to hang a frameless mirror on a wall
A frameless mirror can offer a luxurious appearance, easy maintenance and, because it has no frame, it can be simpler to hang as it’s likely to be lighter. Without a frame, however, you can’t simply attach hooks to the back and suspend the mirror from a nail in the wall as this would result in damage to the mirror. Alternative solutions such as adhesive tape or mirror hanging strips are quick and easy to use and, providing you fit them correctly, they’re just as reliable as nails. You could also consider an adhesive sealant, but this is a more permanent option and your wall is likely to be seriously damaged if you attempt to remove the mirror in the future.
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