Why you should be considering a mirrored wall
The mirrored wall does exactly what you might expect: it is a wall clad floor-to-ceiling, end-to-end in mirrored glass. It is not a new concept – think back as far as the 17th century, when King Louis XIV had a room in Versailles Palace clad in a combination of mirrors and marble. The effect of the Hall of Mirrors was so enchanting that it has trickled down through the years and eventually found its place in a number of rather smaller spaces, specifically our houses and many panic-inducing restaurant bathrooms where it's rather hard to identify the door and you're confronted with your own face multiple times over (Casa Cruz on Clarendon Road, Ottolenghi’s NOPI on Warwick Street and Brasserie of Light at Selfridges to name a few).
Aside from being a mystifying addition to restaurant bathrooms, the mirrored wall can be a very useful trick for designers looking to increase the feeling of space in a room, add a sense of grandeur or illuminate a dark room. ‘During the day, they bounce light around and make solid walls disappear,’ says Brandon Schubert, ‘so adding depth and brightness to the room. But it’s at night that mirrored walls really come into their own. By candle light, they look amazing. Or with dim picture lights illuminating artworks hanging over them. They do such a great job of making a space feel both formal and intimate in the evenings’. Brandon even installed antique mirrored glass inside the whole recessed wall of a recent London project in order to increase the sense of light and space in the hallway.
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In their tiny London flat, Daniel Slowik and Benedict Foley have used mirrors to great effect, but the most genius of them all is the one used to clad a retractable shutter, which when closed tricks the eye into thinking the sitting room is far more generously-proportioned than it really is.
Mirror can also be used to offset warm, distressed textures, such as a refreshingly sharp surface against softer finishes such as wood. In a country bathroom pictured below, designed by Bodil Blain, an array of materials have been masterfully combined to create a dynamic space which is at once useful (you do need a mirror in a bathroom after all) and surprising - ‘each surface is intentionally different from the other to create depth and character’, says Bodil ‘and mirrors help create a sense of space’.
It may not be the most practical addition to a house. You don’t want to end up with no time to enjoy your mirrored wall because you are endlessly polishing it and keeping it away from children’s mucky fingers is certainly key to this. Perhaps, therefore, they are more at home in a ‘grown up’ room, such as a study or drawing room.
When it comes to mirrored walls, there are a plethora of options available so have a think about what specific atmosphere you are trying to create. The most standard choice would be a silvered mirror, which can be bought from a variety of retailers, many of which, including MirrorFit, will cut the glass to a bespoke size. Then there are tinted mirrors, which can come in a number of shades, either to create a sense of warmth or blend with the colours used elsewhere in the room. Then there are aged and antique mirrors, and the glamorous ‘Verre Églomisé’, gilded with gold or silver leaf. It is worth turning to a specialist for these more complex finishes. Dominic Schuster is one such expert who has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all of the options for bespoke finishes.
Whatever your preference, we have gathered the most lustworthy examples from the House & Garden archive to help inspire.
1/10Banquette seating is the perfect way to create a kitchen-dining area in a small space, as Sézane founder Morgane Sézalory has done in her stylish apartment on the Left Bank of Paris. Building the kitchen in a U-shape helps to separate the two spaces, while the mirrored walls make the room feel larger.
Paul Massey2/10Stained glass panels in the door and a wall of antique mirror, reflecting a Collier Webb lantern, increase the sense of light and space in the hallway of a London house designed by Brandon Schubert. A John Cherrington painting hangs over a console from The Lacquer Company with Paolo Moschino lamps.
Dean Hearne3/10In the family bathroom of this cottage designed by Bodil Blain, a wall of mirrors offsets the natural materials that have been used elsewhere in the room. The mosaic tiles are from Bert and May and the bathroom fixtures are from Lefroy Brooks.
Chris Horwood4/10‘The best thing I’ve done in the house is the lacquered ceiling because I couldn't make that room any higher. Then I've got that mirrored wall and you see how everything reflects,’ says Nina Campbell of this glamorous space in her Chelsea house. The built-in banquette on the right of the fireplace was custom made for the space and is upholstered in a fabric by Le Manach from pierre frey.
Jake Curtis5/10The interior designer Georgie Stogdon's flat is a lesson in layering materials while maintaining a sense of quiet luxury. Between two floor-to-ceiling windows in the sitting room, a wall of mirror adds the illusion of depth.
Owen Gale6/10"I didn't want a staircase straight ahead of me when I came through the front door," says Angelica Squire of her London house, "so we had the stairs turn the corner and used the gap for a cupboard. We put a Christopher Farr cloth in the panels and used and a mirrored panel to open the space up."
Rachael Smith7/10Around the original chimneypiece, antiqued mirror panelling from Mirror Works brings light and depth to the scheme of this room by Alice Leigh. An ‘Emerald’ chandelier by Margit Wittig, a bespoke ottoman covered in a Turnell & Gigon fabric and a ‘Berlin’ leather chair by Tom Faulkner are set off by ABA Interiors ‘Sequin NS 8013’ wallpaper from Altfield.
Jake Curtis8/10The television room in a flat by Adam Bray is lined with distressed mirror glass, reflecting the large banquette sofa designed by Nick Plant and upholstered in Adam's 'Greville' mohair velvet.
Taran Wilkhu9/10The Sixties lacquered screen on the wall was the inspiration for the interiors of Zoe Zimmer's London flat, especially the glossy black floorboards. The tubular steel-framed ‘Cesca’ dining chairs were designed by Marcel Breuer in 1928. Mirrored walls visually double the space. ‘Because of the mirrors, you’re always part of the action. So even if I’m stuck in the kitchen, I can see what’s going,' says Zoe.
Taran Wilkhu10/10In the flat's pokey bathroom, walls clad in mirror offer a similar effect. Zoë was inspired by the combination of white tiles and black grout she had seen on buildings in Tokyo. The basin is similar to Lefroy Brooks’ ‘Belle Aire’ design.
