Elizabeth Taylor collected jewels and husbands, Angelina Jolie collects antique knives. Quentin Tarantino, board games, Tom Hanks: typewriters.
I have a problem saying no to mirrors. Any size, any era before 1960, the more ornate, the more gesso and gold: the better. Beveled? I'm in. Baroque? I will drive 8 hours one way. Victorian, overly fancy, maybe haunted, ridiculously heavy , impractical and ceiling height? I'll bring my pickup, hand truck, holy water and several humans to lift that sucker into its new home. I have many, many, many mirrors leaning against walls in my storage area, awaiting their future, hoping brightly to fulfill their ultimate purpose. I have so many I could give them out as party favors.
Mirrors hold cultural and artistic places in our memories and hearts you may not even realize. The power of the statement "Mirror, mirror on the wall," is one we all recognize and it evokes immediate emotion. The silvered-glass mirrors found throughout the world today first got their start in Germany almost 200 years ago. In 1835, German chemist Justus von Liebig developed a process for applying a thin layer of metallic silver to one side of a pane of clear glass. This technique was soon adapted and improved upon, allowing for the mass production of mirrors. (livescience.com)
Mirrors create the illusion of depth and space, can reflect light, are perfect for smaller spaces and if hung correctly, can close in an unruly larger space to visually separate it and translate the feeling of cozy. They are beautiful for narrow spaces, helping to visually trick the eye into widening space. Older, wood and gesso MCM mirrors can be paired with more simple furnishings and still create a feeling of luxury. Have an enormous empty wall? You can create drama with simple, various sized mirrors. Sometimes more is more. And with mirrors, "more" is always my jam.
Mirrors are my Achilles heel, and I use them in my own home in a myriad of different ways. I can't say no to one, even when I have no space to put it at that very moment. Because I KNOW in my soul if I say no to a great antique mirror, I will regret it down the road.
This amazing antique mirror was one of 2 Art Deco finds that ended up being the perfect fit in a bathroom renovation. At the time, I made John drive 40 miles one way in the rain off a blurry photo I saw of this mirror at an estate sale. "What if it looks different in person, what if its chipped, what if it isn't as cool as you think?" he was mumbling as we sat in traffic on the way. I would not be swayed, because I know the power of mirrors (and now you do too).
"BUT, WHAT IF IT IS LIFE CHANGING?"
LOOK AT IT. I rest my case.