Using Mirrors To Brighten A Room
In response to the rise of raw minimalism and a more paired back interior, sculptural mirrors and shiny, reflective surfaces are having a real moment. And by ditching the usual decorative frames and mounting them in all sorts of less obvious places you'll notice a dramatic shift: Light will seem to flood through rooms as if they're openings rather than surfaces and your space will feel bigger, brighter and wider than it actually is.
From the rock ‘n’ roll vibes of Ettore Sottsass’s Ultrafragola mirror — originally crafted in 1970 for Poltronova — to more unique pieces such as the 70s-era mirrored furniture pieces by American designer Paul Evans, or even covering a full wall, a mirror is a simple yet incredibly effective way to not only update a home but also bounce more natural light around to illuminate darker rooms and create the illusion of more space.
According to Kelly Wearstler, the high priestess of design herself says that “If you get two large mirrors and lean them on either side of the room and hang a chandelier down in between,” she explains, “it creates a sense of infinity and opens up the space and the energy so you’re not just staring at these walls.”
These are a few of my favourite mirrors right now.
Living room by Flack Studios featuring the Ultrafragola Mirror
Ultrafragola mirror by Ettore Sottsass
A current Instagram favourite, Ettore Sottsass’s 1970’s Ultrafragola mirror, is witnessing a revival thanks to a whole new generation of design and selfie-loving obsessives. Exhibit A - Emma Chamberlain’s home in Architectural Digest (see in the pic below on the right). The incorporation of a soft neon light into its wavy, rose-coloured opaline acrylic surround is nothing short of genius. Its name translates to "the ultimate strawberry" in Italian—a playful reference to sensuality and how you might feel upon seeing your reflection in it.
Anything reflective by Paul Evans
The American designer Paul Evans came to renown in the 1970s as part of the American Craft Movement. His works, particularly from the Cityscape series range from sculptural metallic pieces in the Brutalist style to disco-esque mirrored tables, cabinets and even bed and desk combinations. Milanese gallerist, Nina Yashar is a fan and Lenny Kravitz describes it as “…stunningly beautiful, stunningly ugly, stunningly tacky, stunningly sophisticated,”
A Cityscape samples chest that featured in a Paul Evans retrospective show in Pennsylvania. Skinner/Dorsey Reading Collection
Scandanavian art mirrors
Combine mirrors with the joy of colour and the result is the Scandanavian art mirror — a whole new movement currently sweeping Instagram feeds. While coloured mirrors are hardly new — see Studio Roso’s iridescent mirrors for Fritz Hansen — and for something more current we’re loving the graphic delights from young Danish influencer Simone Noa Hedal. She says “We live in a selfie-culture where art needs to be shareable. This is also why I think more artists are engaging with mirrors as ‘canvases’.”
