Mirror, Mirror On My Wall!

Mirrors are a must in every apartment. They are convenient in many ways. In addition, they are also very useful as decorative elements and can spice up any room.

A Long History

Mirrors have been around for a very long time. The oldest examples are more than 5,000 years old. A polished bronze mirror was found to belong to people living in Mesopotamia. Mirrors are even mentioned in the bible.

The oldest preserved mirror today has a glass surface from the 2nd Century AD.

Types of Mirrors

Mirrors come in all imaginable styles and shapes. With or without a rim, small, large, huge, round, square, ... Increasingly, designers also come in new, exciting forms. Full-length mirrors, for example, can be "fragmented" because they are composed of many mutually overlapping, different sized individual mirrors. Today, a mirror may be a striking object that adds depth to every room.
In addition still mirror tiles come in many different forms. They represent an excellent decorative element that gives each wall character.

Material

Today most mirrors are prepared using a silver-copper or aluminum layer under a sheet of glass. The highest quality mirrors use crystal glass. 

Now, a mirror is a mirror, basically. Nevertheless, quality does play a role for large mirrors. If you want to buy a large mirror, you should pay attention to its thickness. It should be at least three millimeters thick, otherwise the mirror may warp or break. If you want to hang your mirror, be careful that it is not too heavy. Optimally, choose a thickness between three to six millimeters.

If you have children, you should consider anti-shatter variety to avoid dangerous shattering. Security glass mirrors now come with shatter protection. Since this type of glass is about eight millimeters thick, the mirrors are fairly heavy. Otherwise you could also "retrofit" your mirror using special shatter protection.

Choosing the Right Place

Mirrors can add a wonderful effect to individual rooms and can provide exactly what was missing.

• Making rooms look bigger: large mirrors offer reflective properties that makes a small space look bigger and lighter. This is most easily achieved by placing a mirror opposite a window.
  Remember, however, that the size of the mirror must fit the space. Too large of a mirror can be irritating.

• Showmanship: mirrors can visually replace a window, if they are placed in a dark corner. Hanging a mirror over the headboard of a bed adds symmetry and space.

• Eyecatchers: mirrors make for a focal point in a room. Mirrors are used as decorative art and also beautify rooms, walls and furniture in style. 

Where is a mirror essential? 

There are a few areas in the home where a mirror is essential. The most obvious example is the bathroom. In the bathroom, the functionality of your mirror is vital. Swiveling mirror doors and lighting from three sides (top, left, right) are important. A mirrored cabinet provides more storage space, which is always in short supply in the bathroom.
In the bedroom, a full length mirror is very useful, especially for checking out your whole outfit.  Finally, a mirror in the foyer or hallway is very convenient for checking your look one more time before heading out the door.