Double your Decorative Potential with Mirrors
In her indispensible book, A Flair for Living Charlotte Moss, one of America's most respected decorators writes beautifully about the effectiveness of mirrors as decorative accents that is particularly appropriate for this mirrored wastebasket and bathroom set:
"Mirrors are marvels of space. They let you see a room twice. They stretch square footage, doubling the space and the light. They can act like another window or wall. A mirror at the end of a hall transforms it into a long, elegant gallery. Over a mantel, they become a painting of the entire room. Usually, when you buy a mirror you're not really buying the mirror; you're buying the frame, then you have something of special value. Sometimes I can't find the mirror I want, so I'll have it made. For my dining room, I designed a border-glass mirror with five brackets to hold little vases of flowers. How to increase your flower budget? Put them in front of a mirror, or in this case, on the mirror. Sometimes I will set votives on the brackets--more opportunity for candlelight. In a master bedroom with a Georgian mantel, I wanted a mirror that was equally lighthearted. I found an artist who cuts, shapes, and paints copper, brass, and tole to form amazingly realistic flowers, insects, and leaves (complete with nibbled holes). We arranged the three-dimensional flowers on a simple white frame and hung it over the fireplace. The mirror looks dewy and fresh, as if we had brought a bit of the garden into the room. In another dining room, a mirror with antiqued glass creates quite a different effect. It feels much more mysterious. A mirror has a way of drawing you into what looks like another world, enticing you closer like a great conversationalist. A good mirror is a great investment. Every room can handle one." Mirrored wastebaskets and mirrored tissue box covers are a lovely way to get sparkle into any room, particularly a bathroom. As Charlotte would say, "every room can handle one."
As we like to say, accenting is the first rule of bathroom decor. You already have a mirror above your sink, so adding a set of mirrored wastebasket and tissue box to your bathroom will give you a reflective sparkle wherever your eyes roam. Bathrooms are generally not the largest rooms in the home, so adding mirrors is a quick and simple way to give the appearance of extra space. It's a trick that you'll be glad to know for decorating. Mirrors are an elegant and versatile solution to decorating challenges, since they fit equally well with all decorating schemes. Mirrors are an ancient conceit to challenge the singular appearance of the self, and this effect is one that impresses and amazes the young and old alike. Show off the outside of your wastebasket! |
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