A mirror above the fireplace mantel can be a big yawn or a big wow! Here’s a mirror decorating trick that assures scrumptious drama above your fireplace mantel.
Mirror the whole wall, all the way to the ceiling, above your fireplace mantel. This is a great way to dramatize your fireplace as well as to visually enlarge the fireplace's room. One huge mirror is great but expensive. A series of large mirrors without frames can be used, edge-to-edge, with just as much glamour for a fraction of the price.
If the fireplace wall juts out from the surrounding wall, mirror at least the fireplace side above the mantel. For extra pizzazz, mirror the short walls on both sides of the fireplace.
If the fireplace wall does not jut out from the surrounding wall, mirror the width of the mantel from the top of the mantel up to the ceiling. Particularly if you have a room with substantial architectural molding, consider adding moldings painted the color of the walls to the right and left edges of the mirror. This gives the mirror a visual boundary and makes it into an architectural element of the room.
Some modern fireplaces have no mantels. For a truly modern look, mirror the whole fireplace wall above, below, and to each side of the fireplace.
Add a framed mirror to the mirrored wall! A sizable mirror with an elaborate frame is best. This is marvelous for a formal room including a living room, dining room, or a posh bedroom.
Now finish off the vision with fireplace accessories that continue the sparkle. Fireplace screens, fireplace tools, and hearthside firewood holders and baskets are available in chrome, pewter, satin nickel, and polished steel, all metal that continue the glow and drama of the mirrored wall above the fireplace mantel.
By: Susan Penney
