A guide for buying overmantle mirrors

Over your mantle piece is an excellent place to add a few items and keepsakes to decorate your home. One of the best items to choose is an overmantle mirror. You can make this area more interesting and at the same time, create the illusion of a bigger room, just by using fireplace mirrors. This article is a guide for buying overmantle mirrors.

Types of mirrors

There are various types of overmantle mirrors that you can use to decorate your home's mantle. You can buy various different shapes, finishes, period styles and sizes. You may like antique french mirrors and not the more modern finishes. The mirrors come in a variety of shapes. Most commonly, though, the mirrors are rectangular or square in shape. Round mirrors work well over less symmetrical areas as there are no concrete lines to draw your eye. The contrasting shape of the overmantle mirror to the straight lines of the rectangular shape of the mantle piece, gives more visual appeal. A bare mantle piece is not only boring, but leaves your room with a feeling of emptiness and incompleteness.

Ideas

If you use a mirror as decoration, you are creating a look that enhances the room's overall appearance. You are also providing a needed item that everyone can enjoy. This includes people who live in your home as well as visitors. Most traditional and antique mirrors are found in gilded forms. You can buy gold ones, but you can also find ones with silver, bronze and copper finishes. You can buy wood, plaster, steel or Victorian cast-iron mirrors frames to replace the frame that the mirror comes. Some have patina finishes that give them an "Old World" look. There are mirrors from traditional to contemporary designs, to complement your design styles

Hanging your mirror

Hanging mirrors on the wall above the mantle is the easiest way to install your new mirror. If you live in a rental property or do not fancy fixing the mirror to the wall, you may be able to just lean your new mirror against the wall. This should be easy enough if you have bought a larger mirror. When hanging a mirror, it is important to take into consideration the view that it is reflecting. When you are arranging your mirror and any decorative items that you have, be careful not to add too many mirrored items together. Otherwise, your living room or bedroom will look like a mirror world. This can be very distracting for you and for visitors if you are trying to concentrate on certain tasks.