If you want to see what you really look like, a full-length mirror is essential.
“I don’t know how else you’d see how the shoes match the outfit,” said Ryan Korban, a New York-based interior designer who has created boutiques for a number of fashion brands — including Balenciaga, Aquazzura and Fivestory — as well as homes for fashion-world clients like Alexander Wang. “Oftentimes the shoes are the most important part.”
But a nondescript mirror tacked onto the wall or the back of a door isn’t what he has in mind. “It should be something that complements or enhances the interior design of the space,” he said.
A well-designed mirror with interesting details, he noted, does more than merely reflect its surroundings: It becomes a decorative feature of a room.
Ideally, he said, “it feels almost like a piece of art” — albeit a multifunctional one that allows you to check your footwear.
-
Where should you install it? “The bedroom or by the closet is good, but I often find they’re best in a home’s entryway,” Mr. Korban said. “They’re helpful for that last look before you go out.”
-
What kind of lighting does a full-length mirror need? “You don’t want it directly over your head,” he said. “You want it from the sides” — from sconces, windows or lamps.
-
Can you use a mirror to visually enlarge a space? Yes, especially when you position it to reflect the view out a window. “It does help open a space up,” Mr. Korban said. “And it doubles the sunlight.”
Hub Floor Mirror
Self-supporting mirror with rubber edge and wooden storage ladder
About $200 at Umbra: 800-387-5122 or umbra.com
Coexist Standing Mirror
Mirror with brushed-brass frame and marble-cube base
$6,995 at Slash Objects: slashobjects.com
Archway Mirror
Optical illusion mirror with clear and colored glass in a wood frame
$3,300 at Bower: 347-694-8709 or bower-studios.com
KaschKasch Mirror
Mirror with bent-tube, powder-coated aluminum frame
About $350 at Menu: 760-230-6010 or menudesignshop.com
Georg Floor Mirror
Danish mirror with oak-post frame by Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm
From $479 at Design Within Reach: 800-944-2233 or dwr.com
For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.
