You Don’t Need More Space. You Just Need More Mirrors.
Small spaces, like tight hallways or entries, often lack abundant natural light. In such cases, a well-placed mirror can give the illusion of more space while helping to reflect and disperse what light there is. Hang your mirror on a wall across from a light source (like an adjacent window or lamp), and the reflection will bounce that glow into the rest of your space.
Interior designer Lauren Bradshaw likens placing a mirror across from a window to “putting in another window,” as she described to me. She frequently uses this technique in bathrooms, which commonly have only one windowed wall (if you’re lucky).
But I’ve also seen it used effectively in larger spaces. My dining room, for example, features one south-facing window, and its light is partially blocked by a small mudroom. And while I’m grateful for that window (and that mudroom), I often crave more morning light and glimpses of the outside world with my coffee. Hanging a windowpane mirror that reflects the southern light and greenery out back made it feel like we’d added another light source to the room, but it also legitimately felt like we’d magically added a window.
While any mirror reflecting light and the outdoors will suffice, a windowpane-style mirror can go further, fooling the eye into thinking there’s a window where there isn’t one (or at least coming close).
