Ornate Mirrors

Ornate mirrors can make a great impression in clean, modern rooms. An ornate mirror hung in a room with flowery wallpaper and grand furniture may be too much. The mirror disappears in the visual overload, becoming just another piece of visual "noise."

Take that same ornate mirror and hang it above a piece of uncluttered furniture or even above a chair, on a wall that has been painted a solid, bright color, and the look will be much more successful. Think of the decorations you use to adorn your home like pieces of jewelry you would use to decorate yourself. An ornate set of jewelry always looks best when paired with a simpler dress or suit. Patterned or ornate dresses and suits, on the other hand, look best with simple jewelry. This same formula holds true for mirrors.

Ornate Mirrors and Unusual Materials

Ornate mirrors also look fantastic when they are wrought from interesting metals or finished with a distressed wash. For instance, mirrors framed by ornate scrollwork look gorgeous when the metal used is wrought iron. The combination of the masculine, cold metal with the feminine, ornate design is so eye-catching and timeless.

An ornate mirror wrought from a masculine-looking metal such as wrought iron will look perfect in some unlikely rooms. For example, an ornate metal mirror can look great in a study, library, den or office. It brings a touch of visual interest to an otherwise professional environment.