Mirror Magic ~ Use Bathroom Mirrors for Space Illusion

Using Mirror Magic gives you the ability to enlarge small bathrooms and other rooms in your home by incorporating Space Illusion.

Do you have an awkward space? Our built-ins, again the 90’s, have short and narrow shelves because when I built the house, the TV went in the cabinet on a slide shelf, and then you closed the doors when you were not watching to make it look more decor-ish. For this home remodel, we decided not to change the built-ins. One, too much money, and two, they are nice looking and don’t need to make the edit.

When we built the house, we had the TV cabinet on one side of the fireplace, and for symmetry’s sake, we put the same look on the other side of the fireplace. No big, right? But what do you do with the closed cabinet that does not hold the TV? If you don’t plan, this closed door will become a storage dumping ground you will not love.

For my space, I had a mirror cut to fit the back wall of the cabinet. I added a wine glass stem holder to the top of the cabinet. This space became my Redneck Butler Pantry. But it worked, and guess what? It still works! And I love it. When the cabinet doors are open, it is pretty and looks big because of the mirror. The clear glasses sparkle to include our Waterford Champagne flutes that were a gift from my husband’s brother, and I think of him every time I open the cabinet.

Soon, I will get to the lower shelf where the liquor is and make that look pretty. Ha. Not my department, and it will be a challenge to keep it tidy.

Fast forward to today, and the TV is not hidden behind the cabinet. As much as the up-to-date, expensive, beautiful non-narrow shelving would look, the closed cabinet doors help with our lack of storage.

To the right side of the fireplace, the built-ins encase the cushions for the deck furniture right outside the door nearest to the cabinet. Now that the TV is central and mounted on the fireplace, it opens up the cabinet for storing stuff and making it easily accessible. See my post here about designing around my TV…which, I think, is supposed to be very taboo, maybe? Or was that only back in the day when TVs were the size of a mini-cooper?

More Mirror Magic

Master Bathroom. Maybe you don’t want mirrors everywhere, but it sure is convenient. When I get dressed, I can see my backside without using a small, hold-up mirror. 

Okay, so I am updating this post because I had a space in my master bathroom I struggled with since the day I designed the remodel. I thought it would be a fun space to decorate. Plus, I would deal with it when the time came. It would be fun to figure it out. Not fun.

My husband did the demo for our master bathroom. Part of the demo included the removal of two huge sheet mirrors. Very dangerous. He got them down intact and put them in the front of the house. They sat there for two months during the bathroom remodel. While the contractor for the new mirrors was here to measure the spaces, he mentioned the quality of the 1999 mirrors. 

Naturally, we decided it would be great to repurpose these high-quality mirrors. As a result, we had a vendor come out and cut and install one of the repurposed mirrors behind the toilet. What?!?! Yes. Of course, one of my friends said it was so Jimmy could watch himself pee. Ha, funny, really funny! The wall and the toilet are the first thing you see when you walk in the master bath door. I hemmed and hawed and decided to go for it, and I am so glad I did. The bathroom looks twice the size, and when I peer into the room, I see the reflection of the picture window with all the green and nature, not the toilet. I got lucky with this unorthodox use of a sheet mirror, and it is fabulous. 

This is what I call using Mirror Magic that gives you the ability to enlarge small bathrooms and other rooms in your home by incorporating Space Illusion.

I incorporated a mirror next to the French doors in our dining area to make the space appear larger. The mirror has cathedral muntins to match the ones in our Great Room. It adds dimension. I posted a picture of this mirror on my Pinterest page, and it has received thousands of views, which is very cool.

Our downstairs Guest Bathroom has a large 48-inch round mirror above the vanity. The fun wood-rimmed mirror is the first thing people notice when they enter the bathroom.

One of our daughter’s bedrooms has a small wall space next to the windows. I placed my favorite narrow mirror with cathedral panes on that wall. I found the unique mirror at a local boutique store, it was not for sale, and when I inquired if they would sell it, they said yes. My daughter loves it!

Mirrors can be easy but think outside the box. The mirror in my redneck butler pantry is the perfect example. Some of my favorite things show up as a mirror edit. 

I have a mirror surrounded by birch wood for a lake feel. It is a cool way to bring the trees inside the home, Ha! (Our ‘Before’ Den Below). Go here for the Den update!

I have seen dough bowls with mirrors cut to fit inside, and then they are displayed as interesting accessories. Mirrored trays sitting on coffee tables are one of my favorites. When I go to antique stores and see large doors or windows with mirrored panes, I love them!

And then there is my master closet! My closet consultant shared a picture of a sample closet, and I saw this mirrored door and fell in love with it. I did not have room for a door, but the shelving above my drawers was going to be open. I decided instead, what if we put doors on it, and can I get those fully mirrored doors?!?! Of course, she said yes!

The takeaway and advice for mirror magic is to think about a mirror if you are unsure about what to do with a space. I understand if there is a stigma about mirrors. Let me explain, my husband jokes and says “mirror-mirror” when I am looking in the mirror to get ready as if it is a vanity issue, but they can exponentially enlarge a room. 

Both of our upstairs bathrooms have sheet mirrors that extend from the top of the backsplash to the ceiling. Because of my limited space and lack of budget to change the footprints in my bathrooms, I used mirrors to make them appear larger. 

Our Master Closet Reveal is coming soon. I cannot say enough good things about Space-Makers Closets/Carolina Closetshttps://spacemakersclosets.com/ who remodeled all of our closets, our pantry, and our Laundry Room! Please see my Google Review Here.

Just for fun, please see the images below of all the pictures I have taken while shopping for mirrors! I regret not buying the first one shown below, at Scott’s Antique Market, UGH! Haunts me until I get back there to see what else is available.

When in doubt, a Magical Mirror may be the answer!