Diana wants your opinion: "What do you think about displaying old/damaged antique mirrors? I inherited a mirror that hung in my grandparents' house for 70 years, and it is very damaged now and should probably be re-silvered. I like the old fashioned look of it, but don't know how to incorporate this look into my contemporary home. Ideas?"
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If it's a real antique mirror it could be a pity to change the silver, the mirror could loose all its value. Many decorators in europe regularly hang old damaged mirrors in modern interiors.
view Daniel Poitiers's profile
Feng Shui says that you should not display mirrors that don't have a full reflection - and if the image is difficult to see, I'd definately have it re-silvered.
As far as the frame, it's difficult to see the style, but perhaps it would be nice to have it laquered white or in a bright accent color to show off its lines in your contemporary room?
view bepsf's profile
you couls balace it with "eglomisé" pieces in the room, or glass vases with modern shapes.
view Daniel Poitiers's profile
i think you should wait on having it re-silvered. you can't go back once it is done (unless you want to wait another 70 years, hehe), but if you wait you can always change your mind. i think you should identify a couple of spots where you want to try it out, choose one, and hang it. if you don't like it there, try your second choice in placement. if you leave it up for a month and the image really bothers you, then maybe you should get it resilvered.
view closertotheocean's profile
Strongly disagree with bepsf. If you paint it and re-silver it, it's no longer an antique mirror. Why go to that much time and trouble to end up with something that looks like Pottery Barn?
I personally like antiques in modern spaces. A room without patina always feels a little too "store bought." Since the mirror is curvy, try to put it with a modern piece that's also curvy to make a visual link between the two.
view Lisa Hunter (Montreal)'s profile
I have an antique mirror in my bedroom above my dresser. It's flaking silver and roughed up frame are why I like it so much. Plus, it's super heavy and it was in my grandmas house for ages so it holds sentimental value.
If you love it, it will go with your decor no matter what.
view revolution9's profile
Agree with the 'leave it alone' crowd. It has character and history -- maybe contrast it next to some very modern pieces or go with Lisa Hunter's suggestion re shape reference.
view outonalimb_2008's profile
I agree: don't resilver or paint it, as that's where the charm lies! Antiques and modern compliment each other quite nicely! Too much of any one can look packaged.
AT has been running a few articles on mixing styles these past few days. Check those out; they might be helpful!
view rainyday's profile
Perhaps it would work on a "short" wall adjacent to (or perpendicular to ) a window. By "short", I mean that it would be the only thing on that wall. Perhaps complemented by a contemporary lamp or chair.
And change its function from a looking glass to a space expanding light-catcher/reflector for a corner of a room or a small nook. I think "repurposing" it will make it feel more contemporary.
view JenPDX's profile
another vote for leave it alone. character and charm are hard to come by these days!
view stinkycretingurl's profile
I would try making it the centerpiece of the room. Hang it somewhere you'd normally hang a big painting, and don't hang much of anything else there.
Given that it has such personal ties to you, probably makes it more decorative and special than most of your paintings, too, I'd assume.
Oh, and of course you should leave it alone. Resilvering it would just make it a plain old mirror.
view Twisted Intellect's profile
I agree with JenPDX - i have a similarly antiqued mirror with a more ornate frame. I got it CHEAP at a flea market a few years ago, gave it a cleaning, but left the "charm". I hung it in a corner near a huge window, surrounded by other gilt mirrors of various sizes. they are impractical as mirrors because of their strange sizes, but grouped together, by the window, they add so much depth to an otherwise useless corner. (and a lot of my stuff is a "midcentury modern mix" in a clean arrangement, and it still works i think)
so leave it alone, and find a spot where it can reflect natural light!
view Bobbycat5's profile
The great thing about antiques are the charm of their character. I would recommend not touching it. It could lose any value it has if it is touched.
As far as how to display it. I like to display antiques on a clean backdrop. Almost reminiscent of displaying a fine piece of art work in a museum. I'm not sure how this goes with your contemporary decor contemporary can be good and it can be bad. I would be interested to see it paired with maybe the Spun standing lamp and a great 20th century modern arm chair, which you can buy relatively cheaply at like White Furniture and maybe some sort of small side table from Adrianna Shamaris.
Maybe this mirror inspires you to re-think your whole decor. Mixing the contemporary with old and modern .
view jll111's profile