• 1, 2, 3 We especially love the effect in an intimate dining room, or in other rooms where candlelight is a frequent visitor.
• 4,5 When placed between two windows or flanking a door, they read as additional architectural details and take visual advantage of incoming sources of light.
• 6,7,8 When placed directly opposite of a window they act as another source of light.
(Images: 1: Leah Moss for Stefan's Apartment Therapy: DC House Tour, 2: Marie Claire Maison, 3: Paul Corrie, 4: Keith Scott Morton for Country Living, 5: Restoration Hardware, 6: House to Home, 7: Jake Curtis, 8: Atlanta Bartlett)
Dirty Little Secrets of Tidy Families
Hillary & Michael's Refined Roost
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Nomade Express Slee...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
How to Make Buckwheat Soba Noodles from Scratch
Oversize mirrors are great... as long as what they're reflecting is nice! I knew some people in college where a large mirror would have just made their mess look bigger... :)
That second one is gorgeous! I love mirrors with distressed/rustic frames!
Love the look of the oversized mirrors!! But does anyone have any suggestions as to how to find affordable oversized mirrors? They all seem to be overly expensive for me...
LOVE LOVE LOVE Oversized mirrors, have on in our lounge room and its great! reflects light, makes the space seem larger.. its really decadent and yeah ... did i mention i love them ?
MidoriMonsta- I have a huge, full size tri-fold dressing mirror (beveled edges and dark wood trim/frame) that my mom found for $250 years ago at ...get this... a Sam's Club. Be on the lookout at places like that- it takes time, but you can sometimes find good deals.
I'd also check out Ikea- they've always got some huge mirrors for good prices & you'd be able to alter it if you want to make it your own. :)
Just checked out Ikea's mirrors and found that the Hovet fits the bill pretty well! It's really large and only $99! It looks comparable to the Infinity Mirror at CB2 which goes for $299 plus shipping...
Awesome! I know anytime I'm there I see huge mirrors that I always think are priced super cheap. :) Can't beat a deal... :)
I agree that there's nothing like a mirror in a small space to make it seem larger. In my time I've used them everywhere, including on top of kitchen wall units. The only way I don't like them used is in front of a dining table, because I hate to have to look at myself when I'm eating.
What's with having them on the floor (7 out the 8 above) instead of hanging them up? Not to mention placing them behind furniture and/or where they'd be prone to being crashed into. The one in the first photo looks particularly precarious.
mirandabee - In the 90s, a top designer (Vincent Wolfe?? I forget who) propped a huge mirror against a wall in a show house, and the idea caught on. Supposedly it reflects light better, and doesn't unnerve people as much as a wall mounted mirror, because they don't see themselves head-on. But I agree -- it's an expensive crash waiting to happen.
that last photo is pretty much my dream bedroom. gorgeous!
I have an oversized mirror that I'm afraid to hang up, due to its weight versus our plaster walls, so I've been considering standing it up against a wall, rather than storing it in the garage. What do you recommend to keep it standing so it doesn't go sliding down and crashing to the floor? I have kids and pets, so this is a definite concern.
Abra_cat, what about an easel? Large wooden artists' easels aren't too expensive, and I've even seen lovely metal decorative easels for less than $100 at places like Hobby Lobby and Michael's.
We have three mismatched medium-large mirrors on our mantle that add up to one over-sized mirror. I couldn't find any large art in my price range that I liked, but then I scrounged up three mirrors I already had around the house.
To all concerned about a propped-up mirrors falling over and killing someone, I know what you mean. I have one in my kitchen propped up against the wall (with a large plant in front of it - you can't see yourself at the table!) and I have a hook in the wall that is obscured by the mirror and I have the mirror itself attached by picture wire to the hook so it can't be accidentally dislodged.
Hi all, I'm the owner of the mirror in #1 -i just want to clear up some stuff. It's propped against the wall rather than hung because it is hiding a rather large air intake grill (almost as big as the mirror!) and I had to prop it up to allow air to pass behind.
I rather like the look of propped on the ground as well because it looks like a doorway and extends the space as it reflects the space from the floor.
I got the mirror years ago for only $275 at Sears home life -sadly the store has closed but I'm sure any number of discount or cheaper home furniture stores would have them!
Inexpensive Oversized Mirrors:
If you're a bit creative, it's DIY-able - with some plywood/MDF as a backer, a piece of mirror cut to the size you'd like, some construction adhesive and something to be the frame - whether it be seashells, mosaic tile, wooden window casings, wood wrapped in "leather", etc.
I agree that oversized mirrors are fabulous, but they need to be hung on the wall. Not only has this wall leaning mirror business become a design cliche, it is impractical and downright dangerous.
Moreover, the distorted reflection one gets from a wall leaning mirror is just not attractive: usually you just ugly views of the ceiling.
Feh!
I have a huge oversized mirror on my massive fireplace. I did not hang it, but rather propped it against brick backing on the fireplace. It reflects so much light and is the perfect option for my small space. Personally, I like the idea of not hanging mirrors and instead leaning them against walls to bounce around light.