Everybody Seems to Hate This Outdated Bedroom Feature — But I Love It

Written by

Madeline BilisDeputy Lifestyle Director
Madeline BilisDeputy Lifestyle Director
Madeline Bilis edits the Real Estate section as Apartment Therapy's Deputy Lifestyle Director. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Boston magazine, the Boston Globe, and other outlets. She has a degree in journalism from Emerson College and a soft spot for brutalist…read more
published Feb 8, 2023
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I grew up in a house built in the early 1970s. Over the years, my parents have slowly updated some of the features characteristic of that era — its shag carpeting, dark wood cabinets, and funky wallpaper are sadly no longer with us. But one outdated feature has bravely outlasted the rest, and I’m so glad it has. The feature in question? Mirrored closet doors.

There’s a good chance a real estate agent, home stager, or interior designer will tell you to get rid of these sliding shiny panels before putting your house on the market. They’ll maintain that they’re no longer in style, prompting buyers to wonder what other outdated features in the home might need to be remedied.

Here’s the thing: I don’t think mirrored closet doors should be ripped out for trends’ sake. There’s so much to love about them. In fact, more homes should have them installed.

First off, a set of mirrored closet doors is incredibly practical. It’s a door! It’s a mirror! It’s both! Apartment Therapy readers go nuts for multipurpose home features, and so do I. Having these doors eliminates the need to buy a separate full-length mirror. To me, that is beautiful. (It’s also a space-saving win.)

Second, they give you a better view of your outfit than any old standing mirror could. You certainly don’t have to strain to see what your new sweater looks like from different angles, and you can even do a short strut toward your closet mirror to see how your ensemble looks in motion. I personally love being able to see my outfit from behind and from a distance, a combo that is not possible with the over-the-door mirror in my current closet.

Third, the closet mirror does a couple of incredible things for the vibe of the room. Mirrors are famously excellent at reflecting light, and in turn, brightening up a space. They also tend to make a room appear larger than it is. When you’ve got two sizable mirrored panels in a room, you’re doubling its spaciousness and its brightness.

After I moved out of my parents’ house, I found no bedroom could measure up to the one I was used to — the one with mirrored closet doors. My childhood home happens to have four sets of these kinds of doors; there’s a pair in each bedroom, as well as some in our dining room. I grew up positively rich in mirrored closet doors! So you can understand why it pains me when someone wants to get rid of them, especially when I pine for them in my own apartment daily. 

My overarching belief is that you shouldn’t get rid of something just because it’s “outdated.” So when it comes to mirrored closet doors, I urge you to preserve them.

February is Bedroom Month on Apartment Therapy! We’re sharing stories all month about bedrooms — from how to sleep in them, decorate them, make the most of small ones, and so much more. Head over here to see them all!