Nate Berkus Turned His Small Powder Room Into a “Jewel Box” Using Mirrors in a Smart Way

Redesigning a small space can be incredibly tricky — especially if you’re struggling with lack of light. When Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent began the process of designing their powder room in their New York City home, they turned the tiny space into a “jewel box” by lining the walls and ceiling in panels of antique mirror.

“We found this vintage Italian spider sconce at an auction in Italy, and now it crawls up the wall in the powder room in our #NYC home,” Berkus captioned a short video on Instagram, showing off the completed space. “Also, covering the walls in antiqued mirror in small spaces is a great way to transform the space into a jewel box.”

Bathrooms are especially hard to bring light into because you often have to cover a portion of the window for privacy, as Berkus and Brent have done in their room with a half-curtain. But the presence of mirrors helps reflect the light that does come into the space and bring in that much-needed brightness.

And this isn’t Berkus’ first time sharing his thoughts on his home’s lighting. In December, he noted that the vintage Italian lights draped across his sofa are an “all-time favorite” in his home.

Of course, you don’t need to invest in floor-to-ceiling antique mirror panels like Berkus and Brent did. You can instead create a gallery wall of thrifted or antique framed mirrors, or bring in a large mirror to place near the window to help reflect light and create that “jewel box” effect. And keeping your furnishings light in tone will help keep the room from getting bogged down in shadow.

Using simple mirrors, even the smallest spaces in your home can sparkle.