The “Fake Window” Decorating Trick That Made My Kitchen Feel Twice as Charming

There’s a small bistro table sitting in my kitchen, accompanied by two secondhand chairs. Those were reupholstered in a carefully chosen deep green paisley that perfectly echoes the green doors on the other side of the room. But as charming as this spot is, it always felt lacking. The table and chairs sit between two windows, and the empty wall behind them begs for something, which evaded me for years. I’d put a large grazing board up there in the interim (see above), but it always felt a little plain and somewhat cramped, considering the size of the area. The table is pushed right up against the wall to maximize every inch in my petite city kitchen, but it doesn’t make for the most spacious dining experience. 

It wasn’t until I was moving things around one day — making room for a newly acquired antique mirror in another room — that I had an idea. My grandmother’s vintage 1950s mirror had been left without a home, thanks to my rearranging. But what if I used the old mirror as “fake window” trick next to my bistro table? What if I created the illusion of light and space rather than looking for a just-right piece to fill that wall?

I hung the gilt mirror right in between the two windows, where it takes up a significant chunk of the space. I placed a vintage Robert Furber month print just above it, drawing the eye upwards by adding even more height to the vignette.

The visual trick worked. The mirror was the finishing touch I never would have expected. While the south-facing room gets plenty of light, now it’s flooded with even more, as the mirror bounces light around the entire kitchen. When I sit at the little bistro table, it no longer feels closed-in. Sitting by the mirror, the space actually feels so much more open because it appears as if there’s more room beyond the wall. 

I did wonder if hanging a mirror in the kitchen would be oddly distracting while trying to cook, but I actually never notice it. I reap the benefits of the added light and only ever pay attention to it when I’m headed out the door in the morning and want to do a last-minute check. In that way and more, I’m happy to reprint that it’s truly earning its keep. And, no, I can’t see my reflection while eating — thankfully.