What NOT To Do With Your Fireplace Mantel
Whether I'm home staging a home in Atlanta or doing a redesign, one of the most common mistakes I see is the use of a mirror hung above the fireplace.
Why is a mirror a bad choice?
Let's review the before picture below. Standing at 5' 4" and to the left of the fireplace, this is what I captured when I snapped this photo. As I point out, you can see that the mirror is reflecting the ceiling. While canned lighting is nice, it's not the nicest feature to have highlighted.
A better alternative is the use of a picture/artwork. Here's how it now looks:
Here's a list of some very effective ways in which you can make a mirror work in your favor:
- Entrances: When selling - mirrors hung at an entrance allow the prospective buyers to envision themselves in the home, which is precisely what you want to have happen.
- Living Room: Hang it over the couch (if possible). When arranging furniture in a room with a fireplace, it's common practice to have the couch/sofa facing the fireplace. When you hang the mirror over the couch, the reflection will highlight the fireplace.
- Small Rooms: Mirrors provide the perfect solution for visually expanding the space.
Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392
RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011
Whether your home is vacant or occupied, this Atlanta Georgia Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen, understands what it takes to sell a home quickly. Her homes have graced the pages of several publications, appeared in TV commercials as well as on HGTV's hit program Sleep On it.
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Good tip there. I probably never would have thought of that.
Thanks for posting
Great tip Kathy, makes so much sense and is so easy to remedy. Thanx for sharing =)
You are good!
I like it
Merry Christmas from your friend in Charlottesville!
Santa's vibration with a 60 iunch waist coming down that chimney if the owners have had a good year and made it in the who's who's of good not naughty also could dislodge that mirror. And we all know what happens when mirror's break. Rut row. Good post and wise advice. If the mirror is bolted in place or welded tightly, you could photo shop to replace mirror area with a framed image of your downtown, you in the front yard with a sold sign smiling, etc. Happy Holidays!
I'm so glad somebody addressed this! I see it all the time when I'm staging here in Montreal. In fact, all mirror reflections need to be assessed wisely. I once hung a mirror above the sideboard in my dining room -- good reflection of candelight, and good feng shui, right? Yes, but also an EXCELLENT reflection of the mess I make in the kitchen when I cook! Mirror, down. Art, up. Great transformation of the mantle, Kathy. -- Tanya in Montreal
I like the mirror over the fireplace. Great tip
Kathy...thanks for the staging tips..It makes sense. Have a Merry Christmas!!
Hi Kathy-
I have my fragile antique mirror hung the old-fashioned way - angled from the wall so that you don't have a relection of the ceiling. If you have to use the mirror, it's the only way to go!
--Sara in San Antonio
Kathy, thank you for the wonderful tip.
Kathy, I with every one else. Great tip. Who would of thought of this. Most homes that have a mirror do have it over a fireplace. Thanks for sharing.
Kathy -- I'm so glad to see this post! I never use a mirror above a mantle for that exact reason, but am always stunned by the number of stagings I see like that. Art is usually a much better choice and allows for color coordination, artistic flair, and emphasis of the focal point (the fireplace).
Great tip, thanks.
A much neglected area. So many people don't take into consideration what the reflection will be from all angles when hanging mirrors. Excellent advice!
Great tip, it is always important to see what is being reflected in the mirror! Not all views are created equal.
Mirrors can reflect light around the room brightening it. However, you certainly have to use them wisely or it will work against you. Mirrors can double the items in a breakfront or on a counter creating a cluttered look. The strangest thing with mirrors I've seen is a small room off a games room. It had large windows, hardwood floors and mirrored walls. The house was empty by the way. No bar for ballet. Do you put weights on hardwood? Too small a room to do dance moves.
This is a really good tip Kathy!
Kathy,
Great staging...a definite improvement! A mirror should always be hung where it will feature a nice reflection.
Kathy, it's great that you're bringing this to others attention. Clients and REAs are always surprised when I talk about mirrors and their placement.
Hi Kathy, I so agree! Your staging the this mantel is stunning. We like to use mirrors on walls opposite a window to add more light to a room, especially when the view out the window is a pleasant one.
Thank you for posting this Kathy. There are many, many mistakes made by people who believe that a mirror is 'supposed' to be placed above the mantle. It is one of my biggest pet peeves!! : ) I had to laugh because more than once, I have had a REA tell me that a mirror always needs to hang there....a perfect example of knowing the boundary where one person's expertise stops...and another professional's begins.
That's one thing I always check. Here, we use ceiling fans in every room, so when on f.place the reflection the ceiling fan/light, plus the reflection of the light when on. It's funny how we really have to check and re-check every little detail.
A mirror should reflect the outside or something artistic that accentuates the room. Above the fire place? NOT. I can think of much better ways to view the ceiling. ;)
Good post. No matter where you hang mirrors you have to be careful. Not only of what they reflect, but also of the height since you don't want it to cut off the top of someone's head when they are looking in it.
Kathy ~ What a great post. We live on the water and I have a mirror on the opposite side and reflect the water and the activities....