No Place Like Home -- Karen Wight

In the right place, a mirror can work magic. A mirror can make a small

room look larger, increase a room’s lighting and bring a garden indoors.

Mirrors can give extra depth to a bookcase, make an interesting surround

to your fireplace and “double” the amount of china and crystal in the

dining room hutch.

Older mirrors, with the silver backing in less than perfect condition,

have a handsome patina. Beautifully framed, they become a piece of art.

Placement is everything. If the mirror that hangs above the living

room mantel only reflects a white ceiling, you aren’t using your mirror

effectively. If you have a wall space that looks out on a patio, window

box or has a great view, hang a mirror to bring the outside in.

Mirrors do not have to be limited to your home’s exterior. Mirrors

used judiciously can create an enchanting ruse outside as well. Three

years ago, in the midst of a remodel and pool addition, I discovered a

trick that made my backyard bigger in a matter of minutes.

I had replaced some mirrors in the girls’ bathroom. The old mirrors

were leaning against a wall in the backyard waiting for a new lease on

life -- or the trash bin. At the time, the backyard was torn to shreds:

piles of dirt, broken concrete, old irrigation pipes and clumps of dead

grass. The mirrors increased the look of the disaster.

But they also inspired me to consider that if the mess could be

cloned, I could also work this to my advantage once things looked a

little better. I kept those discarded mirrors and hung them on the

outside wall. I even ordered another to fill the space in completely. I

planted a tree in the center of the garden bed and used some small, hardy

plants to fill in.

What once doubled the mess now doubles the beauty. My mirrored wall

can’t be seen from inside the house, but when you walk out to the pool,

you get the feeling of a yard twice its size. And I always like to see

the look on people’s faces as they do a double take. Is the lot huge? Do

I like the neighbors so much that I took the fence down? Just a little

trick with big results.

I noticed that one of the houses on Newport Harbor High’s home tour

this year had done a variation on the theme. In a small patio area, the

owners hung a mirror on a wall with an overlapping antique metal

lattice. The illusion was very convincing. And unless you looked

carefully, you wouldn’t even realize that the mirror was there. Very

effective.

If you have space to install a floor to ceiling mirror in a kids

playroom, your budding ballerina or potential rock star will love you for

it (even though they’ll never admit it). What’s the fun of singing with a

karaoke machine if you can’t see your “moves”?

Admit it, we all like mirrors. Whether it’s a quick “hair check” on

the way out the door or an enhancement for your home, mirrors cast a

certain spell we all take pleasure from.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs Sundays.