Make a small dining room look larger with a mirrored wall.
Mirrored walls reflect both light and your room, which makes your space look bigger and brighter. Mirrored walls are particularly striking in a dining room. The mirror enhances the sparkle and gleam of your china, stemware and silver -- and a crystal chandelier reflected in mirror is absolutely dazzling.
Sheet Mirror Accent Wall
For a dramatic mirrored wall that visually doubles your space, opt for a floor-to-ceiling accent wall made from sheet mirror. The look works equally well with or without molding at the ceiling and floor, but it looks best on a wall uninterrupted by windows and doors.
Expect vertical seams where the sheets of mirror abut. The seams don't mar the overall look, but if they bother you, cover them with thin strips of molding. Apply a silver-leaf finish to make the molding strips all but disappear, or just paint them to match the rest of the room's millwork.
Sheet Mirror Over Wainscoting
Get the mirrored look in an architecturally distinguished dining room by hanging above the wainscoting. For the most elegant look, paint the wainscoting and ceiling molding with the same color of glossy paint; black, white and ivory are classic paint choices for woodwork.
For a similar effect, install sheet mirror above a chair rail. Paint the chair rail to match the other molding. Paint the wall beneath the chair rail in a different color, or hang wallpaper with metallic tracery.
Finish the room by hanging framed artwork on the mirrored walls, just as you would if the walls were plain. For a high-end, designer look, you can even hang framed mirrors on your mirrored walls.
Mirrored Tiles
Hang mirrored tiles for a grid-like wall effect. You can use them to cover an accent wall or your entire dining room. Unlike sheet-mirror accent walls, mirrored tiles create another optical effect when cut to fit around fireplaces, windows and doors. Use tiles measuring at least 12 inches square, and choose between plain or antiqued mirror. For retro-inspired decor, you can even opt for mirrored tiles with gold veins. Finish the look by installing clear or metallic rosettes at the junctions where the corners of the mirrors meet.
Mirrored Wall Panels
For an elegant mirrored look reminiscent of chic, Parisian homes, use panel molding to make raised wall panels and fit them with mirrors. Whether wide or narrow, vertically inclined, rectangular panels look the best with mirrored insets. Miter the panel molding at the corners for a clean-lined effect, or install carved or curving corners for a more ornate look. Paint the panel molding to match the rest of the trim in the room, or cover it with gold or silver leaf to enhance the mirrored effect.
Tags: chair rail, dining room, mirrored tiles, panel molding, sheet mirror