When you're preparing to sell your home, the goal is to guide potential buyers' dreams into the space you've been occupying. You want your home to look welcoming but impersonal. What's more, you want to highlight the best aspects and, say, downplay some of its less-desirable quirks. Well-placed mirrors can help with those last two objectives.
Reflect Natural Light
Unless your home is mostly windows, you probably don't have too much light. While potential home buyers don't want a house made entirely out of glass, they still want a lot of natural light. So, you can use mirrors for the most classic of all décor goals — reflecting natural light.
The best bet is to hang a mirror directly opposite a window. The mirror should be relatively plain, but try to echo the proportions of the window it’s reflecting. For instance, the mirror could be a different size, but it should be the same proportion of rectangle as the window. Just make sure you have some sheer light control, such as filmy curtains, to cut down on any glare.
Mirror an Illumination Source
A window isn't the only light source you can reflect. You can also hang a mirror to reflect a light fixture. Said fixture can be a chandelier, wall sconce, table lamp, or even candles. Utilizing a light fixture for reflection means you can promote the bright ambience in your room even on cloudy days or for evening showings.
As with the mirror reflecting a window, you want one that's relatively simple. The key here is in reflecting the fixture in a pleasing manner. Choose a light fixture that's worth reflecting, not a simple track light. For example, designers often hang a mirror to reflect a chandelier or other statement fixture.
Create More Space
Another typical use of a mirror in décor is to make a space look larger. Again, you can never emphasize space too much to potential home buyers. You have different approaches to this technique, depending on your home's unique characteristics.
For example, one trick is to place a mirror so it reflects a hallway, stairway, or other extending space. Such placement will make the room feel like it extends beyond the border of the mirror.
In a similar fashion, you could hang a tall mirror in a narrow space and place a decorative table in front of it. Such a placement almost makes the mirror feel like a window.
One place you should focus on for such mirror placement is the bathroom. Indeed, try to find a way to hang a mirror both so it makes the bathroom look larger and it reflects light. Bathrooms can be one of the big selling points in a home.
Prop a Mirror Above a Mantle
You don't want a lot of personal items around when you're trying to attract potential home buyers, but you don't want complete emptiness either. Instead, create the ambience for a chic and well-lived life.
One way to do that is to create a tableau above the fireplace. Pack away the family photos and personal mementos, and instead lay out a display of visually striking curios, such as a tall vase filled with flowers or a colorful bowl. Before arranging the display, prop a mirror on the mantle so the curios are partially reflected. The mirror pulls the whole display together.
Hang a Statement Mirror on a Blank Wall
A blank wall might give potential home buyers ideas for creating their own displays, but it might also just look too empty. So, to strike that balance, hang a statement mirror on that wall. Such a noteworthy mirror creates visual interest without looking too personal.
To that end, look for a mirror that makes a statement with its size or shape rather than its framing — the latter can feel personal. For instance, you could have a mirror custom-cut into an unusual shape or choose one that's slightly oversized for the space. You might even find one with interesting beveling around the edges.
Use a few easy mirror decorating tips to stage your home for potential buyers.
Kauffman Glass and Mirror can provide all the mirrors you need.