Perth Mirrored Chest from Hayneedle
Janet Ramin - Mirror, Mirror, on the design floor ... which furniture is the fairest of them all? All right, it’s not Snow White, but since Hollywood has been churning out endless remakes of this fairytale, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and transform it to an interior design fairytale – my kind of bedtime story!
My client, Miss Dina Dithering, (not her real name, of course) can’t decide on the style of furniture she wants in her home. First she wants contemporary then she wants classic. Last week she loved the silver colors; this week it’s only true blue. Do you have one of these clients - or are you that kind of indecisive homeowner? We can’t move forward; we’re stuck in a murky, sticky swamp.
I offered her some tempting styles: how about Scandinavian? Georgian? Arts and Crafts? "NO!" she said. “That style is too cold; that one is too expensive; the other is too heavy!” And down the line, she crossed them all off.
Mirrored Chest from Elizabeth AustinOy vey, help me. And then, like a fairy godmother on speed dial, my vendors came to the rescue! I was showered with some glorious photos of mirrored furniture. Ahhh, glamorous, contemporary or classic, and they reflect any color in the room. Here were some selections that I showed to my client. The above two were chests: the Perth chest from Hayneedle a more neoclassically-styled chest and the Elizabeth Austin chest, a contemporary version with etched circles.
Amelie Lingerie Chest from Neiman MarcusTo introduce some old-world glamour into the bedroom, I showed her the Amelie Lingerie chest from Neiman Marcus. The lingerie chest has a warm golden burnished finish. Another classically-styled furniture is the Bethel Mirrored Vanity which shows off Greek swags and rosettes with gold painted details.
Bethel Mirrored VanityAfter some further hemming and hawing, Miss Dina Dithering finally picked a few of the pieces to complement the rest of her furniture in a very eclectic design. When you want to provide a touch of glamour and an unusual contemporary note, go ahead and bring in mirrored furniture to mix with the usual wood pieces. You may finally get a happily ever after!
Thanks to Janet for this article, from the Sheffield School. Interested in learning more about furniture? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design. At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.