What’s not to love about mirrors? They reflect light and open up spaces, making rooms feel instantly bigger and brighter. Mirrors have a place in every room of the house, and the variety of styling possibilities means that they can add charm to any kind of design. Here are some ideas to place and style your mirrors just right.

Mirrors create a great opportunity to brighten up a room, reflecting light to make a space feel more light and spacious. Maximize this opportunity by placing your mirror next to a window, so it can reflect indirect light coming in. This diffuses light throughout the room for a soft and natural look.

Place your mirror strategically to reflect the best areas of the room. Hang a mirror opposite something attractive like a feature pendant or some interesting wall art to get the most out of its reflective abilities. Avoid pointing your mirrors towards cluttered corners, or at anything you’d rather not see twice.

More than just a practical accessory, a well-framed mirror can also double as a piece of wall art to finish off your design. Sculptural shapes and colorful frames can add creative detail and visual intrigue to a wall.

Mirrors are also a great way to express a particular time period, as styles have varied throughout the decades just as furniture has. A geometric 1920s mirror can finish off an art deco look, or a quirky veneer-framed mirror can bring a touch of the ‘80s to a room.

Rather than hanging it on the wall, a statement mirror can be artfully leaned against a wall and styled as a focal point in any room. By reflecting the floor from its base, this elongates a room and makes it feel instantly larger. It also creates the perfect space to check your outfits from head to toe before you step out the door.

Treat your mirrors like artworks and create a gallery wall for an interesting vignette effect. Framing small portions of the opposite wall adds an exciting feature that maximizes the design elements that you already have in a room, reflecting them in all of their glory.