Mirrored furniture adds glamour and eye-catching allure

It’s bright, beautiful and glittering, and catching the attention of interior designers from coast to coast. Mirrored furniture may seem like a throwback to a more glamorous and bygone era, but it’s popping up in galleries and showrooms as clients clamor for fun, fashionable decor over staid staples of the past.

A small piece properly placed in a room can do so much. A mirrored accent table or razor-thin sofa table can infuse a room with eye-catching allure, open a space by reflecting natural light and wake up tired decor without looking dated.

The appeal of mirrored furniture, with its beginnings rooted in the bygone glamour of old Hollywood and art deco, has become a versatile classic in the design industry, said Dane Austin, owner of Dane Austin Design.

“The reflective surfaces help to bounce light around the room,” Austin said. “Mirrored furniture reads as light and airy as it occupies less visual space in your mind’s eye.”

Combining textured upholstery or wallpaper can build on the mirrored furniture effect.

“The reflective surface acts as an interesting counterbalance to more textural elements like grass cloth and linen and appeals to those who appreciate a little touch of glamour,” the award-winning Boston designer said.

These days mirrored furniture is available in a wide range of finishes and applications on everything from coffee tables, desks and sideboards to nightstands and four-post beds.

A classic and favorite piece of Austin’s includes Pottery Barn’s mirrored nightstand by Park.

“I love the clean classic look of this nightstand with its Federal-style lines,” Austin said. “It’s simple, sophisticated and provides practical storage.”

RH has a Strand mirrored desk that can be used in many ways in almost any room of the house.

“It would make a great desk, console, vanity or sofa back table (and) offers storage drawers to reduce visual clutter,” Austin said.

If the mirrored furniture trend has caught your eye, try a simple piece before laying out funds for a fleet of glimmering tables or dressers.

“You can find high-end pieces and budget-friendly buys in this glam finish to fit every price point,” he said. “If you’re interested in seeing this style in your own home, consider starting with a small side table or console table. This allows you to test it out without committing to anything too overwhelming.”

Small rooms can feel more spacious with just the right placement of mirrored furniture, said Georg Baehler, lead designer for Noir Furniture.

“Because it reflects … this unique quality physically impacts a space through illumination and the suggestion of a larger physical space,” Baehler said.

Wide slats of glimmering mirror pieces placed across, over and around pieces of furniture can open a room and provide a bright, modern and sleek touch to home decor. It can make a room look larger by maximizing the play of natural light that a room gathers.

The classic trend can work in any room, from low and heavy night stands that add a dash of elegance to an otherwise bland bedroom to tall side boards that anchor a dull dining room.

“The inherent distinctiveness and clean characteristics of the material make it ideal for decor,” Baehler said. “There’s nothing else like it with the exception of, maybe, polished stainless steel.”

While it works well as an accent, mirrored furniture takes a gentle hand to make it work in any room.

“In the Noir line, I try to be careful with the way I use mirror,” Baehler said. “When used the right way, it can be striking. Too much mirror can feel generic. Be selective. Use mirror to make a room look larger. Don’t use too much.”

Mirrors on walls and large pieces of furniture can make a serious impact, such as at a recent show home that used mirrors behind shelving along an entire kitchen wall.

“It looked awesome,” Baehler said. “The mirror material was placed at the perfect point to dramatically reflect light and make the space deeper. In the wrong hands, it could have looked awful. But the right designer with the right amount of material and the right space created something amazing.”

Furniture designers have put a modern spin on the classic trend by infusing the distinct style from the ’80s and early ’90s, said Winny Rotsidis, marketing director for New Pacific Direct. The company recently rolled out the Mancini and Andrea mirrored furniture collections.

“It conveys luxury in a contemporary modern silhouette,” Rotsidis said. “The silver and cream combo creates a beautiful contrast.”

A good way to incorporate the look into your home is to pair a mirrored piece with stacks of visually interesting books, groups of textured bowls of natural wood or stone or a ceramic lamp with simple lines.

Just don’t overdo it.

“Incorporate in moderation,” said Rotsidis. “Buy a mirrored furniture piece such as a coffee table to create a lux or a polished look to a room. A matching end table with the same mirror accent would also work well and not be overbearing.”