If your home seems a bit dark and dim in some spaces, you can try a lighter paint colour on the wall and some lighter flooring, if that's in your budget. However, another good trick you might try is to add decorative mirrors on the walls. Mirrors reflect light and can easily brighten up any dim space. If you've never used mirrors for decoration before, note a few tips on how to do this throughout your home.

Frameless mirrors

In small spaces, such as a cramped entryway or guest bathroom, you might use frameless mirrors. Opt for mirrors in a circle shape, and buy a few different sizes. Stagger them on a wall rather than lining them up, for a random look that adds lots of visual interest. Use double-sided adhesive tape meant for hanging pictures so you don't need hooks or other hanging materials and so the mirrors stay flat against the wall.

In a bedroom

Be careful about placing mirrors in a bedroom where they might shine light in your eyes at night. A good choice is to use mirrors over the bed, as these will add light to the room during the day, but not shine that light in your eyes at night. Try one or two framed mirrors along with some artwork to create a gallery look above the bed, or as a substitute for a headboard.

In the living room

One caution about hanging a mirror in the living room is that you want the mirror to reflect something nice, and avoid having it reflect something distracting. For example, if you put a mirror over your fireplace mantle and it reflects the ceiling fan in the room, it may look as if you have a framed picture of your ceiling fan on the mantle! Choose a space for the mirror that is opposite a window, or opposite a wall with nice artwork, or something else attractive for the mirror to reflect, so it adds brightness and is nice to look at as well.

Dining room

A caution about hanging a mirror in the dining room is that people may not want to watch themselves while eating. To avoid this, choose a mirror that is wide but not very tall, and hang it above the eye level of diners. This will allow the mirror to reflect light in the room while not showing diners their own reflection at mealtimes.

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