You remember the fairy tale of Snow-White, the wicked queen and the magic mirror which showed who was the fairest in all the land? Since those legendary times mirrors have always been the delight and often the despair of women, and even today, despite all emancipation, the New Eve is as deeply interested in her mirror and her looking glass as her sisters of yesteryear.
But today mirrors are not only used to reflect the loveliness of charming women, but also to reflect the loveliness of charming rooms. In short, mirrors have become again an important item in interior decoration. Cleverly arranged, a mirror can give even a small room the appearance of space. Set between two windows as a panel, a mirror lights up the room in a most delightful way, while inserted in the door it is decorative as well as useful.
All kinds of mirrors are used, from the large mirror over a mantelpiece, a mirror often specially adorned with designs either painted or engraved, to the little Colonial Ox-Eye mirror, which looks very pretty over a sofa or a bookcase, especially if hung at a slant, so that the opposite wall and its arrangements are reflected in it.
As to mirror frames, all kinds are to be seen. Narrow gold or silver molding is very good. Mirrors without a frame may look very impressive, especially if in one corner they show a spray or a floral design, and mirrors draped either with silk or velvet are often very appropriate for a particular interior. From many possible designs and shapes you will have to choose what fits best into your home and harmonizes most subtly with your furnishings. The modern mirrors with colored backing are also very effective, but they must be used with care and distinction.
Care and discretion is altogether the watchword for she who desires to add the decorative note of the mirror to her home-appointments. For while the well-placed and cleverly-handled mirror is adding immensely to the charm of the interior, the carelessly or awkwardly-hung mirror is introducing an unharmonious, disturbing note. Never forget that the mirror on your wall reflects, even if not your face, your taste and discrimination. In revealing your personality it has the magic quality of the mirror in the fairy tale.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
