Ooh, that first one is a much better example of what I meant, mdln.

I do like antiqued glass for large expanses, but I'm not sure there's a good enough way to do that DIY after the fact.

I am with the people who voted "no" on the plate mirrors. As the OP pointed out, the mirrored dining wall was popular in the mid-80's. I know people will say that's still fine, that being dated is in the eye of the beholder. But then there are the issues about it being unpleasant to dine and see yourself reflected with every forkful. I also don't like the big seams in the mirrors.

I also notice that the people who say to keep the mirrors are nevertheless coming up with "fixes" of things to put in front of it, hang on it, and/ or overlay on it. If the mirrored dining wall is OK, then why does it need things to mask it and change it? Wouldn't it be more straightforward to remove it?

When people could afford mirrors beyond a looking glass sort of thing, the first places that got mirrors in America anyway were over the mantle in the parlor(s) and over the mantle and over the side board in the dining room, and if these were smallish, they were hung low and horizontally over the mantle and sideboard.

This was to reflect light from the candles or argand lamps, increasing the light these gave off, so there was a practical purpose for it.

I think one of the big reasons that dining rooms continued to be mirrored more than other rooms is that in general the furniture arrangement is symmetrical and concentrated in the middle of the room rather than living areas where much of the furniture is placed against the wall. Again, in a formal dining room, they are used primarily in the evening hours with artificial lighting, rather than when the room was brightly sunlit.

Being so close to New Jersey, I see lots and lots of fully mirrored walls and rooms. In addition to dining rooms, I see a lot of fully mirrored bathrooms (often including the ceiling), mirrored hallways, mirrored bedrooms, mirrored dressing rooms, mirrored entryways.

I have seen rooms with even the doors mirrored, with mirrored wall vents, outlet covers and switchplates and even mirrored covers on baseboard heating and radiators. I've seen chrome plated crown molding and other details to blend in with the mirrors. Some people take their mirroring very seriously.

Also, at least in my part of the world, dining rooms are often the only interior room, making them much darker than the rest of the house. People fell all over the mirrored wall thing for dining rooms here when it became fashionable because it is a great way to make a dim little cubby seem lighter and larger.

To me, this is one of those things (like ceiling fans), which serves a purpose but is Not Permitted right now by the taste machine, no matter how useful it may be.

I'd keep the mirrored wall. Withe furniture - perhaps even a picture - it will be lovely at night.

If the mirrored dining wall is OK, then why does it need things to mask it and change it?

I would be fine leaving it for all intents and purposes "as-is", but placing a piece of artwork at eye level in the dining room over a sideboard is something you would do in a room without mirrored walls but in this case it has the added benefit of making it more difficult to see yourself eating when you look straight across.

(I am not sure where the big objection to seeing oneself eat comes from since we watch other people eating all the time in social situations, we don't avert our eyes to the table (?)....)

But anyway, it blocks the direct view of oneself, and in the case of two mirrors across from each other in a room it blocks the direct infinite reflection.

I agree with writersblock, the other suggestions (which are fine, too) are to satisfy the taste machine, since in many eyes "dated" as a single negative adjective can completely outweigh a number of positive attributes of the same.

The most interesting dining room like writersblock mentions that I know of was fully mirrored because it had no windows at all. It had a table and chandelier in the center and a large piece of artwork set squarely on each wall to block direct views, but when the candles were lit and the chandelier was dimmed you ate in endless reflections of candlelight it was great.

(Of course now a lot of people want their dining rooms lit up like a Burger King too, so they "can see what they are eating", but that's a different topic).

I would embrace. Many great suggestions here that would not leave the mirrors 'naked,' as beckysharp refers to it as. Some of the trim work overlaying the mirrors are what I would do in your situation. Then again, I love mirrors and the light reflection it provides. IMO, if you have people sitting around a table, the person across from them would block their direct view into the mirror.

Thanks for all the feedback! I love the pictures, and totally embrace the statement that beauty is beauty no matter the age. In this reno I've pulled out quite a bit of ugly, but I want to keep what I like. I see opportunity here. It's ok to be different.

Yay : ) . It's a unique design feature. It doesn't cost anything to keep, and it might turn out to be something you really like and that's quite special in the house. I have a vision of the room with the table beautifully set, chandelier and buffet lamps turned on, candles burning on both the buffet and on the table, flowers too on buffet and table, and everything just sparkling in the mirrored wall.

And if it doesn't work, well, then you can take out the mirrors.

I did enlarge the original photo and see that the seams look like they're quite nicely done, with mirror-style trim.

I like mirrors, but I do NOT want to watch myself eating. I'd have to be seated so my back was towards that. And, no, Lizzierobin, the person across from me that might be blocking my view of me would almost certainly not be wide / tall enough to do so. (I am not wide, but I am tall.) For the width part, I'd be constantly shifting my chair. Ick.

As far as watching yourself, my office has floor to ceiling mirrored doors on the closet that runs across one entire side of the room. I didn't love them, but they are much better quality than any doors that size that I can get today, so I decided to live with them.

I can tell you for sure that it's amazing how you can learn to live with mirrors right there and not see yourself at all until you make a conscious effort to do so.

Perhaps if one is repulsed by the sight of themselves eating, they have to work on their table manners. Remember that everyone else at the table sees you eating (and you see them). Just saying.

In general, I dislike oversized mirrors in dining rooms and bedrooms. Your dining room doesn't seem dark with the front windows and transom letting in plenty of light. While I love the set-up in the picture Deeinohio posted, I would vote to remove the mirror and have the wall re-finished.

If you keep it do you have an idea for a nice deep wall color to add to the drama? Wold you please let us watch your progress?

I like the wood overlay that writers block posted. That would improve

the look. Also if you put a large

china cabinet in the middle of the wall it will block a lot of

the mirror. I would try that before I remove the mirrors. How big

is that mirrored wall?

It's along a 14' wall and 10' tall ceiling. I'd like to add some full Drapes on the windows. I have the green silk Drapes in the photo I can use. I'd like to keep it fresh and fun. I've been looking at pictures of rooms by Mario Buatta. I love that style and he used lots of big mirrors in his rooms. The dining room is off a foyer that will be white with wood floors and a black door. I'm thinking - green Drapes, fun yellow or green color on the walls, and a fun colorful rug. Too much?

I like them. I like the way mirrors in a dining room reflect the sparkle of a chandelier or candlelight, and even the people gathered around the table. I'm not in the camp saying they don't like to "watch themselves eat." It's not like you sit there staring into the mirrors as you shovel in the food. ;-) I think yours are quite nice, and I'd definitely leave them.

I like them; the only thing that gives me pause is a chenille rug?

I think if you use mirrors you want to be bit glam. When I hear chenille rug, IDK...

krisx2, with the antique round dining table you envision, only one person will be squarely facing the mirror, and they'll be seeing the sideboard and art, so I don't think the self-observation will be a factor. I like what those mirrors do for the room and the evening atmosphere, so if they were mine, I'd definitely keep them.

I find them distracting. We've had various properties and the first thing we do when we renovate is to remove them. In my case they were in small spaces to make the space feel larger. Sorry, it does not.

That said, I like the idea of a picture there. Interesting idea.

I'd keep it. Once furnished with chandelier lamps and soft furnishings it can look wonderful.

Do you have kids or pets? If so, you'll need a plan for dealing with nose prints. : )

My vote is to keep them :-)

I would keep it, especially since you plan to put a console table in front of it, and then you can have things on the table that will be doubly beautiful when reflected. I'm not sure why some people feel compelled to stare at themselves when there is a mirror in a room, but I do not have that compulsion, and so it would not bother me. I lived in a storefront in San Francisco that had been a dance studio before, and it had one extremely long wall mirrored, with ballet bars, and we had our dining table in front of that mirrored wall, and it bothered no one. Certainly you can put other things in the room so that people do not have to stare at themselves. Flowers will look especially nice, and you can have a beautiful centerpiece on your dining table.

"Perhaps if one is repulsed by the sight of themselves eating, they have to work on their table manners."

"I'm not sure why some people feel compelled to stare at themselves when there is a mirror in a room, but I do not have that compulsion"

I find mirrors in dining rooms distracting, and I don't like them. That is my opinion. There is no reason for some people to equate that to a compulsion to stare at oneself, or self-repugnance. The tone of superiority is unwarranted and an inappropriate response to people giving their honest opinions requested by the OP.

Just saw this on Habitually Chic blog this week and thought of this thread. It's an easy, inexpensive way to smarten up that glass wall and might even be a DIY project.

Miranda. someone said "Ick" about seeing themselves eat. That was why I responded to that, not about not wanting to see oneself in general.

I would much rather have significant expanses of mirror in eating/living spaces than in bedroom and bath, where often inelegant bending and so forth happens!

And yet so many times...mirrors galore in those rooms.

Others have already made great points about the pros of mirrored dining rooms, so I have nothing to add. Very pretty with dimmed lights, which blur the "shoveling" into elegant dance moves.

Krisx2, I admire your willingness to experiment. This will be a fun project to watch!

All my current closet doors for the three bedrooms came with sliding mirrors. I'm fine with them. I simply refuse to be interested in mirrors that either 1) see me on the Throne, or 2) see me eating. The only pro to mirrors in a dining room is if people, while seated, cannot see themselves. Period.

You might be fine with it, but do you plan to entertain? Your guests may not say anything, but I'm willing to bet many of them will HATE it.

PS: "Perhaps if one is repulsed by the sight of themselves eating, they have to work on their table manners." -- My table manners are fine, thank you. Don't assume.

Initially I was ready to say, "NO! No mirror." As someone else said, it's uncomfortable to watch yourself (and other people) eating. For the same reason, I strongly dislike glass-topped tables. I don't want to look at my feet (or anyone else's feet) while I eat.

However, as I saw some of the pictures, I changed my mind: I'd give the mirrors a try before ditching them. You can always get rid of them later.

The two things I like best here on this thread:

- The console PLUS large painting that hides the middle of the mirror. This allows you to retain the light-bright look around the edges, but shields people from seeing themselves while eating.

- The "distressed" or "aged" mirrors, which takes away much of the so-bright shine. I especially like this when it's paired with gold tones.

It's not about the table manners, really, it's about the Ick. I get it when people don't want to see themselves eating, using the toilet or getting out of the shower. It's the promotion of your position by putting forth such a visceral reaction against it that it insinuates on some level that there is something a little wrong with people who have no problem seeing themselves chew, using a toilet or being naked after performing personal hygiene. Every person on earth has to perform these functions and sometimes you have to look at yourself at the same time. No one, billionaire, royalty, or the Virgin Mary has been too special to not have to eat, eliminate or wash, and I doubt anyone does it blindfolded. Sorry, I think it's odd to find a necessary biological function so distasteful, as if you are somehow lowering yourself to have to admit you do it. People get into the same arguments about the toilet in or out of a separate room with or without a separate sink. People on both sides of that argument try to cement their own positions by making the opposite opinion sound repulsive or dirty. Anti-wall-to-wall carpet people try to make it sound like anyone who has it is a filty housekeeper.

So I get it. Don't have mirrors if you don't want to. I don't, and I am generally not a fan of lots of mirrors. But I don't think people who have them are Icky. Even if they can see themselves doing something.

palimpsest, I think there's a LOOONG stretch between thinking the notion of watching oneself eat might be icky to the statement you made, But I don't think people who have them are Icky. No one here has stated that. And of course, no one here is so special that No one, billionaire, royalty, or the Virgin Mary has been too special to not have to eat, eliminate or wash, and I doubt anyone does it blindfolded. I doubt that's the point. At any rate since you are happy with your assumptions, carry on. We all differ. And yes, we all eat and eliminate.

" Ick."

" The only pro to mirrors in a dining room is if people, while seated, cannot see themselves. Period.

You might be fine with it, but do you plan to entertain? Your guests may not say anything, but I'm willing to bet many of them will HATE it."

You might be fine with it, but do you plan to entertain? Your guests may not say anything, but I'm willing to bet many of them will HATE it.

Maybe I don't get out as often as other GardenWebbers, but if I were invited to a dinner party to a house with an actual dining room, in a house that's been thoughtfully remodeled and renovated (especially with help from GW), and decorated in the style of Mario Buatta, I would likely find lots of other things in the room to look at, and a good deal to discuss with my hosts and any other guests.

And even if I disliked intensely the mirrored aspect of the dining room, my late mother and grandmother would haunt me forever were I ever to even think the slightest negative mirror thought it in the direction of my host(s).

I suppose if one found oneself in the position of steadily declining acceptances to dinner invitations, one might have to revisit the decision to keep the mirror. Or one's circle of friends : ) .

I own a dog training business. We have a long mirrored room for this. One wall is mirrors. The opposing wall is 4 sets of double French doors. We also host our dog training club meetings and potluck dinners in the space. We put 4 or 5 picnic tables down the center of the room. Everyone makes a plate and grabs a seat. I started noticing a few years ago that the women always try to sit with their backs to the mirrors, so the men always end up on the opposite side lol. So maybe it is more a thing for women? I will say that the rooms shown with furniture on the mirrored walls do look very nice. Left unadorned it would probably be odd to face while eating but with a nice huntboard or buffet, some art and candles it sounds charming.

I like it a lot in your room and the inspiration pics! I have never been in an actual mirrored dining room so that makes me like it all the more! It is unique and could be beautiful with the right objects and people ( just kidding) in the room.

Krisx2 - I really really thank you for being brave enough to post here, and while I'm apparently (as far as palimpsest is concerned anyway) on the dog side of the bench, please do as you wish - to me it is quite obvious any thoughts or opinions I am making are NOT to put YOU (or her) down. People may well be uncomfortable when they visit, and that is what I was addressing. On the other (dog) paw, I do think the walls are beautiful. Some of us may not be all that comfortable, and that is what I meant to say. And why I resent her assumptions. Feeling a bit ick does not mean that a person who does such and so IS ick, and that's where I am slamming down on Palim's assumptions.

I fully expect people to come after me with their thought out thoughts and opinions when I show my home where paintings will be set on walls higher than the standard approved level. I would and DO want to know why people may be uncomfortable. And I'll explain my own perspective.

Krisx2, please carry on, and I support whatever you choose to do... YOU and no one at all who wants a mirrored dining room "is" icky. Just note it may end up having a few, maybe just a very very few, people feel themselves a bit under the weather or something. (THEY may feel ick to some lesser or greater degree, but they are NOT saying YOU ARE ick... a major difference! Personally, I think you awesome from what I can tell here.)

Oh, if you quote me "ick" and nothing more, ,Palim... do it contextually, eh?

(Oh, I do have to admit I don't really understand closed-in toilets within bathrooms. A lot of extra space if one is wheel chair bound, for instance, or is planning ADA. But if one wants and does this, it is what they would prefer.)

This is a great thread. My first thought was, remove it. Now, I'd first try to make it work.

Really like the large frame around the mirror.

If you don't want to watch yourself eat, position dining table so no one is looking directly at the mirror.

I think I like it best with a lot of stuff in front of it.

Wow! I love the pictures you guys are sharing. Absolutely wonderful ideas! I do think you can embrace them. . . they certainly have potential! I like how mirrored walls make a room look larger and brighter. Embellishments would be a great idea to personalize it. :)

I just came across this thread as I am trying to decide what to do with ginormous mirrors in dining room and office. The one in bedroom was taken out immediately upon moving in last year. I played with decorating around the one in dining room and for the most part like it. The one in the office....I think I have decided to take down. I have tried to like it but the room is too hard/harsh. I have been so stuck on it for so long that I think I will remove.
I appreciate this thread and the opinions expressed.

While I do like the framing/mullions over the glass very much and have looked at houses with mirrored walls where I would have used a similar treatment if I had purchased them, I cannot imagine that it's worth it to do that for a rental. How many years are you planning to live there?

I like the dining room, it’s a keeper. The office looks a little bare. Drapery, accessories and a rug would cozy the room up so that the mirror may not seem so over whelming. If that’s not your style, I would opt to remove it.

Interesting that this thread popped up just as the blog Habitually Chic posted about a Paris Pied-à-Terre decorated by Isabel López-Quesada and published in World of Interiors. Here's the dining room (the photos at the blog are larger and do the room proper justice),

Hi Lizzierobin..... thank you for your comment and yes I completely agree and on Monday a painter is coming to take mirrors down. I gave them a good go for about a year and as much as I like mirrors (and no doubt will put a big decorative mirror right in the middle of the newly painted wall) these are just too much. Looking forward to getting this room pulled together finally.

If you are going to use the room for a dance studio then keep it otherwise I would remove it.

I am in a similar dilemma, in a long, rectangular box condo, with a fully mirrored back wall in the living area (I do have a dining table closest too it, or course, due to layout of space). I love the light and bounce back of the water view, trees, flowers, etc. My partner says "dated" because that is what he has heard, but as he has virtually no design sense of his own, I'm not putting much stock into his opinion. I believe it was actually a great idea at the time, and, despite the conversation about dining, etc., which doesn't really address the issue of being "dated", it doesn't really explain why a great idea has to be "dated" at all? I love the various spins I'm seeing on the mirrored wall now, and what I'm really seeing is that designers have gone back to realizing that this play on light and space is a great idea, particularly in today's world of shrinking personal real estate space. Most people don't live in large houses, and the majority of the world's population live in very small spaces. I guess there are ways to "update" the look, if it really needs it, but I vote to keep the mirrored walls!

Please keep your dining room wall. I installed a mirror in my dining room in the early 1980s. I no longer live in that house, but I missed my mirrors. In the next home I installed (decorator's idea) mirrors around a large 1990s jetted bathtub. MISTAKE! Even my skinny 1990s body did not like being confronted with a naked image every time I got in or out of the tub. Don't worry too much about what is in fashion. Do whatever YOU want in YOUR home.