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sdsunn

Mirrors Above Sofa or Should I Forget About this Idea?

sdsunn
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

I need something for the wall above the sofa and I'm thinking about mirrors to lighten up that area.

Some questions on my mind:

How should these be spaced? (closer together or further apart?)

Should these be no higher on the wall than the height of the adjacent picture and the window frame?

Would you position them differently?

Mirrors with frames, instead?

Should I add one of two more mirrors?

Please note that these mirrors are leaning on something right now and would have a different reflection when anchored to wall.

Thank you so much in advance for any ideas. Also, if you feel something better would go there, let me know.


"Happy Weekend" to everyone!





This would be the reflection of the mirrors.


Comments (42)

  • Jennifer K
    5 years ago

    Having a mirror across from me when I'm talking to someone would be distracting. Put the mirrors horizontally stacked over the sideboard. Find another large piece of art to go over the sofa.

    sdsunn thanked Jennifer K
  • Jennifer Svensson
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    What else are you putting on that wall, if any? They look a bit lonely... how about you turned them 90 degrees?

    sdsunn thanked Jennifer Svensson
  • Claire
    5 years ago
    Love your room! Especially your ceilings! Don’t really like the mirrors, looks like three cheap closet mirrors hung over a couch. I think a big piece of art would be more impactful over your couch. On a wall like that you want something substantial and wider than it is tall.
    sdsunn thanked Claire
  • groveraxle
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    This is a FABULOUS house. No mirrors. It deserves some great artwork. A Franz Kline, perhaps. Not a fan of the egg chair in front of the wall under the starburst. Maybe it can join the living area seating.

    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • groveraxle
    5 years ago

    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • torreykm
    5 years ago

    No to the mirrors. Yes to art.

    sdsunn thanked torreykm
  • HKO HKO
    5 years ago
    NOOOOO! No. No. A thousand times no on the mirrors. Agree with other comment that egg chair looks bad there, too.
    sdsunn thanked HKO HKO
  • sdsunn
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Thank you to everyone for taking the time to give me feedback. I will move that egg chair pronto! As for the mirrors, that idea is scratched. Thank you for helping me come to my senses. :) I have several large walls in this house that need help and I guess I am getting desperate.. Groveraxle, you always come through with great selections/ideas. I did a quick research of Franz Kline and the only thing that concerns me is that I was unable to find anything that is very large. I did see one print with his name on the bottom. If my sofa is 82", what size dimensions for artwork do you all think I would need? Thanks again!

  • redoredone
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago
    1. I understand that you want to lighten that side of the room, but you've made the right choice in going with art, instead of those mirrors. You have space for some good lamps in that area. I really just want to say that you have beautiful furniture and a very lovely room.
    sdsunn thanked redoredone
  • chiflipper
    5 years ago

    Your home (structure and furniture) is "to die for". No mirrors because of all the reasons already stated. Here's another; with all those windows you are sure to have reflected light hit someone in the face...most uncomfortable.

    sdsunn thanked chiflipper
  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    5 years ago

    Rug in area should be larger

    Mirrors are not really adding anything to the space. I'd select a canvas

    sdsunn thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
  • groveraxle
    5 years ago

    Sdsunn, for an 82" sofa you need something that is 50 - 60" wide. You're right about the Kline; largest I could find was 40". Let me see what else I can find.

    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • redoredone
    5 years ago

    PS...Would your egg chair work as part of the furniture grouping if it is placed at an angle towards the other chairs and fireplace, pulled away from the wall? It's hard to tell without measurements, but it's a nice chair. Excuse me, please, from going away from your original question.

    sdsunn thanked redoredone
  • groveraxle
    5 years ago

    This is a little large, but I would hang it; you can get away with it in this minimalist room. The sofa table would have to go, though.



    Abstraction 4 Loft Art by Diane Lambin at Art.com · More Info

    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • groveraxle
    5 years ago

    Penny, thanks for the morning laugh with this one: ...parties with highly intelligent jacket-and-dress wearing people with
    foreign accents who I couldn't really understand but pretend that I
    could.

    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    5 years ago

    Along with a larger rug for the living room, may I suggest one for the dining area? Not being a minimalist and not "getting" the MCM look, I could be totally wrong, but it's something to consider.

    sdsunn thanked ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
  • hollybar
    5 years ago

    Glad you are moving the egg chair. How about a larger rug and taking some time to find a large, one of a kind, contemporary piece of art that you love? Gorgeous house and I appreciate your style....that's why I hope you find an original piece that really speaks to you.

    sdsunn thanked hollybar
  • PRO
    Joy Street Design
    5 years ago

    We agree that art would look wonderful over the sofa. Here are some ideas that you might like.

    Complete Home Renovation · More Info


    Complete Home Renovation · More Info

    sdsunn thanked Joy Street Design
  • sdsunn
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Wow, a lot of great comments/compliments/ideas! Thank you!

    Regarding the rug: I will be fine with changing that out for a larger one or two. I actually bought this one recently for our family room but put it in here until we change our flooring and remodel the kitchen. As for the future rug size, should the rug be positioned under the entire sofa and chairs? With a dining room table, would you need a circular rug? Also, is it best for the rugs to match? I actually was looking at shag rugs for a sixties feel. Would you suggest a solid color shag? Ivory, perhaps? My thoughts have always been to pair it with some vintage geometric/abstract fabric (for pillows) that I purchased on Etsy. Then again, I would need to keep this all in mind when choosing the artwork.

    Regarding the egg chair, there is a tiny story to that chair (and location). My big beautiful Golden retriever with bone cancer liked to lie in the middle of the floor. So I put that chair there to sit with him. Sadly, two years ago, that poor baby died on the floor in front of that chair when I got up and went to kitchen for one minute. I just never had the heart to move it. However, today was the day. and I am ok with that now. Up close, It was showing some wear and needed to be moved out of that room, anyway. Thanks for the nudge.

    Regarding the artwork: I appreciate the art ideas found on the Internet (Grover and Beverly). It seems like abstract is the direction I should take. Aside from the size of the Franz, that artwork would have probably worked well with my geometric fabric (without clashing too much).

    To pennydesign: Is the vibe you are thinking about like Josh Agle's (Shag) art? If so, that is so funny because I love that kind of stuff (mixed in with some tiki). In fact, I wish there was a way to fall into his artwork, if that makes any sense. As to why we are squished in that part of the room, there are a few reasons.:Upon entering the house, you can see the fireplace area. I don't want it to be toooo casual. I actually wanted to get rid of that fireplace at one time to expose more of the SD city view. Also, we might extend the kitchen to that area you mentioned in front of the kitchen. Finally, we might open up the kithen more to the present living area. That said, our Realtor who has sucessfully flipped some beautiful houses, has always told us to do what you mentioned. You have given me extra food for thought. Thank you, pennydesign.

    Sorry for being so long winded. Thanks again to all of you. Have a good one!


  • sdsunn
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Oh Oh, another bare wall (entry way)

  • groveraxle
    5 years ago

    Choose the art before the rug and pillows. A shag would be great in the living area. I would go rugless in the dining area. Easier to clean and a cleaner look.


    That was a sweet story about your golden. I'm glad you still have his chair, and if you don't want to move it, you could leave it there and consider it more a sculpture than a seat.

    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • lizziesma
    5 years ago

    I'd love to have a space that screamed for art the way yours does!

    sdsunn thanked lizziesma
  • PRO
    Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I would get couple elegant lamps with side tables too.

    sdsunn thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
  • groveraxle
    5 years ago

    Some rugs to look at:





    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • everdebz
    5 years ago

    What color are the 2 chairs: eggplant or a deep grey? hey.

  • User
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    sdsunn (and grover), I tend to know what I would like a place to feel like before thinking about furnishings and decor. Once I know the vibe (which, as always, is just an opinion) I can get behind the look of a place. I didn't think about Shag art at the time but, yes! You nailed it with that as a feeling!

    I'm sorry about your golden and I totally understand. It was about 2 years after I lost my lovely Great Pyrenees that I could get her stuff (from the emergency animal hospital) out of the closet and look at it. Things like this happen in their own time.

    Great place! Pour me a Manhattan :) I'll wear a dress and a French accent...

    sdsunn thanked User
  • cpaul1
    5 years ago

    I often wonder what people are thinking. When you decorate your house, whatever you choose to decorate with has to match the style of the home. Example, you can't decorate with nautical accessories in a log cabin in Colorado. So to me this contemporary furniture/art thing does not match in any way with what I can see of the style of the home with it's ship lap ceiling and beams.

  • katinparadise
    5 years ago

    Your touching story about your sweet Golden brought a tear to my eye. I lost my very loved kitty to oral cancer 3 months ago and he still crosses my mind every day.

    That said, you have an amazing space. I'm following along to see where you take it from here.

    sdsunn thanked katinparadise
  • groveraxle
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    cpaul, this is a classic mid century modern house. If it's not an Eichler, it's on the order of one.

    eichler in marinwood · More Info
    Take a look at the ceiling.

    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • Olychick
    5 years ago

    Love your home and some of the options grover and beverly have shown. If I lived there, I'd have to switch out the living and dining areas so I could lounge with all that glorious light from the large windows and enjoy the outdoor views from every direction.

    sdsunn thanked Olychick
  • loobab
    5 years ago

    sdsunn-

    Love your house and furniture.

    Yes you can put a picture over that sofa, but you can also put a mirror, too, as it will reflect the outdoors.

    Only don't use those three mirror panels.

    I would use a starburst or sunburst mirror with a total diameter of three-quarters the length of your sofa.

    The only caveat with using a mirror there is if that is an east wall and your yard faces west, then in the late afternoon when it is very sunny in the yard which would be in the west, there might be blinding glare in the eyes of the people in the chairs facing that mirror.

    If that is not an issue, a large starburst or sunburst mirror would look great!

    Here are several, which have differing proportions of ray to central mirror, and differing finishes, silvery, gold, and wood. And the internet has so many more.

    sdsunn thanked loobab
  • sdsunn
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    I appreciate and value everyone's opinions. Thank you again for taking time out of your day to point me in the right direction.

  • sdsunn
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Hi everdebz, in answer to your question, chairs are a dark grayish brown and actually have some orange and yellow specks. Thanks for asking.

  • sdsunn
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Groveraxle is absolutely correct; this is a mid century modern house. Those are tongue and groove ceilings, not ship lap. Architect is William Krisel.

  • groveraxle
    5 years ago

    Oh man, Krisel is an icon, sdsunn. He's almost singlehandedly responsible for the Palm Springs MCM aesthetic. Lucky you to find such a gem, but also a lot of pressure to not screw it up. ;-)

    sdsunn thanked groveraxle
  • Jennifer Dube
    5 years ago

    As someone with a home that also has a lot of big white walls to fill, please do take your time with this. I know it's tempting to just fill the walls with anything. But patience pays off.

    We've found it helpful to work with a local art gallery. They pick out art they think will work for our space and our budget, and loan it to us so we can "try it on for size" for awhile.

    Or if you're more creatively inclined check out toats' threads -- and make your own art!

    sdsunn thanked Jennifer Dube
  • sdsunn
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Hi Jennifer M- what do you mean by Toats' threads? Is there a Houzz member named toats? I searched and did not find anything. If you have the time to direct me, that would be great! I look at some of this abstract art with scribbling and think, "I can do that and make it the right size at that." ::)))That said, perhaps it might not be as simple as it looks. Thanks in advance, Jennifer M for any info, and also thanks for your advice.

  • Jennifer Dube
    5 years ago

    Here you go -- it's a long but very entertaining thread. Start from the top:

    https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5326647/overwhelmed-by-my-art

    sdsunn thanked Jennifer Dube
  • salonva
    last year

    Sure thing. Thank you for providing such useful relevant and tasteful suggestions.

  • cawaps
    last year

    @salonva, you forgot timely.

  • salonva
    last year

    True dat.

    Thank you @cawaps.

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