Used quite frequently on Hollywood sets to give off an ornate, rustic and charming aura; antique mirrors are pretty underrated when it comes to decking your kitchen out with backsplashes. Although most contemporary kitchen designs will feature the sharp and appealing demeanor of modern glass variants, the antique mirrors have unique qualities of their own which no variant can take away. You just need to figure out how to use them right. However, before we get into that, let’s look at why you should be using these magnificent mirrors in the first place. For the more information about these antique mirror backsplashes, go here.
Advantages of having an antique mirror as a backsplash
* The very purpose of these mirrors is to create an ambience resembling a seasoned and rustic environment. The upside of it? These mirrors virtually NEVER look dirty. You can go weeks (maybe even months) without as much as running a cloth over them. Their rugged and elaborately styled exterior is designed to withstand wear and tear. So, install them and forget about them. A big relief considering you need to regularly clean and polish other mirror types, especially clear ones.
* Have a lot of antique furniture lying around in your apartment that you don’t know what to do with? We all have at least a few sets here and there, passed down from our grandparents. And, although they do not synchronize well with the rest of the interior, we don’t want to get rid of them in light of their nostalgic value. So, if you have an antique table set in your kitchen, antique mirrors will synergize perfectly with it while any other backsplash would take away that inextricable synergy.
* Antique mirrors are a more versatile option, offering all the value of a regular mirror, but with an additional panache; making your kitchen look a lot more sophisticated. These mirrors boast class, character, elegance through simplicity, and are reminiscent of a rich history underlying them.
Creative ways to get the most out of your antique backsplash
When working with antique mirrors, it’s all about how well they blend in with the rest of the décor. While a stained glass or other eye-catching variants revolve around the principles of divergence and contrast, antique mirrors will only have a tale to tell when accompanied by furniture or fittings that compliment it. Therefore, it is imperative to keep this concept in mind as we progress into the places where it works best.
* If your kitchen countertop has a marble finish (preferably of a dark accent), going for an antique tile backsplash of a similar accent will score you significantly more style points than other types of backsplashes. This is due to how smoothly the marble transitions onto the backsplash as they both fit comfortably within the same message of elegance and finesse we are trying to convey.
* Colored cabinets can give your kitchen quite the makeover, but doing so reduces the feeling of openness and makes our kitchen look a lot more compact than it actually is. Installing an antique mirror backsplash as a sheet will not only alleviate your kitchen of this quandary, but this adds volumes of depth to your design by allowing the reflective capability of the mirror to take center stage. It is advised to not go for clear or stained glass in this scenario, although textured glass also works pretty well here.
* If you really must go for a simpler or whiter design, then ideally your antique mirror should take up a considerable part of the wall above your sink (preferably about three quarters of it). Additionally, you may want to go for a sheet backsplash in this case as the bigger your backsplash is, the more you need to stretch your tiles, which gets redundant and mundane beyond a certain extent. This style lets the antique mirror do all the talking and allows your eyes to appreciate the rest of the kitchen, as the backsplash will not draw too much attention. Just the right amount.
* If you have an extensive set of antique cutlery or any other items you want to display in your kitchen, it is highly recommended you go for a simple rectangular slab as a backsplash. You may also set it in a slim and petite frame if you wish, although the frame must match the most dominant or recurring color scheme as dictated by the displayable items. This rounds it off quite nicely, allowing you to easily flaunt that expensive silverware without the kitchen looking too reflective.
Antique mirrored tile backsplash or sheet backsplash: Which one is better?
After reading the above examples, the difference should be quite evident. However, in case you find your finger hovering over whether to go for a tile or sheet backsplash, just follow this simple rule of thumb.
If you want your backsplash to take center stage and the first thing your eyes turn to, then go for a tile backsplash. However, if you want a more gradual melding of the backsplash with the rest of your setup without letting any single aspect dominating the other ones, then sheet backsplashes are the way to go as they are often used as a complimentary or transitional tool.
That should be enough to get you started on antique mirrors. Give your kitchen the touch of class and finesse it deserves.
