Rustic Mirrors: a Reflection of Country Living

The simplicity of country life is something jaded city-dwellers would welcome on a very most stressful week.  Now they don't have to go to the country or transfer states just to have a taste of it. A country atmosphere can be made possible through a rustic-inspired interior decorating.

There are many accessories and furniture around that can be bought or made to give a simple, uncomplicated, and comfortable atmosphere in your dwelling whether it’s a condominium unit or a flat. One of these decorative accessories is a mirror.  Here are some tips in choosing the fairest rustic mirror of them all.

1. Assess the interior designing of your home.

Your current design might be chic, modern, minimalist, or a mix of all. Will adding a wood-framed mirror with bird designs fit well with the rest of the furniture and decoration in the house? If you are considering a change in design, then consider going country.

2. Create a theme for country living.

Fruits, flowers, vegetables, ducks, moose, deers, twigs and branches are all used in the designs of mirrors. You can choose one of these themes, or make a story like a wildlife theme, or a theme of wild games; a floral or fruity theme. It is all up to you. Be creative, create a story, and visualize how the existing fixtures would go with the mirror.

Make sure you also include the color of the wall where you will hang the mirror.  Make sure that they will coordinate with each other, not clash.

3. Choose what type of mirror you want to buy.

There are different types of rustic mirrors: wall, hallway, dresser, ceiling, floor, and table. These different types correspond to where they are to be placed. What part of the room needs embellishment? This can help you decide the type of mirror to purchase or make.

4. Choose the material or medium of the mirror's frame.

Rustic mirrors are made of the mirror and the frame. The frames can be made of wood, metal (e.g. tin), clay, plaster, or a combination of two or three of these materials. Which among these medium would work best with your chosen theme or existing design at home?

For the wooden frames, usually oak, pine, and birch are used. Pinewood gives a light to medium brown color depending on the stain used, as well as a refreshing pine scent. Oak gives a good dark color and texture to the frame.

Usually the wooden and clay or plaster-made frames are more country-living in their looks. Metals can also give the same if the finishing is antique-like.

5. Imagine the details of the frame. Visualize.

There are different styles and materials used in making country-style mirrors. Every designer has their own style. Some of the rustic designers who make mirrors are Jimmy Wray, Carol Canner, and Laura Megroz.

Mirrors also come in many shapes. If the design of your room and the area where the mirror is to be placed is full of straight lines and angles, round and oblong frames are good as contrast. For rooms with a lot of arching designs, square, rectangular, and hexagonal frames are the best.

Also there are several finishing for the mirror’s frame: hand-painted, plain, distressed, stained, varnished, painted, and protective painted among others. Hand-painted frames are more colorful than the rest. Stained and varnished give deeper and richer colors with the gloss. What kind of finishing matches the rest of the country furniture in the room?

6. Depending on your budget, you can choose among home-made, custom-made, or second hand mirrors.

The mirrors you get to purchase on-line are standard designs thus; other house owners may have exactly the same design as yours. You can also have a specific design made by the carvers but this would cost more.

Making country-style rustic mirrors cost less than a custom-made mirror. It is also the environmentally friendly. If there are a lot of twigs and metal scraps in your backyard, then get creative and make one for that more personal and original look. You can also use clay or resin mixture to mould the frame and paint the details by hand.

If you enjoy going in flea markets and garage sales, then you can also get that rustic mirror at a definitely lower price while enjoying looking around other stuffs. Usually, if there’s a rustic mirror, there are also other accessories and furniture that goes with it in garage sales and flea markets.

7. Use the internet.

The internet gives much convenience from choosing designs among different online shops, comparing prices for the same design, and purchasing the mirror online minus the hassle of buying from real stores. Or if you are planning to make your own frame, browsing in the internet can help in coming up with good ideas.

You can scan for the same design in at least three different on-line stores. Some stores have lower prices (bargain) than the others. Bargain price for the same mirror is possible by visiting several sites. Some sites offer price matching; if you see the same design in another online store, then tell them about it so that they can match the price of that store.

But aside from the price they publish, look into how much they will charge you for shipping the mirror. Some stores offer a low price but with expensive shipping costs. Compute for the total cost where the mirror and the shipping cost are accounted for. Then you can decide which store gives the lowest price for the same design.

A rustic mirror is both artistic and functional. It will reflect a good atmosphere in your home. So start looking over the different designs over the internet. You will not regret it.