A well placed lamp, potted plant and candle frame a small round mirror attractively, eliminating empty space. Mirrors reflect light and make a room feel larger, and when hung above furniture they act as stunning yet simple wall decor. Focus on size, shape and the style of the frame when selecting a mirror for your space. While brightly colored artwork doesn’t fit everyone’s taste, a decorative framed mirror adds depth and color without overpowering existing design elements. Choose a frame style and color that coordinate with the furniture below; a simple wood-framed mirror in turquoise brightens an espresso stained shaker-style dresser, while an ornate metal frame in tarnished gold coordinates beautifully with a Victorian-style sofa. The Importance of Width Balance is essential in interior design, and an oversized mirror hung above a narrow lingerie chest throws the entire room off. The mirror should be two-thirds or three-quarters the width of the furniture below it to create visual balance;

however, feel free to go wider, up to the width of the furniture, if it works in your space. Use this same method when grouping a mirror with other artwork or wall hangings, taking the entire width of the arrangement, including spacing between pieces, into account. For example, if the total width of one mirror and two wall sconces is 55 inches, make sure the couch is at least a few inches wider than this. If you have a very wide mirror yet still want to hang it in a specific location, you can achieve balance with strategic furniture placement. Green Mtv T ShirtIf you want to hang a very large mirror above your sofa, two end tables that reach to armrest level placed on either side increases its visual width, allowing you to hang a slightly wider mirror above. Outdoor Chaise Lounge Chairs BlueThis same method works in a bedroom with dressers -- many chests of drawers and lingerie chests are relatively narrow. What Laptop Should You Buy Quiz

Line these up next to each other and treat the group of furniture as one piece when deciding on a mirror width. Ideal Hanging Height When you have space above a piece of furniture, the height of the furniture determines how high you install the mirror. Hang the mirror so the bottom is 4 to 6 inches above the upper edge of tall furniture; for example, maintain 6 inches between the bottom of the frame and the top of a six-drawer chest. This creates a visual break and doesn't allow the mirror to tower over the item below. For furniture less than 30 inches high, hang the mirror as close to eye level as possible, which ranges from 57 to 65 inches from the center of the mirror to the floor. Go slightly lower than this when hanging a mirror over a buffet console in a dining room. Because people are mostly sitting in this type of space, natural eye level is lower. Factor in the Opposite Wall Mirrors act as wall art when hung above furniture, but the reflection itself becomes a part of the decor.

For this reason, take care when choosing a location for your mirror -- it will reflect anything opposite, including a pile of clothes left in a bedroom, cable clutter surrounding a television and a laundry room off a dining area. Ideally, position the mirror so it reflects another decorative element in the space, whether it’s a window, artwork or wallpaper. When this isn’t possible, clean up the area opposite the mirror to make it worthy of reflection. Tuck television cables out of the way, relocate the laundry basket or move a stash of junk mail off of the kitchen counter. Safety First Secure installation is essential when hanging any mirror, and this is especially true when you put a mirror over seating or a bed. Always install the mirror directly via wall studs; when this isn’t possible, use heavy-load wall anchors instead. Heavy gauge mirror wire and a closed hook work for mirrors of less than 25 pounds. Use a French cleat bracket as hardware for anything heavier, ensuring that the mirror stays in place in any situation.

References How to Decorate: The How To of Hanging Wall ArtBob Vila: How to Hang a Heavy Mirror Photo Credits Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionHang the mirror at approximately eye level for visual appeal. Console tables are narrow in width and tall in height. Some feature cabinets, drawers or shelves below the tabletop. Typically, these tables decorate a foyer or rest against a wall, providing a place to put keys, photos or other items. The only difficult part of hanging the mirror is measuring and marking the wall. Use pencil marks and tape as visual references to simplify the process. Measure the length of the console table. Divide the lengthy by two. Measure that distance from one end of the table toward the center and make a small, light pencil mark on the wall. Decide how much space you want between the mirror and the table, usually about 3 inches, and measure that far up the wall and make a second light pencil mark. Run a piece of low-tack masking tape up the center of the wall, starting at your second pencil mark.

The tape must be longer than the mirror is tall. Measure the height and width of the mirror. Divide both numbers by two. Write all your measurements down on a scratch piece of paper. Measure the distance down from the top center of the mirror to the center of the mounting hook. If more than one hook is present, draw a template on a piece of paper and then measure the distance from the top center to each hook, then from the outer edge nearest to the center of the hook. If it has one long, bar-style hook, then measure from the center hole to each additional hole and mark those measurements on your template. Measure up the wall, from the beginning of the tape, the distance of half the mirror height. Make a pencil mark on the tape. Measure out from that pencil mark half the width of the mirror going toward the right and then again toward the left. Make a light pencil mark at each location. Measure up from the pencil mark indicating the center of the mirror and make another mark half the height of the mirror up the wall.