Q: How do you light a mirror?
A: The short answer is you don’t light a mirror; instead, you want to light that gorgeous mug in front of the mirror. The bathroom mirror is the first place you see yourself in the morning — unless you have a mirror over the bed like I do. You want that lighting on your face to be as complementary as possible. A pair of sconces flanking the mirror provides excellent cross-illumination, reducing shadows and offering good task lighting for shaving and applying makeup. (I always recommend shaving first before applying makeup.) There are also illuminated mirrors out there that have side lighting built in. Some have lighting that goes all the way around
like a giant illuminated makeup mirror. They are really good, too.
Now, if there is a mirror in the entryway, I suggest that you mount luminaires on either side as well. This is the last chance to check yourself out before leaving the house. It is the perfect opportunity to see if your shirt is buttoned correctly, check for granola in your teeth and make sure that your hairpiece is on straight.
Mirrors in general are a great way to make spaces seem larger and to help bounce light back into a room. One of the techniques I use quite a lot is to place a mirror on the wall opposite a window. The illusion is that there is natural light coming in from both sides of the room. Another little trick I use for full-length mirrors is to sit them on the floor and lean them against the wall, pulled slightly out at the bottom. It makes you look taller and thinner. Other than basketball players, who doesn’t want that?
Q: You never talk about portables. Do you have something against them?
A: I am all for table lamps and floor lamps. Some of my best friends dress as floor lamps at parties. I don’t talk about portables only because no one has asked me a question about them, until now. Good lighting design includes all types of luminaires. Portables create warm, little islands of light that draw people into a room and can serve double duty, providing task light for reading. You just don’t want them to be the only source of illumination; just like you don’t want a room illuminated only by recessed fixtures. Portables, like hard-wired decorative fixtures, are the architectural jewelry of a home. Every room can use a little bling.
