Mirrors that reflect and resonate indoors

Todays mirrors dont just flatter or tattle on wicked queens. They tell stories, bend space, and, with a flicker of light, pull a Beauty and the Beast trick turning a cramped corridor into a ballroom. From the shiny volcanic glass in ancient Anatolia 8,000 years ago, to the silver-backed showpieces of Egypt and Mesopotamia, mirrors have dazzled for a millennium. They have been symbols of life, glimpses of the soul, tools for fortune-telling, and magnets for superstition. Artists from Drer to Magritte and Manet have used them to play with perception, slipping us secret views of the world beyond the frames. Reflections that resonate In homes today, mirrors have stepped out of bathrooms and into living rooms, lobbies, and even Instagram grids, claiming the spotlight. Architect Iraianbu Murugavel calls them lively design features that blend practicality, beauty, culture, and creativity. For him, their magic comes from both material and placement. Traditional silver or aluminium-backed glass still rules, but acrylics, tinted and etched finishes, and even hand-polished metals are rewriting the rules. A well-placed mirror, he says, can transform mood and scale. A full-length panel behind a dining table turns a modest space into a buzzing hub, mirrored ceilings lift the height of urban flats, and mirrored wardrobes make storage disappear into light. For M Murali, chief architect at Murali Architects, mirrors are active design tools used to shape perception, guide movement, and evoke emotion. His team has drawn daylight deep into narrow corridors, brought sunsets indoors with angled panels, and doubled the lushness of terrace gardens using tempered outdoor mirrors to create secret courtyards. Tradition and storytelling Indias mirror magic has deep roots. Murali points to the Sheesh Mahal in palaces of Rajasthan, where walls and ceilings are inlaid with fragments that sparkle like jewels under oil lamps. In modern homes, these reappear as mosaic feature walls or mirrored ceilings. Harini Vijayakumar, founding partner at Studio ZO, is drawn to ainakari, the Mughal-era mirror work of Jaipur and Udaipur, where bits of glass form dazzling geometric patterns. She also treasures the centuries-old Aranmula Kannadi from Kerala hand-polished metal mirrors made without reflective coating; valued as much for their craftsmanship as their reflection. While the north embraced mirror mosaics for grandeur, the south used them sparingly to channel light, mark auspiciousness, and enrich rituals, says Murali. Architect Subhiksha Thiagarajan recalls the slanting mirrors fixed on ledges in old Tamil homes ingenious little panels that bounced courtyard daylight into the darker rooms beyond. The placement of these mirrors was also part of a practice rooted in Vasthu Sastra and the belief that it brings prosperity while warding off evil and negative energy. When too much is too much Mirrors can lift a rooms spirit, but if you overdo it, you risk restlessness. Iraianbu advises against placing mirrors directly opposite each other, keeping large mirrored surfaces to a single wall, and pairing them with matte textures to avoid visual overload. Murali compares them to spice. He says, Too much can be overwhelming. Overuse creates restlessness, clutter, or mild disorientation. Hes seen intimate spaces turn into mirror mazes, where constant movement becomes distracting. Harini also confesses to having felt unsettled once at the Kochi Biennale, where mirrored panels formed an uncanny maze. Subhiksha, however, sees it differently. I dont think theres ever a line. It depends on personal preferences. Antique pieces bring nostalgia, while clear glass enlivens. Frames and finishes shift a rooms mood sleek panels for modern minimalism, ornate carvings for tradition. Harini calls mirrors perky, bold choices that work across styles minimalist, boho, bling, modernist making spaces look infinite or almost kaleidoscopic. For Subhiksha, mirrors swing from extravagant to understated, carrying emotional weight. Mirrors can be styled in an extravagant and in an understated way. Either ways, I love the drama and the depth they create in spaces. Creative explorations In Tharun Vikass Mogappair home, Muralis mirrored ceiling crowns a double-height dining space, flooding it with light and stretching it skyward. Meals there feel expansive, interactive, and just a little theatrical. Subhiksha recalls framing mirrors for a functional training centre with hand-cut rosewood shaped into waves. Harini once revived a dark hallway with a Mondrian-patterned mirror wall that lit up the passage by day, without a single bulb. Murali looks outdoors for inspiration, too, pointing to Scotlands Garden of Cosmic Speculation, where mirrors merge landscape with sky. Mirrors are also constantly evolving with technology. Iraianbu predicts smart surfaces with built-in displays, adjustable tinting, and anti-microbial coatings. Harini imagines AI-driven mirrors that talk back. Subhiksha notes the growing ease with once-fragile free-standing designs. Murali envisions flexible, curved, eco-friendly panels with augmented reality overlays, all hinting at how mirrors will soon change not just how we see ourselves, but how we inhabit space.