Mirrors give a whole new look to your home, wherever they’re situated and have always been effectively used for decorating rooms by enhancing light to make rooms look brighter and even to make a small room look larger than they are.
However, it’s safe to say that most mirrors are used for personal grooming, which is most probably where the phrase ‘looking-glass’ originated. But, did you know that mirrors have been in use for thousands of years?
The earliest known mirrors, found in Turkey, date back to 6000 years BC and were made from Obsidian, a black volcanic rock. Through the ages, mirrors have been made with polished stone, copper, and, in China, were made with bronze before they began to make them from a mixture of tin and copper that could be polished to make a reflective surface.
Metal-backed glass mirrors were believed to have been first produced in the first century AD and crude mirrors made from blown glass with lead backing were introduced by the Romans.
Affordable Luxury Wherever You Look
Unlike the mirrors of today, the metal alloys or precious metals mirrors in ancient times were very valuable items and only affordable by those who were wealthy.
They can still be quite expensive today but the variety available makes the most elaborate of mirrors available to all, ranging from a simple wood or metal framed mirror to something more ornate or antique.
From tinted, oval-bevelled, art deco, frameless, made-to-measure and cut to size, you will find mirrors all over the home: bathroom, bedroom, hallway, living room, dining room and even the kitchen. And let’s not forget the furniture such as cases, display cabinets, tiles, and table tops, to name but a few.
You want to buy a mirror but frameless doesn’t interest you and you don’t like the frames on offer? What about that picture you own, that nobody likes, but the frame is amazing? Or, you pass a second-hand shop and see the perfect frame that would look great on your wall?
In fact, there’s not even the need for that perfect antique frame. Frameless mirrors add a touch of contemporary to your room and sleek coloured metal frames look just as impressive and probably cost a fraction of wooden frames.
Repair or Replace?
Mirrors do deteriorate, in many ways; cracked, chipped or the silver backing is starting to crack. You have to then decide if it’s worth repairing or replacing. Confronted with this problem the question is simple; cost.
In some cases, it’s going to be much more affordable to just purchase a new one instead of repairing, unless the mirror in question is an antique, and sometimes even then, replacing the mirror would not detract from the value, although you would need to get a professional opinion from an antique dealer to be absolutely certain.
Even if that’s not the case, you just love the mirror and you want it back to its original state, you would be best advised in all the benefits and drawbacks of the choices available from an expert glazier like Majestic Glass.
