The Hall of Mirrors
The Hall of Mirrors (or Galerie des Glaces) in the Palace of Versailles is a visual masterpiece. Few rooms are more breathtaking; the beautiful interior is lavished with ornate details to satisfy the opulence of Louis XIV, the Sun King. During the 17th and 18th century it was the grandiose setting of royal ceremonies and is still, even now, pressed into service for state occasions.
There are a total of 357 mirrors that feature in the room’s décor, reflecting the arcaded windows that overlook the beautiful gardens opposite. Previous to a redesign of the palace, it was felt that the rooms were too dimly lit and the designers began to introduce mirrors in the designs to boost available candlelight. This eventually culminated in the creation of the Hall of Mirrors where, on big occasions, twenty thousand candles and glittering chandeliers would be used to transform the room into a ‘corridor of light.’
A well-chosen mirror has the ability to transform a room. Whether to create more light, give the illusion of space or to focus the attention on a particular detail, a mirror can be utilised as more than just a surface in which you can inspect your reflection.
Sarah Buchta, Design Studio Manager at Extreme Berkshire, reflects on some recent Extreme commissions that have featured this versatile material.
We will often use mirror in our designs to add layers and texture to a concept. Depending on the particular requirements of each project, we will draw from a plethora of techniques to incorporate mirror, some of which I have mentioned below.
Silver Mirrors, for example, are fantastic at keeping a clean, fresh look and bringing light in to an area.
To give a more subtle effect, we use bronze and smoked mirrors. Working with these tones within a pallet can also add depth to a rich darker tone. For the kitchen featured below, we drew inspiration from the Lundy Island coastline whose granite rock formations were a detail we were keen to incorporate into the design. The inclusion of a setback mirror created the feeling of the landscape’s rocky overhangs.
A silver, bevelled mirror incorporated in to a bar adds a beautiful detail. We recently completed a bar design, shown below, which features wall panelling created from six individual square bevelled mirrors. The light bounces off the angles of the bevel and reflects the lighting during the daytime, whilst at night, with carefully picked ambient lighting, the effect is extremely sultry.
Mirrored panelling could also be added to the design of the island. In one private residence we designed statement mirror feature which elegantly bounced light throughout this contemporary apartment.
Finally, a slip of mirror within a piece of bespoke cabinetry can enhance and add a refined luxurious detail.
