add cottage charm

Two rooms get an injection of warmth and style with great vintage finds.

mirrors can work magic. Just as a looking glass allowed Alice to pop into an exciting new world in Lewis Carroll's classic, it can give any room a new image.

Jennifer Eggleston used her collection of mirrors to bring light into a bedroom and bath in her small Fredericksburg, Texas, cottage. She gathered several in one space for greater impact. "My collections are happy accidents. I pull together things that are appealing to me, and I want them all in one area," Jennifer says.

layer it

Small children ask "Why?" Happy adults ask "Why not?" Jennifer's bedroom features a great example of doing something unusual that looks great. Mirrors are placed one on top of the other on the wall between two closets. Hanging from simple chains, they showcase the carefree attitude that makes this cottage shine. Smart advice: Don't overthink your displays. If they're pleasing to your eye, you've succeeded.

up the light factor

Large and small mirrors in various shapes hang on the walls of the bath. This brightens the tiny, windowless room, as do the white walls. Don't wait until you have a complete collection to hang up your first find. Start with one mirror above the vanity, and add more as you get them.

Another idea: Open up a small bedroom with a large framed mirror. The illusion of an entrance to another room beyond the wall will instantly make the real room seem bigger. Here, propping the mirror against the wall matches the informal spirit of the bedroom's other furnishings and simple window treatments. -AMY BICKERS MERCER

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2007
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