September 2026
Antique mirrors: how to choose and place them
Mercury glass or modern backing, original gilding or regilt: what distinguishes an antique mirror, and where to hang it so it works.
The antique mirror is one of the most effective pieces in decorating: it doubles the light, enlarges the room and brings the gilding nothing else gives. You still have to know how to choose it.
The glass first. Before the mid-19th century, mirrors were backed with mercury: slightly grey, wavy, spotted in places — said to have character, and collectors pay for it. Perfectly clear glass in an old frame means either replaced glass or a restored frame; not a flaw, but it must be said and reflected in the price.
The gilding next. Original gilding is matte, nuanced, worn on the high points where hands have passed. Recent regilding is bright and even. The first is worth markedly more; the second is only objectionable when sold as what it is not.
Style next, which gives the date: pediment and palmettes for the Empire period, stucco shells for Louis XV, straight lines and beading for Louis XVI, botanical mouldings for Napoleon III. The trumeau — a mirror with a painted panel — remains among the most sought after.
Placement last — the point everyone misses: a mirror hangs opposite the light, never beside it. Facing a window it doubles the day; facing a lamp it doubles the evening. At the end of a narrow corridor it creates a perspective.
At Maison Boitel, mirrors are presented with their dimensions and the condition of the glass, described by the dealer who holds them — and the sale happens directly with them, with 0% commission.
