How Do I Choose the Best Art Nouveau Mirror?

The best art nouveau mirror will fit your space and your budget requirements while matching your personal sense of style. Art nouveau mirrors can be antiques, reproductions, or new pieces, inspired by the art nouveau style. They are available in a variety of places, from flea markets and antique shops to online boutiques and catalogs.

Before you begin shopping, determine your budget. A mirror typically doesn't suffer from wear and tear since it isn't often touched during use. Therefore, you can choose a piece of lower quality without worrying that it will wear out quickly. Unless you have a large amount of money dedicated to your interior design budget, a mirror is a good item to save on.

After deciding how much you can spend, measure the space where you intend to place the mirror. You will need to know the height and width of the area as well as the maximum depth. Some antique mirrors have bulky frames, and you should take that into consideration in your measurements.

Consider the overall style of the area. Depending on the design of the mirror, the frame, and the finishes or embellishments, an art nouveau mirror can be casual, formal, or somewhere in between. Write down words that describe your space, like "traditional," "elegant," and "formal," or "funky," "fun," and "eclectic." While shopping, compare how you would describe mirrors that you see to the words you chose to describe your style.

It is especially important to understand the basic concepts of art nouveau style if you are searching for an antique. For instance, art nouveau art often includes flowing lines which show up in vines, women with curving bodies and long hair, and intricate, exotic patterns. The best way to recognize art nouveau is to look for articles and websites that include pictures of art, architecture, and furniture in the art nouveau style.

After you've done your background work, get your list of measurements and style words and start shopping. The best way to choose a mirror is to see it in person. This way, you can inspect the quality of the piece first hand. If you must shop online, make sure that the retailer has a generous return policy before you buy.

When considering an antique, condition is the determining factor. Inspect the piece carefully for damage like cracks, chips, or loose parts. In some cases, you can find an art nouveau mirror that is cheap because it is in poor condition. Consider the overall cost of repairs as part of your total cost, and if it is outside of your budget, keep shopping.

An antique art nouveau mirror will be made from natural materials. Look carefully at the frame, front and back, to determine if it is real. If it is made from particle board or plywood, it is definitely a fake. If you see signs of repair, it is typically an indication that the mirror should not sell for a top dollar price.

New mirrors may be made from wood, metal, plastic, laminate, or particle board. If the construction appears to be sturdy, there is no reason to turn down a mirror made from synthetic materials, especially if it meets all your other requirements. Even so, if the frame isn't made from real wood, there's no reason to pay a high price for it.