Timeless reflections

The first mirror ever recorded in history was nearly 4000 years ago, and it was a highly polished volcanic rock called obsidian. Over time, humanity moved from obsidian to highly polished silver and brass for reflection. Finally, it was discovered by a German chemist that a thin coat of silver or aluminum sprayed on the back of glass would create a highly reflective surface and that is the modern mirrors of today. The use of mirrors in the world of design has deep royal roots in a famous French monarchy that still affects design to this day! Louis XIV, a very stylized King, understood the use of mirrors for multiplication and used them frequently in palatial décor. In fact, The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was built to make a glaring statement about the superiority of the economic and the artistic triumphs of France. You may not live in a French palace but certainly your home is your castle, and mirrors are always in style! Let’s peek at a Laurel Oak model whose King and Queen used big mirrors like a pro, somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Wall Color
The homeowner wanted gray as a wall color but did not want the house to feel cold. Popular Gray 6071 was the choice in a satin finish. Popular Gray has a brown undertone so that it looks gray, but it is warm. The name of the paint pays homage to its total versatility in any style of décor.

  •  Color Story
The colors for this space are gray as the neutral walls and navy blue, yellow, and teal blue as the accents. The teal blue is found in some of the art that is not shown.

  •  Style of Décor
This homeowner is very eclectic but with two specific leanings. They like traditional case goods, which are coffee tables, cabinets, and side tables and the seating is usually on the modern side. I love the combination of the two looks, and I think they marry well!

  •  Big mirrored nook
The homeowners did not want two eating areas, so they opted to make the dining room a conversation nook. In the Laurel Oak this space is quite extended, and they happened to have a sectional from their previous home that looked amazing in the space. Usually, large mirrors are hung on the wall opposing the large sliding glass doors but this time the homeowners went big! The entire wall received floor to ceiling mirror treatments. It looks amazing! Anyone who pays for a view wants to extend that view and the mirrors capture the entire view and move it into the living space. That is a two for one! Everywhere the eye moves through the space there is a view. Large bookcases with glass doors line the wall opposite the conversation nook (former dining room). We filled the bookcases with books and accessories that have sentimental value. Two strong pops of color hang on the wall adjacent to the mirrored wall and start the color story for the space. Two chairs round out the seating of the nook inviting one to come in and sink their toes in the plush cream carpet that we placed under the sectional.

  •  Living room
The homeowners loved the concept of a rough tile accent wall in the living room, but the Laurel Oak living room wall is huge. They decided to have tall, floor to ceiling cabinets built on each side of the living room wall and fill in the wall between the cabinets with the rough tile accents. The 85-inch television was then mounted on the tile and a modern fireplace was installed into the tile wall below the TV. This is a great modern application that works with traditional cabinetry, or modern cabinetry. This application of tile adds a natural and organic texture to the space without shocking the eye. This look will stand the test of time.

  •  Accents
We filled the cabinets with blue accents to reinforce the color story in the living room. We placed blue pillows and a hot yellow throw on the sofa to pull the color around the space.

  •  Layers of rugs
The large 9×12 rug from the previous home was gray with a subtle embroidered gold pattern. We needed a large rug for the living area because it is big, but the gray rug was too neutral. We layered an 8×10 navy blue rug on top of the large gray rug to give the room a strong infusion of color. It looks magazine worthy!

  •  Curtains
We found a white curtain with a navy-blue pattern running through it. The pattern looks modern, and the curtains have silver grommets. They work well with the mixing of modern and traditional and add a touch of color to the back of the house. The curtains are hung on short rods, and they are stationary.
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