Antique Carved Gold Mirrors

I love traditional Italian style that is filled with angels and organic details such as flowers and leaves. The carved wood Italian frame to the right measures six feet in height and would be perfect in an entry way or other vertical space. It's also genuine 14K Gold so the price tag is way beyond many of us. But sometimes I hang out at art galleries and museums and find inspiration for my own home. Then I start looking for something that I can afford that is true to the inspiration.

First of all I just love the soft glow of gold on wood. It warms up every home decor and it makes everything else look better. I also love mirrors in my rooms, because they make the space look bigger. If you position your mirrors and decor carefully, they look like framed pictures. I often place a big vase of flowers or beautiful Japanese Meiji vase opposite a large mirror.

But beyond the overall gold and mirrored reflection, I love ornate style. That's one of the reasons that I love antiques so much! There was a time when artisans made mirrors and chandeliers that were filled with design elements - the more the better. Angels and cherubs were flying everywhere. They always were surrounded by large and exuberant flowers and vines. Just when you think that there couldn't be a way to add any more to a design, there's a geometric border to add even more interest.

Hand-carved antique mirrors have a depth to them that machine-made newer mirrors don't have. Sometimes you can actually see the knife strokes. I always picture the artisan working away when I look at these details.

Take a look to the right and you'll see what I mean when I say that a mirror can act like a picture frame for your prized antiques. See how the mirror reflects the image of the grandfather clock, painting and piano. You could even watch someone play by staring in the mirror. Oh, I love to visit someone's home at the holidays, when they have someone playing Christmas carols on the piano and people can sing along!

You'll find antique gold mirrors in all shapes and sizes. I'd love to have a wall with several on it - placed to create a beautiful pattern. Don't worry about finding matching gold frames. You just have to pick out pieces that you can coordinate. When you shop for antique home accessories, it's almost impossible to find matching sets. Don't worry, you'll learn to trust your instincts. If you like the way items look grouped together, there's a good chance that others will as well.

Although I do love gold gilt hand-carved frames with lots of angels. So I could see placing the angel mirror frames throughout my home. I think the floral frames are perfect in rooms where I like to feature my plants. If you find antique or unusual planters and vases, they really do complement the antique carved mirror frames. I actually visited an ultra-modern home with lots of granite and concrete. The homeowners used ornate wood carved elements to soften the interior design. It was very effective. So you can mix design philosophies as well.