I've just completed the first antique garden mirror I’ve been asked to do in ages. The client, a keen gardener living in Bishopscourt, had been looking for ‘rusticated mirrors’ and was delighted to see a sample of my heavily antiqued finish, like the sample shown on the website. His idea was to set the mirror onto his boundary wall just beyond the northern edge of his veranda, in front of a curved water feature.
We agreed on the sizing of the mirror (1.3m x 1m) and decided it should be framed with a pair of climbing plants on a dark-painted trellis - perhaps variegated ivy, or something similar (these aren’t shown in the picture). While preparing the antique silvering, I ensured that the mirror was well splotched and corroded along the length of its vertical edges, so that in time, the hard edge of the reflection would naturally lose itself into the foliage that was eventually to frame it.
The result is a beautiful, undemanding mirror, a shade-filled extension of the veranda. The eye wanders deep into the darkened reflection and finds little details here and there – lamps hanging from the veranda ceiling, the architectural detail in the windows and doors. It’s a delight to stare into while sitting on the comfy chairs, sipping coffee.
I have always loved the meditative combination of heavily antiqued garden mirrors and water features. Deep, dark reflections, sunlit foliage and the quiet trickle of water just seem to belong together.
