Mirror apron in the kitchen: pros and cons, reviews
When designing a kitchen, you should pay great attention to the choice of an apron. This design can not only enhance the decor of the room, but also add coziness.
Now we are talking not only about functions - the fact is that the apron perfectly protects the walls of the room from drops of grease and moisture (condensation).
A mirrored apron for the kitchen copes with all tasks perfectly. Moreover, this option helps to visually expand the room.
Advantages and disadvantages of this material
The main advantages of this type of finish include:
- the possibility of visually increasing the volume of the room;
- moisture resistance and high strength;
- resistance to temperature fluctuations;
- long service life;
- Possibility of use on uneven surfaces.
Like any other material, mirror mosaic, a photo of which can be seen below, also has several disadvantages. A few disadvantages include:
- the complexity and high cost of installation, especially when it comes to individual pieces of mirror sold in bulk;
- the need to provide additional protection, but this only applies to mosaics that will be used in rooms with high levels of humidity.
Tips for choosing
When choosing a mirror coating, it is worth remembering that laying the mosaic can cause certain difficulties. Especially if you purchase loose tiles rather than mesh mosaics. It is very important to develop a design design in advance. What else is worth considering when choosing mosaic options?
- When purchasing self-adhesive mosaic tiles, the protective layer on the product must be removed immediately before installation.
- To cover semicircular surfaces, choose mosaics with miniature tips. The optimal shape for the pieces is rectangles 1 cm wide. It is better to lay them vertically, then during installation it will be easier to repeat the bends of the base.
- For mirror mosaics, white or graphite grout is ideal.
- If you choose a mosaic to decorate the ceiling, then keep in mind that the mirror elements will cast active reflections on the walls. It is very important not to overload other surfaces with decor.
Where is this finish used?
Thanks to the huge number of undeniable advantages that mirror mosaic has, it can be used in almost any room. It can often be seen in living rooms, the walls of which are decorated with panels created from mirror plates. In addition, this material is often used for finishing ceilings.
Also, mirror mosaic is ideal for bathrooms and toilets. In this case, it allows you to visually highlight certain areas. It is often used to decorate cabinets with a built-in washbasin.
In addition, mirror mosaics are also often used in public places. In the interior of clubs it is used to frame dance floors, and in cafes they decorate columns and bar counters.
What should you pay attention to when purchasing such decor?
In order not to make a mistake when choosing mirror tiles, you need to consider several important points. First of all, you should pay attention to the size and thickness of the product. Having decided on these parameters, you need to check the quality of slice processing. In more budget options, the edge is subjected to regular grinding, while in more expensive products, the edges of the segment are carefully polished.
For those who need mirror tiles of the same size, we can recommend choosing the decor already attached to the mesh. From products sold in loose form, you can create almost any ornament. But this is quite painstaking and time-consuming work.
As for color, it all depends solely on the personal preferences of the individual consumer. The most popular products today are white, black, silver and gold.
In the kitchen or bathroom
In the kitchen, mosaics are most often used to cover the kitchen apron. The apron lining must be wear-resistant and able to withstand humidity and temperature changes. Small glass fragments are best suited for finishing a work area. They will have something in common with chrome-plated parts of household appliances.
Combinations of mirror tiles with traditional ceramics look practical and beautiful. In the bathroom, in addition to continuous installation on all walls and ceilings, you can use partial decoration. Partial cladding draws attention to itself and would look appropriate in the mirror area.
Is it possible to make a mirror mosaic with your own hands?
It is advisable that installation work be carried out by a specialist. But if you do not have such an opportunity, then you can do it yourself. To create a pattern or ornament from a mirror mosaic, you need to stock up on an old unnecessary mirror and a glass cutter in advance.
First you need to decide what pattern you want to get as a result of your work. After this, you need to cut the mirror into even fragments. This can be done using a glass cutter. Then liquid nails must be applied to the dry and flat surface on which the mosaic will be laid. The gap between adjacent mirror fragments should be 0.25-0.5 centimeters. After assembling the drawing, you need to wait for the glue to dry completely. This will take at least three hours. After this time, you can begin grouting the joints using a rubber spatula. Excess material is wiped off with a soft damp cloth. After another five hours, the mirror mosaic can be polished with a dry cloth.
Details
Varieties
Depending on what modification of the mirror apron is used, the appearance of the kitchen space will change. These types of structures can be made in the following style:
- Mirrored apron in the kitchen in the form of a mosaic.
- Tile.
- Monolithic panel.
Panel types of products are made from specialized tempered glass. This type of construction is not only characterized by an increased degree of strength, but also a fairly enormous length of the canvas, up to 3 meters. This makes it possible to mount the panel in one piece, and this in turn will make the decor more expensive. Mirror tiles are a spectacular decorative element. You can even find modifications for bricks on sale; the types of surfaces also differ. They can be either matte or glossy. But this type of modification will significantly complicate the cleaning process. All kinds of dirt, including grease stains, settle on the joints of the tiles, which are quite difficult to clean. For modern types of design, for example, hi-tech or even techno, mirror mosaic is perfect, which looks modern and also goes well with metal and chrome kitchen elements. By using fairly small particles of the structure in spacious rooms it will be possible to create the effect of a delimited space.
Decor
Mirror varieties for kitchen aprons are distinguished by a variety of additional decorations, which will give the appearance of the surface originality and uniqueness.
At the moment, designers offer several main solutions for developing a mirror design in the form of kitchen aprons:
- Availability of drawings/ornaments.
- Aged texture.
- Satin effect.
- Colored canvases.
By the way, colored mirrors offer a huge variety of decor options. The color can be chosen in accordance with the colors of the kitchen set or even fittings. The satin effect is created by matting the surface, and the mirror surface can be finished as satin either partially or completely. Designers offer many geometric options, as well as the creation of unusual matte designs and patterns. Aged mirror-like aprons are not compatible with all decorative trends. Most often, these types of structures are used to create a classic kitchen design. Mirrors with ornaments have become universal. The pattern is made not just by gluing a specialized film, but also by sandblasting. The design can be applied to order on ready-made mirror aprons.
How to combine correctly
Mirror types of structures can be installed in kitchens of different sizes. Most often, elements are used to deepen and expand space from the inside. In this case, the maximum effect will be obtained by combining and creating a white kitchen with a mirrored apron. This color, when reflected, will add light to the room, and will also create the impression of the absence of boundaries of the room. It should be noted that this combination does not require powerful lighting devices near the countertop, sink or stove. A little lighting is enough, because most of the lighting will be added by an apron with a mirror effect. This principle, if there is a white headset, works not only in daylight, but even in the dark.
How to install?
Before installing mirror tiles for a backsplash in the kitchen, be sure to level the wall surfaces. This is vital to ensure that sunlight is refracted correctly. After the work is completed, you can begin calculating the structural dimensions. When installing all mirror models, it is worth adding about 10% to the resulting area. Move the panels very carefully to avoid damage. The installation itself is carried out in 2 stages. To begin with, you should apply a specialized adhesive composition to the walls, and then position the apron evenly and press it tightly for at least ¼ minute. If the surface is heavy, the setting time may increase. Afterwards, you should make sure that the structure is placed level and leave it until the adhesive composition dries 100%. The entire process will be carried out strictly according to the instructions on the glue package.
The same principle applies to gluing tiles. It is advisable to perform all actions quickly, but carefully, so that there is time to level the apron fabric. Individual tiles may move during installation, and if an adhesive substance gets on the mirror surface, it should be removed immediately. After the composition hardens, this will be much more difficult, and even more so there is no guarantee that the glass will not become cloudy. If necessary, you can moisten a sponge or cloth towel in a small amount of dissolving agent. After several days have passed, when the adhesive has completely dried, you can proceed to sealing the seams on the tiles. This is done using transparent silicone sealant. If the structure is solid, it is recommended to process the joints on the sides using this method. Mirrored splashbacks fit perfectly into all types of designs, and also give the kitchen a stylish and modern appearance. For this reason, when creating new decorative elements, this option should be taken into consideration. Details of the process are presented in the video.
Mirror mosaic: reviews
Consumers who have managed to appreciate all the advantages of this material speak about it only in a positive way. According to them, this is a very original and creative decor. A composition created on the basis of small mirror fragments allows you to visually expand and brighten the room. It is also important that the edges of the tiles are carefully processed, thanks to which this product is absolutely safe to use.
A mosaic of mirror fragments fits perfectly into the interior of small rooms. It is appropriate in small bedrooms, bathrooms and dark hallways. Miniature mirrors in silver and golden shades allow you to hide any defects and unevenness of the walls. The only thing that almost everyone who has already purchased such a mosaic recommends is careful attention to the choice of adhesive composition with which this decor will be fixed. It is advisable to give preference to non-aggressive liquid nails. Otherwise, the chemical component may damage the thin layer of mirror amalgam.
