Date: 26/10/2009 3:19:50 AM
~Done With Mirrors~_
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Whether polished obsidian, bronze or metal-..backed-glass, we have been gazing at our reflection for thousands of years. Still, mirrors are somewhat behind the times when it comes to creative and off-the-wall modern furniture designs. But while mirror mirror on the wall still holds true in most cases, designers have never been more playful at exploring new design concepts in mirror-making. Here are some unique examples of new mirror designs that one would expect to find lurking with Alice in Through the Looking Glass.
Whatever a mirror is made from, it has to be reflective, surely? Not if you think laterally. Daniel Rozin's
creations get around non-..reflectivity by interpreting the image from
an outward-facing camera and converting it into subtle changes in an
array of small side-lit objects - in effect, pixels. The result is
mirroring made from wooden blocks, wooden pegs, ball-bearings and even
lumps of trash. See the wooden mirror at work here.
Converting the humble wall-mirror into something rarely seen outside a funfair, the Flect Magic Mirror
warps and contorts when you run the magnetic "magic wand" over it. When
you have finished twisting your reflection hither and thither, remove
the wand and the mirror springs back into shape. All the fun of
"breaking" a mirror without the seven years of bad luck.
What else can a mirror be? Here are two designs that reflect on this problem. Philippe Starck evidently believes that it can be a set of shelving that subtly encourages you to tidy up after yourself. Juanco's
mirror has a built-in tape measure, neatly stepping around the need for
another person in the room when you want to check exactly how tall you
are in your new shoes.
Seeing
yourself head-on is all very well, but hair-styles wrap around. A
sensible alternative to awkwardly working a hand mirror behind your head
is this 360 Degree Mirror - except it's only 180 degrees, and
surely they've got their reflections mixed up there? However, no denying
it is a great concept.
One theme, two perspectives. On the left we have the Chandelier Mirror, adding a touch of Phantom of the Opera to your decor. And on the right, its mirror-image, the Mirror Chandelier - a pendant lamp that wouldn't fail to stun if it was surrounded by candles or positioned to catch firelight.
Convention
dictates that a mirror is a single unbroken surface. Evidently these
designers don't hold much truck with convention. Afroditi Krassa
works with mirrored sculptures, working mirrors into images of her
design to hold images of yours. Alternately, this mirror from Inside IDSland appears to be cascading gently off the wall like a giant, feather-like Slinky.
For traditional single-surface wall mirrors, there are two directions to go. The Wipe Mirror
goes down the quirky route, simulating what you're forced to do when
the mirror's too fogged up to be useful. The stunningly clean-lined Dog Head mirror from TranSglass® seeks otherworldly sophistication,.. looking less manufactured than CGI-rendered.
Mirrors for the geekily-..minded. A tribute to the maddeningly addictive puzzle game by Alexey Pajitnov, the Tetris Mirror will have you whistling that theme tune as you brush your hair - and Oregon Scientific's grandly-titled Mirror Weather Station will be able to tell you the likelihood of whether you will need a coat to two decimal places.
So what is next for mirrors? Most likely, they turn into windows. Thanks to nifty technology developed in Japan, what appears to be simple plate glass can become a mirrored surface
at the flick of a switch, via the introduction of either oxygen or
hydrogen into a layer between glass sheets. As well as a breakthrough in
the techniques of keeping sunlit buildings cool, it's a whole new world
of mirrors. Although we cannot be sure, we are presuming the Allure mirror
is one such example - from a few feet away it appears to be an array of
glowing lights, but get within sensor-range (around 18 inches) and
suddenly there you are, staring right back...
Mirror, mirror, on the wall... where would we be without these shiny, silvered glass panes that reflect so well - sometimes TOO well? While it's true that mirrors aren't all they're cracked up to be, these marvelous modern mirror designs may just be the fairest of them all.
Love Me, Love My Self
The Narcisse Collection from the French design house Domestic
features 32 different styles of mirrors, each of which will provoke a
second glance. Whether you look sharp, feel the pits or simply like what
you "saw", these mind-bending mirrors show off while showing you
yourself.
More Mirror Narcissism
Few
of us roll out of bed looking our best, what with the dreaded Bed Head
and such. Those who need an instant shot of self-..confidence would be
advised to get the Oh How Beautiful (You Are) mirror,
designed by Joop Steenkamer Jr. and available in 2 different sizes.
Gaze into the miror, ignore your actual reflection and read: "Oh how
beautiful you are! You're charming. You look gorgeous! It's fantastic.
You are infinitely attractive! I think that you are fabulous, just
fabulous! You are absolutely delectable. Your hair is really stunning,
it sparkles with life! I love the way that you do your hair, that silken
head of curls and waves is glorious." Ready to take on that world? Of
course... you're fabulous!
Jig Saw Puzzle
The 15-inch square Mirror Puzzle
differs from ordinary jigsaw puzzles in that every time it's completed,
it displays a different image. That is, unless the puzzle-solver
manages to blur the surfaces with their fingerprints. A transparent
lucite top and base help provide protection - for the furniture, the
silvered mirror surfaces and the owner's fingertips.
Circle Gets The Square
Here's
a video of Rozin's Circles Mirror in action. The Circles Mirror is made
up of 900 overlapping circles with each circle hooked up to its own
servomotor. When operating, the servos move the individual circles to
expose varying patterns of light and dark shades. The overall effect has
to be seen to be believed, so here goes:
Who Tall Are You?
Ever wonder how you measure up against the rich and famous? Wonder no longer, the Who Tall Are You?
mirror keeps you on the level of any one of 120 celebrities. Designed
by Ismaril Wells, this unique mirror leads off with Peter the Great and
makes good reading: who knew Barry White stood taller than Arnold
Schwarzenegger?
I DO Wanna Be A Pirate!
Choe & Tomlinson's Self Portrait Mirrors
give the gazer a glimpse into their inner pirate, moose, moustachio,
skeleton and more. Made from lightweight acrylic and shipped with
mounting tacks, these offbeat mirrors measure 12 by 16 inches and are
good for a laugh as well as a look.
Raindrop Mirrors Keep Fallin' On My Head
Retro starburst mirrors
are all the rage, at least that's what's being said. That being said,
maybe a Raindrop Mirror will add a burst of stardom to your room. At 63
inches in diameter, this mirror demands a lot of wall but put opposite a
window it'll light up any living space.
You Look Radiant!
Bathrooms are places one wants warmth and reflection yet space is often at a premium. Acova
has the answer: combination radiator / mirrors that come in a choice of
43 different colors and 7 metallic shades to suit your decor scheme.
Available in a range of sizes up to the 72-inch by 11.5-inch Double
Fassane Mirror Radiator, these units feature full-length flattened
heating-tubes that not only warm the room, but also speed evaporation
from a shower-fogged mirror.
Degrade Your Image
Extra-light "Fiction" mirrors from Glas Italia
offer the deconstructed look with degrading shaded silvering that
gradually fades away in your choice of ascending or descending. The
mirror mounts to the wall via a single attachment point: a chrome-plated
metal cylinder. Designed by Jean-Marie Massaud, Fiction mirrors won the
Interior Innovation Award Cologne in the Materials category at the IMM
Cologne 2008... so you KNOW it's gotta be good.
Hallway Surfin'
The
Surf Mirror is meant to evoke the organic, lens-shaped form of a
classic sixties surfboard. It even has a wood frame and the smaller,
hallway version comes with a center mounted shelf for keys, Tiki mugs,
beach-combing finds and whatnot. Designed by M.Perego for Porada, the Surf Mirror manages to recall the past while maintaining a sleek, ultramodern look.
Lookin' Sharp!
The Sweeney Todd Razorblade Mirror
by Phil Sims (not that Phil Sims, the other one) will ensure both you
and your bathroom, bar, hideout or prison cell look as sharp as can be.
Named after the legendary Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the 27-inch by
16-inch mirror is modeled after the famous (or infamous, if you've ever
used one) DE razor blade.
Flora Length Mirror
The Profile Mirror
by Damask Design in the UK displays a neo-Victorian cum 1970s floral
motif that lushly spreads across its right side. Ideal for rooms that
are a little TOO modern and need some softening up, the Profile Mirror
measures 45-inches tall by 17-inches wide.
Modern Quirky Mirrors
Mirrors don't always have to perfectly reflect objects, they can also be objets d'art as are these so-called Modern Quirky Mirrors.
Odd angles, layers of shading and patterns that are anything but
two-..dimensional provide for an enticing interplay of light and shadow
that can bring visual interest to any room.
Rubik's Reflection
Officially called Rubik's Mirror Blocks,
this maddening puzzle recently released in Japan ingeniously uses
facets of different sizes since, being mirrored, all the surfaces are
the same reflective silver.
Here's the unboxing video for Rubik's Mirror Blocks, c/o syuhei22:
A Real Magic Mirror
Who's
the fairest, you ask? Never mind that, is the jacuzzi warmed up yet?
"Basil the Butler", who inhabits the Magic Message Mirror from ThemeAddicts,
will keep you updated on the jacuzzi and a number of other household
tasks. He'll even announce when guests and/or family members arrive
home, thanks to his built-in greeter software. Sample phrases include "Hmmm… most curious... it seems that we have a pedestrian approaching up our driveway" and "Alarm! Alarm! The pool gate has been opened".
Created by Hollywood animatronics wunderkind Craig Barr, the
semi-..customizable "Basil of the Mirror" bridges the gap between home
security software and automated video imagery. As the 30-inch diagonal
LCD screen is silvered to provide a mirror finish but really now, if you
had Basil in your home would you EVER turn him off?
Photographers
know countless methods to add interest to to their images through
tricks of light, angle, color and more. One of the oldest ones in the
book is to double the image with a reflection - to create a kind of
mirror image of the original within the same frame. A well-planned
reflection can display perfect symmetry or a uniquely distorted one that
can be captured only a single time before it shimmers away.
Bridges
Bridges
over water are a favorite subject of photographers. Caught at just the
right angle and in the right light, a bridge over its reflection in the
water can create a new shape reflective of the old but with an entirely
altered range of colors and tones - a kind of darkened mirrored copy of
the original.
These
bridges all create the illusion of a solid object because their
reflection is perfectly symmetrical and visually connected to the bridge
itself. These stunning examples of symmetrical reflections create an
artificial sense of space and mass.
Nature and Landscapes
Landscapes
and natural settings are also great places to catch amazing
reflections. Whether via clouds reflected in a puddle or a single
falling leaf reflected in a lake, nature's reflections can be striking
and memorable and the framing of the mirrored copy can make it even more
engaging than its original above.
If
you let your eyes relax, these reflections seem to create a whole new
picture where the original image and its mirror image in the water
become one. When you see these pictures as one whole rather than two
halves, it feels almost as if you're stepping into a new world.
Architecture
Man-made
objects like buildings and even entire cities have their own unique
beauty when pictured with their reflections. The hard lines and sharp
spires are softened and made to look more organic in the water-borne
reflections.
Reflections
are often used by photographers to imply mass of a building because
they do, in effect, make the building appear twice as big. However,
they can also be used to project a sense of regality or even a sense of
magic or mysticism.
Interesting Reflections
Sometimes,
it's not the items being reflected that's spectacular - it's the
surface the reflections are bouncing off of. In the two images above,
surrounding objects are reflected in shiny surfaces to create
extraordinary new images. In the skyscraper image, the building seems
to almost blend in with the sky due to the reflected clouds on its
mirrored facade.
Some
of the most beautiful reflection photos are those that create new and
unexpected shapes. In the three images above, ordinary scenes are made
truly exceptional because of the unique reflections shown in each. In
the first, a domed walkway becomes a tube with right-side-up and
upside-down people walking its length. In the middle image, a short
building becomes a tall, beautiful example of modern architecture. And
in the final image, a semi-circular window becomes an open mouth, with
part of the ceiling forming a nose. The people in the photo seem to be
walking into and out of the gaping mouth.
There are only two ways of speading light
- to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it..
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