The One Item Nate Berkus Swears by for Making a Space Look Bigger

Worth the splurge.

Elly Leavitt

Updated Jun 23, 2023 1:00 PM

Photography by Monica Schipper/Getty Images.

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Time to hit up your local thrift shop: You need a vintage mirror. Aside from adding charm and a certain old-school flair that’s guaranteed to be a conversation starter, these pieces are a great way to fill up an empty wall when traditional artwork won’t do. Small-space dwellers will note another benefit of large mirrors—they open up a room and make it feel instantly larger.

This particular small-space hack comes with a ringing design celeb endorsement. Nate Berkus recommends using bigger mirrors to visually trick the eye into thinking a space is larger than it actually is, sharing this insight via a recent Instagram post.

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A post shared by Nate Berkus (@nateberkus) on Feb 4, 2019 at 10:23am PST

“Looking to invest in something special for your home?” he writes. “There’s always a place in your home for a big, beautiful vintage mirror. It always makes the room feel taller.”

While Berkus’s mirror of choice is a mid-century French oak piece from Paris, the beauty of this styling tip is that it’s customizable. If you’re big on color, look for something simple with a wood frame you can sand down and paint over in the saturated hue of your choice. If you love the antique look, hit up a vintage fair to hunt for a gilded option.

Or if you’d rather forgo the process of tracking down the perfect vintage piece altogether, you can always buy online. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite large mirrors (both contemporary and old school) that are prime for perusal—you’re sure to find one to fit your style.