Here are some clever ways to use mirrors to make your home look bigger and brighter

Mirrors are not just for moments of vanity but for enhancing light and space, writes Carol O’Callaghan

Old King Louis XIV knew a thing or two about design when he created his Hall of Mirrors at Versailles more than 300 years ago. It must have been an astonishing sight, reflecting sunlight by day and candlelight after dark, at a time when mirrors were the preserve of the rich, and used purely for purposes of deciding who was the fairest of them all.

An interesting mirror like this polygon from the Conran range at M&S becomes a focal point by dispensing with the tradition of centring it on a wall and off-setting it instead for an arty effect (€169).