Friedman Brothers Gilt Mirror

A decorative wall art company especially known for its ornate round and rectangular framed mirrors designed in the Rococo, Louis XVI and other styles, Friedman Brothers is a family-owned and operated brand with a history that goes back over 100 years.

Friedman Brothers’ two namesake siblings emigrated from England to the United States at the dawn of the 20th century, bringing with them Old World–style wood-carving and gold-leafing techniques. One of the oldest decorative wall art companies in America, the Florida-based brand has long specialized in a variety of interior design settings and furniture, such as wall sconces, bed canopies and other fixtures. In particular, Friedman Brothers is revered for its variety of mirrors.

Through partnerships with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Historic Charleston Foundation and other organizations, Friedman Brothers has cemented a reputation for its reproduction of traditional handcrafted vintage and antique mirrors. The company produces a range of mirrors in all shapes and sizes, including neoclassical-style mirrors with gilded wood frames and ornamental motifs, dramatic wall mirrors that prominently feature hallmarks of Asian design and other varieties.

Find a collection of Friedman Brothers mirrors on 1stDibs today.

Vintage and antique wall mirrors add depth and openness to a space — they can help create the illusion that a narrow hallway isn’t so narrow. But you don’t need hundreds of enormous arched French or Italian mirrors framed in gilded bronze to dress up your home (maybe just a few).

A few well-placed large wall mirrors and other types of mirrors can amplify lighting and help showcase the decorative and architectural features of your home. For the Palace of Versailles during the 17th century, French King Louis XIV ordered the construction of the Hall of Mirrors after spending millions of dollars importing expensive Venetian mirrors from the revered glass-blowing factories on the island of Murano. A mirror-manufacturing rivalry between Paris and Venice took shape, and soon, across from 17 large windows that open out over the adjacent Palace Gardens on one side of the Hall, more than 350 mirrors — large mirrors made of groupings of small panes — were installed, effectively bringing the radiant colors of the outdoors into the opulent corridor.

Wall mirrors for your living room can work miracles — pull your landscaping’s colors and textures indoors, Louis XIV–style, by covering the length of an interior wall across from your living-room windows with wall mirrors.

For a similar effect, surrounding your mid-century modern wall mirror with leafy air plants and fern floor plants can amplify the sense of serenity that greenery offers in your home. Choose wall mirror frame styles to match your home’s decor, or shop for a frameless, organically shaped mirror that’s cut or beveled for a clean yet distinctive showpiece. For a free-spirited Bohemian feel, create a cluster of mismatched antique wall mirrors — an arrangement of circular Art Deco wall mirrors, Rococo-style silver leaf mirrors and decorative oval Victorian mirrors could add spice to an otherwise unadorned dining-room wall.

Elsewhere, there’s nothing vain about buying a full-length mirror for your bedroom, bathroom or walk-in closet to help you perfect your look for the day. Another may be needed in your entryway for a last-minute ensemble inspection. In fact, a shimmering 18th-century hall of mirrors awaits visitors behind the steel door of Stephen Cavallo’s atelier in Manhattan.

“We like to see the look on people’s faces when they walk in,” says Cavallo.

Decorating your home and office with wall mirrors is an art form in and of itself — get started today with the variety of antique and vintage wall mirrors on 1stDibs.