' '

Home Decor Venetian Mirrors Before & After

I Replaced 3 Plain Mirrors in My Mumbai Flat With Venetian Ones — The Transformation Was Unreal

🪞

Natasha D'Souza

April 2026  ·  Prabhadevi, Mumbai  ·  14 min read

Let me start with a confession: I used to think a mirror was a mirror. You hang it on the wall, it shows you your reflection, it does its job. I had three of them in our flat in Prabhadevi — a plain round one in the bedroom, a rectangular one in the hallway, and a standard frameless one in the living room — and I genuinely never thought about them much.

Then a designer friend visited for dinner and — very politely, in the way only good friends manage — told me that my mirrors were the most underperforming elements in an otherwise beautifully curated flat. "The walls are working hard," she said, "but the mirrors are just mirrors." She was right. Within six weeks, I had replaced all three with Venetian mirrors from Shopps.in. This post is about what happened next.

"I am not a professional interior designer — I am a senior architect at a firm in BKC with a deep interest in our home's aesthetics and a husband who has learned to trust my instincts. This post is based on three real purchases from Shopps.in — real money, real delivery, real results."

— Natasha D'Souza, Prabhadevi, Mumbai

3

Plain mirrors replaced with Venetian ones in our flat

500

Years of history behind the Venetian mirror tradition

Free

All-India shipping on all Shopps.in mirrors

Quick — What Is a Venetian Mirror, Exactly?

Before I tell you about the transformation, let me quickly explain what makes a Venetian mirror different from any other decorative mirror — because it is not obvious until someone explains it.

A Venetian mirror comes from the Murano glassmaking tradition of 16th-century Venice. The defining feature is this: the frame border is made of mirror glass — not wood, metal, or resin. The border panels are etched, engraved, and bevelled glass that surround the central reflective surface. The result is a mirror whose border itself catches and reflects light, creating dozens of small secondary reflections around the primary reflection. Under different lighting conditions throughout the day, the mirror is literally a different object — it changes with the light in a way that no other wall decoration does.

What My Plain Mirrors Were Doing Wrong

My designer friend put it well: "A plain mirror reflects. A Venetian mirror performs." My three plain mirrors were all doing exactly one thing — reflecting what was in front of them, faithfully and competently. They added nothing to the rooms they occupied. They were passive. A Venetian mirror is active — it interacts with light, it creates visual interest even when nothing interesting is in front of it, and it adds a layer of decorative complexity that makes the whole wall feel considered.

Replacement 1 — The Living Room Wall (Starburst Venetian Mirror)

Our living room faces west — brilliant afternoon light that pours through the windows from about 2pm until sunset. My designer friend had pointed out that the plain frameless mirror I had on the east wall opposite the windows was doing a competent job of reflecting the light back into the room, but that the reflection itself had no visual interest — it was just a rectangle of light on a wall.

The Starburst Venetian Mirror from Shopps.in (₹17,900 from ₹39,000 — 54% off) changed this completely. The radiating glass panel rays of the starburst frame catch the afternoon light individually — each panel reflecting at a slightly different angle, creating a solar pattern of reflected light that moves slowly across the room as the sun moves. My husband called me from the living room two days after we hung it: "come see what this mirror does at 4pm." The room looked like a different place.

Living Room · Starburst Venetian Mirror ₹17,900 ₹39,000

Starburst Venetian Mirror — The Living Room Showstopper

The etched glass panel rays of the starburst respond to natural light in a way that no photograph can fully capture. In the afternoon on our west-facing living room, it creates a moving pattern of reflected light that makes the room feel alive. Multiple guests have stood in front of it trying to figure out how it works. Delivered to Mumbai in 9 days, packaged in a sturdy crate with foam corner protection. Zero damage.

✓ Loved

The afternoon light interaction is genuinely breathtaking. Gold tones perfect for warm Indian light. 54% off — extraordinary value. Packaging excellent.

△ Worth Knowing

Heavier than expected — use two fixings in the wall rather than one. We used Rawlplug anchors in our concrete wall. Very secure now.

★★★★★ See at Shopps.in →

Replacement 2 — The Hallway (Round Venetian Mirror)

Our hallway is long and narrow — about 12 feet from the front door to the living room, and just wide enough for two people to pass comfortably. The plain rectangular mirror I had on the right wall was functional (last check before leaving, sense of space in the narrow corridor) but it felt industrial — like something you would find in a gym changing room.

The Round Venetian Mirror from Shopps.in (₹12,900 from ₹23,000 — 44% off) was a revelation. The circular form immediately softened the hallway's linear geometry. The etched glass border catches the hallway spotlight we have installed overhead, creating a halo of small reflections around the central mirror glass that makes the spot light appear to illuminate the entire mirror rather than just casting a circle on it. Every person who comes into our flat comments on the hallway now. My neighbour asked me twice where I bought "that gorgeous antique mirror."

Hallway · Round Venetian Mirror ₹12,900 ₹23,000

Round Venetian Mirror — The Hallway Transformer

The most accessible Venetian mirror in the Shopps.in collection and genuinely the best value decorative mirror I have found online in India. The circular form works beautifully in Indian apartment hallways — it softens angular corridor geometry and the etched glass border performs brilliantly under the concentrated light of a hallway spotlight.

✓ Loved

The etched border under spotlight creates a halo effect that looks expensive and considered. Multiple guests thought it was an antique. Best value at ₹12,900.

△ Worth Knowing

Make sure your hallway spotlight or natural light source is positioned to hit the border panels — that's where the magic happens.

★★★★★ See at Shopps.in →

Replacement 3 — The Master Bedroom (Venetian Ruby Empress Mirror)

The master bedroom was the purchase I deliberated over longest. A bedroom mirror has to do more work than mirrors in other rooms — it is seen first thing every morning and last thing every night, under different emotional conditions, in different light. The plain round mirror I had above our side table was fine in a way that increasingly felt inadequate.

The Venetian Ruby Empress Mirror from Shopps.in (₹23,990 from ₹49,000 — 51% off) was the most considered purchase of the three. I chose it for the vertical format — it occupies the wall beside our bed with a stately presence that horizontal or round mirrors cannot project — and for the quality of the etched border detailing, which I had read about in a mirror specialist blog and wanted to experience for myself. The "Ruby" quality is real: under our bedside lamp at night, the etched glass border panels develop a warmth that is genuinely extraordinary to look at while you are lying in bed. It is the last thing I see when I close my eyes every night and I still have not got tired of it.

Master Bedroom · Venetian Ruby Empress Mirror ₹23,990 ₹49,000

Venetian Ruby Empress Mirror — The Bedroom Anchor

The most purchase-worthy piece of the three. The vertical format creates a stateliness that horizontal or round mirrors cannot project. The "Ruby" quality under bedside lamp light — a deep warmth in the etched glass border — is genuinely something you have to see to understand. The 51% discount makes this an extraordinary value for what it delivers.

✓ Loved

The evening lamp light quality is like nothing else. Vertical format commands the bedroom wall. Construction quality is genuinely exceptional. The most loved piece in our flat.

△ Worth Knowing

The heaviest of the three — ensure your wall anchor can take the weight before hanging. In Mumbai's older buildings, always use expansion anchors, not just screws.

★★★★★ See at Shopps.in →

All 3 Purchases — Quick Summary

Room & Mirror

What Changed

Price

Living Room
Starburst Venetian

Afternoon light creates moving solar pattern across the room

₹17,900

Hallway
Round Venetian

Corridor now the first thing guests notice and comment on

₹12,900

Bedroom
Ruby Empress

Evening lamp creates warm "ruby" quality that is endlessly beautiful

₹23,990

Browse All Venetian Mirrors at Shopps.in

4 Venetian styles + 75 more mirror designs · Free all-India shipping · IGST-inclusive pricing

📦 Free All-India Shipping ✅ IGST-Inclusive 💬 WhatsApp Support

Browse All Mirrors at Shopps.in →

Questions From Readers

Q Are Venetian mirrors from Shopps.in genuine or just decorative mirrors with the name?

A Based on my three pieces: the defining characteristics of genuine Venetian mirrors are present — glass-on-glass border construction (the frame panels are mirror glass, not wood or metal), etched surface treatment on the border panels (you can feel the texture), and bevelled edges (run your finger along the edge and feel the angled bevel). These are not just decorative mirrors called "Venetian" for marketing purposes. The craftsmanship is genuine.

Q How should I hang a Venetian mirror in my flat to get the best light effect?

A Two placement strategies work best: (1) Opposite a window — the mirror captures the window's full light and returns it into the room, creating a second effective "light source." The Venetian border adds secondary reflections around the primary reflection. (2) Near a concentrated light source (spotlight, wall sconce, table lamp) — the etched glass border panels each catch the concentrated light source individually, creating a halo of small reflections that makes the light appear to surround the mirror. Both effects are genuinely beautiful and make a real practical difference to room brightness.

Q Can I place a Venetian mirror in my bedroom according to Vastu?

A Yes, with a few guidelines. In Vastu, bedroom mirrors should not reflect the sleeping body — the mirror should not face the bed directly. Our Ruby Empress is on the wall beside the bed (not opposite it), which Vastu considers acceptable. North and east wall placement is preferred. Avoid the south wall for bedroom mirrors. Our mirror is on the north side of our bedroom — considered auspicious for positive energy flow.

What Readers Are Saying

🪞

Meera K. · Juhu, Mumbai

2 weeks ago

Your description of the "Ruby" quality under lamp light convinced me to order the Venetian Ruby Empress for our bedroom. It arrived to Mumbai in 10 days and everything you said is true — the evening light quality is extraordinary. My husband, who thinks decorating is not worth the effort, stood in front of it for several minutes when I hung it. That's how I know it works.

✨

Ananya P. · Bandra, Mumbai

4 weeks ago

Ordered the Starburst Venetian Mirror for our west-facing living room exactly as you described. The 4pm light effect is genuinely unbelievable — multiple people have asked if we have some kind of special lighting installation. We don't. It's just the mirror doing exactly what you described.

🏠

Deepak & Sonia R. · South Delhi

6 weeks ago

The Round Venetian Mirror in our hallway. Our building secretary — who has been to our flat dozens of times — asked at our last dinner party where we got "that wonderful antique mirror." It arrived less than three weeks before the party. The quality really does read as something with genuine age and heritage to it.