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Mirrors still are being used as accents over fireplaces, in entrance halls, in foyers. In a bedroom, Ruthazer prefers full-length mirrors on the back of a door as opposed to over a dresser. "Women like to see themselves in total so a mirror over a dresser often is not used. I like to use that spot for a painting or other artwork that adds warmth to the room."

Both designers are cautious about using mirrors in a dining room. "People are drawn to their own reflections. In a dining room, they tend to talk to the mirror rather than to their dinner partners," said Spiegel. "No matter where you put a mirror, you must be careful of what you are reflecting," said Ruthazer. "Choose something pretty, like an outside view or a painting - avoid flat walls or people at the dinner table.

Beveled mirrors are back in style. Spiegel sees beveled mirrors placed in a diamond pattern or between architectural columns to enhance a room that doesn't have a lot of other architectural details. Galaxy's Csaki sees an increase in beveled mirrors, particularly in the smaller two-by-two-foot or two-by-four-foot mirrors, as well as in the heavier mirrors. "previously, a thick mirror was 1/4-inch but now we are making 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch thick ones. Beveling gives them a richer, deeper look."

Today's mirrors are framed in a variety of ways. In addition to the tile frames, there are hand-rubbed frames, antiqued frames and faux-finished frames. Resin frames are both popular and practical for large mirrors because, said Spiegel, heavier wood frames would mean a massive installation. In high-end projects, mirrors are being set also into applied molding - essentially a custom-frame application.

With the increasing popularity of home gyms, Spiegel sees more mirror installations that involve ballet bars - an application new to the residential market. These and other specialty applications, such as the mirrored fireplace she recently completed in a large contemporary home, require professional expertise from beginning to end. the fireplace enclosure itself is granite, to meet all the necessary fire codes, but the granite mantel seems to float on a wall of clear glass and black glass mirrors. The project was a joint endeavor with Galaxy, who did the manufacturing and the installation.

Special considerations, particularly in large installations, include limitations on the size of glass that can be brought in, the location of the seams, and scheduling the installation in its proper relationship to the other elements of the project. "A professional designer has the foresight to see the project through from the beginning, rather than coming to it after the fact," said Csaki. "That's why Galaxy deals only with professional interior designers and architects. At our level of work, the knowledge required is way beyond the level of the lay person."