A stagecoach wheel mirror is a kitschy and charming home décor accent piece that can meld with a number of different design styles. How far you want to go with the theme is up to you. Some mirrors maintain the look of an actual wagon wheel, while others simply repurpose the wheel material as a mirror frame that is largely undistinguishable from a fabricated frame.
Stagecoach Wheel Mirror Basics
Stagecoach wheel mirrors tend to come down more on the side of Little House on the Prairie than on Jane Austen novels. In other words, the look and feel of a wheel mirror evokes pioneers and covered wagons more than ornate coaches for running between country estates. Expect rough hewn and distressed wood in natural finishes on wheel mirrors.
Outside of the general ruggedness theme, there is great variation in the design of wheel mirrors. Some are round mirrors that use the outside of the wheel as the frame for the round glass. Others are portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) shaped mirrors for which wagon wheel material has been broken down and formed into a mirror frame. Still other mirrors feature the entire wheel - spokes and all - with mirrored glass appearing between the spokes. The latter type of mirror is more decorative than functional.
Mirror frames are available in various types of wood and various shades of wood finish. Mirrors are also available in a wide range of prices to suit every budget. Note that authentic wheel mirrors - mirrors that are really made from wheels rather than material crafted to look like a wagon wheel - tend to be more expensive.
Wagon wheel mirrors aren't a great fit for every style of decor. They look at most at home in the following design schemes:
Shopping for Wheel Mirrors
Think a stagecoach wheel mirror might be a good decorating touch in your home? Check out the following websites for wagon wheel mirror shopping:
- Lodge Craft - These landscape and portrait shaped mirrors are designed to look like they were crafted from wheels fresh off a settler's covered wagon, but instead are made of hickory sourced in Tennessee. They don't come cheap, but there is an installment payment plan similar to a layaway to let you divvy up the payments before your item ships.
- Black Forest Décor - Another mirror made of hickory, this portrait shaped mirror has a very rustic look that will make a focal point for whatever room you hang it in.
Stagecoach wheel mirrors are not always inexpensive, but these sturdy and durable pieces make a big design statement.
