Mirrors are one of those decorative items that are also a necessity - you need to know you don’t look like something the cat dragged in before you leave the house, after all! And different mirrors are needed for different locations and for different reasons.
Of course there are some dreadful choices, like this acne covered monstrosity (what WERE they thinking??)…, but also some beautiful ones!
Please Note: this post contains affiliate links meaning I may make a small commission on any purchases at no additional cost to you.
Here are some common mirror locations and how to choose the right mirrors for them:
Entry mirrors
Foyer mirrors are perfect to perform a last check for poppyseeds or spinach in your teeth on your way out (or in) the door. These ideally hang over a piece of furniture like a console table, or, if space is tight, over a wall shelf or ledge or even just on their own. Another option might be a mirror as part of a piece of furniture like mirrored doors on an armoire or a hall tree piece with an integral mirror.
Dining room mirrors
Dining spaces are great candidates for a mirror as they can be used to reflect the light from a chandelier and increase the sparkle quotient!
They are ideally hung over a buffet or sideboard. I like to hang these vertically if at all possible to draw the eye up and increase the height. Hanging anything over a piece of furniture means it should be hung within 12” of the top of the furniture so it relates to it and isn’t just floating out there on the wall looking lost and lonely.
An added complication of mirrors is that you usually need to see in them, so cutting off your head to hang them low enough is not ideal - another good argument for large enough and vertical.
Also, bear in mind that much of the time in a dining room is spent seated, so I like to make sure that artwork and such in a DR is hung for comfortable viewing from a seated position.
Because the wall decor above a furniture piece should fill at least 2/3 of the width of the piece, sometimes supplemental items are needed. Plates hung around a dining room mirror are a natural complement. A pair of wall sconces fixtures or candles are another option, as are a pair of buffet lamps.
Mantel mirrors
Many people like to default to a mirror over the mantel. The fireplace and overmantel area are a natural focal point in a room.
When choosing to hang a mirror in this spot, it should be decorative as it is taking a prominent place in the room usually reserved for favorite art.
Reflectel is a company that makes decorative mirrors with special glass to disguise a TV over a mantel - mirror when the TV is off, TV with a decorative frame when the TV is on! These can be fitted over the Samsung Frame TV too - which means you have the option of displaying mirror, artwork, OR television, depending on the mood and occasion!
Overmantel mirrors are usually a little too high to be used to view much of oneself, this means you must take into account what the mirror reflects as that will be the “art”. If it is just reflecting the ceiling, it better be a pretty spectacular ceiling…
Dressing room mirrors
Whether your dressing area is a corner of your bedroom, a walk in closet, or a full-on luxury dedicated dressing room, you’ll need a full length mirror. It will need to be placed where you can back up far enough to get a full body view of your very chic ensemble.
It can be hung on the wall or leaned against it. If you choose leaning, be sure to still anchor it to the wall so that you don’t wake up to a surprising crash in the middle of the night.
If you have ample wall space a 3-way mirror (like in a fancy boutique dressing room) is a great way to check your look from all angles.
If you have limited wall space for a full length mirror, consider mirroring the closet doors instead, or include an armoire with mirrored doors amongst your furnishings.
Bathroom mirrors
There are SO many options and specific considerations for bathroom mirrors! If these have to function for makeup or shaving, good lighting is imperative. In that case, sconces on either side at face height are ideal. Overhead wall light is okay, but does cast some shadows.
This shorter than average wall behind the vanity will benefit from a tilting mirror
Mirrors with LED lighting built into the perimeter are another, more contemporary option for even face light.
For mirrors that need to serve different heights, tilting mirrors can be useful.
An auxiliary wall mounted or standing magnifying mirror is especially helpful for less than 20/20 eyesight, or even if you just need to see every pore up close and personal?!
For vanity mirrors over sinks, don’t forget to take into account the height of the backsplash and faucet clearance needed.
As with elsewhere, the mirror should relate to the vanity as well as to the available wall space, so a room with 9’ ceilings and a 36” tall vanity should have a mirror somewhere in the 40” tall range to not look lost.
These tall ceilings will require tall mirrors
For powder rooms, a well lit mirror is a little less important, so the mirror can function more as a decorative accessory, but it should still be scaled appropriately to relate to the vanity or sink.
To recap:
Pay attention to the height of the mirror - we are aiming to avoid “off with their heads” as the theme here!
Pay attention to the scale of the mirror - it should relate to the furniture or fixtures below it AND to the wall size
Pay attention to the placement of the mirror - it should work in composition with whatever is around it AND it should reflect something attractive. (Hint, an expanse of white popcorn ceiling, or an ill-placed AC duct is not attractive)
