How to Pick the Best Mirror: Mirror Buyer's Guide

Mirrors in the living room are most often decorative pieces, designed to enhance your space. Round mirrors, with their soft lines, will make an impact without redirecting all attention; they will elegantly sit adding to the room’s atmosphere.

Bedroom

Round mirrors are great in the bedroom to contrast all the rigid, straight lines of your furniture, wardrobes, beds, dressing tables etc., in a minimalistic way. A mirror in your bedroom won’t only enhance your look, but the rooms too!

Bathroom mirrors are a lot more about functionality than any other room, but the same principles still stand, contrast the shapes. For those stylish, modern
rectangular sinks, a round mirror above it looks stunning. Perhaps you’d love a mirror on the windowsill in your shower too, smaller round ones make a great use of space and functionality.  

If you have a fire place, a rectangular mirror above it would be a great way to make a bold, unmissable statement that accentuates its beautiful architecture.

Bedroom

Rectangular mirrors are great in the bedroom because it’s where you primarily get ready for the day. This shape is more practical in letting you see more of yourself, so you can check out that outfit fully. Full length mirrors, most common in the bedroom, are also predominantly available in rectangular shapes for that fully immersive view.

If you want to create the illusion of space in your bathroom, rectangular mirrors are ideal to raise the ceiling and extend the width of your walls. They will also keep a traditional look to your bathroom, especially impressive in modern bathrooms.

Hallway

The hallway is usually the last chance you get to look over your outfit and check everything’s looking good, so a mirror here is very important. As hallways are not usually particularly large (unless you’re very lucky!), rectangular mirrors work fantastic to create the illusion of space as well as having bold lines to make a feature piece, as hallways are not usually the most exciting part of the home.

Large mirrors are particularly effective in the living room to make a statement. If hanging over a fire place, it’s important to follow the 2/3 rule so you don’t drown out the fire place and the part it plays in your living room décor. However, small mirrors can work just as great, if they’re providing a little addition to your décor, perhaps above a side table or among a photo wall, they make charming and elegant pieces.

Bedroom

Likewise, large mirrors in the bedroom are super useful as well, being the place you most likely get dressed in the mornings. A large mirror will also maximise your space, reflecting lots of natural light throughout your room to really give you that feel good morning feeling – and of course help you get ready. Smaller mirrors are great on dressers, for up-close use with the finer details when getting ready.

If there’s one prime tip we can leave you with in learning how to pick the best mirror, it’s don’t underestimate the value of a large mirror in the bathroom. A mirror is not only there to help you see when you’re brushing your teeth, but with minimal natural light coming into your bathroom (as a result of those typically super smaller bathroom windows) they will spread the light there is to give you a bright, illuminated room with a clean feel. A large mirror will also make your room seem bigger, which is particularly handy in smaller bathrooms. As I mentioned before, a smaller mirror can be great as an addition on the windowsill or sink side for close-up use.

Hallway

Here, the rule is definitely the larger the mirror, the better! Hallways are not particularly exciting places, so why wouldn’t you make the most of it in ways you can? A large mirror whatever shape, type, or material will make a great impact in your hallway, reflecting any natural light that floods through, and making the ceiling seem taller, walls longer and wider, and of course, those hallways by the front door, will give you optimal space for a last look over your outfit.

Mirrors hung on the wall are super handy because they work well in every room and for every purpose. They are particularly great because they don’t take up space, so in smaller rooms they are an ideal option that won’t take up any precious floor space. Indeed, the downside is that they usually have to be hung with hooks, that are drilled into the wall, so if you decide to take it down later on you will have to sort out covering the holes up/filling them in. Overall, if you don’t have lots of floor space or want it above furniture, wall mirrors are the best pick.

Full Length Mirrors

Especially common and useful in hallways and bedrooms to give a full body view, is full length mirrors. These can be freestanding or hung on the wall, either way dependent upon your square footage, and are usually narrow. Significantly, full length mirrors are great at the end of a hallway to emphasise the apparent space, extending the hallway to seem much bigger than it really is! We would definitely recommend at least one full length mirror in your home.

These are advantageous for the fact they don’t involve hooks or mounts on a wall and can be portable so you can move them around your room and even between rooms. Freestanding mirrors are often either full length or ‘dressing table’ type mirrors, but they can also be used as feature pieces. For example, leaning a large mirror across an area or corner of the room you’re not so keen on covers up the undesirable space, and reflects attention to an alternative area of the room.

Wooden mirror frames tend to suit most décor styles, with different shades of wood giving off different looks. Overall, wood gives a rustic, natural feel to a room with a minimalist chic, Scandi look. Wooden mirrors will often come in intricate designs and patterns making a great focal point in any room.

Glass

Glass-framed mirrors, whether it’s tinted or not, give the mirror a larger surface area, optimising the light and space it creates, allowing them to easily light up your home. Glass also suits most decorative styles, rooms and uses, adding a touch of effortless elegance.

Ideal for adding an on-trend chic look to your home, metal-framed mirrors are perfectly suited to modern homes, creating a contrast between the mirror and the frame itself. Often available in a variety of finishes - matte, gloss, metallic – you can choose a style to accentuate your room without taking the effect away from the mirror. They provide an industrial feel to your room, something that is very much on-trend in recent times.