Choosing your mirror

A well-chosen mirror can really enhance a room by creating a focal point, reflecting light back into the room and opening up the space, making the room feel larger. If well positioned, a mirror will also give views of the room and objects in the room from different angles.

The main considerations when choosing a mirror for your home are:

  • Style - there are no hard and fast rules here and personal taste plays a huge role in deciding. The main factor is the décor of your room, whether contemporary, traditional or eclectic. Whether your style is sharp, clean and modern to period classic, choose something you like. As a rule of thumb, in a traditional interior, with perhaps a Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian feel, a traditional-style mirror would best suit. For example, archtop overmantles, Adam Style Overmantles, or a swept frame. They would normally be in gold but you could give these a modern twist by going for silver, white or another colour. Also consider our custom-made antique mirror glass.
  • A more modern interior is going to benefit from a more modern style mirror. Mirrors with mirrored frames evoke an Art Deco feel but also fit in perfectly with a minimalistic modern scheme. Large mirrors covering large expanses of wall or leaning up at an angle can look very effective, but don’t restrict yourself to contemporary designs. A traditional or antique mirror in gold, silver or white can look fantastic if placed carefully in a contemporary interior.
  • Size - Generally the bigger the better. The mirror will reflect-back light and open up any room, making it feel larger. So the bigger the mirror the more effective this effect will be. In 30 years of selling mirrors I cannot remember a mirror being returned because it looked too big for a space. The reverse is in fact true, with people finding that once they get a small or medium mirror home, it looks a bit small and they want to upgrade to a larger one.
  • A good way to judge what size mirror fits your space would be to mark out the area with ‘post it’ notes, which won’t mark the wall. Then stand back, adjust as necessary and measure the space. It is also a useful way to see what a particular size of mirror will look like once up on the wall.
  • Important Note: If you are ordering a large mirror please check it will fit into the room, up the stairs and around corners etc.