Mirror Size Guide
A mirror does two jobs. It gives you something to look into, and it gives a wall something to do: bouncing light, doubling a view, softening a blank stretch of paint. Most of ours are decorative rather than full-length, so this guide is about where they go, what size suits the spot, and how to hang them so they stay put.
Quick reference
| Where it goes | Size to choose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Above a bedside table or small shelf | 25 to 35cm (10 to 14in) | One small mirror, or a pair either side of the bed |
| Entry, beside the door | 35 to 50cm (14 to 20in) | Hang so the center is at eye level for a last look on the way out |
| Above a console or sideboard | Half to two-thirds the width of the furniture | Round or arched shapes soften a long, low piece |
| Above a bathroom vanity | 5 to 10cm narrower than the vanity, or one per basin | Choose glass with a clear reflection, not a purely decorative piece |
| A blank wall, on its own | 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in) or larger | Smaller than this on a big wall reads as an accident |
| A group of small mirrors | Three to five pieces, 20 to 35cm each | Mixed shapes in one material, or one shape in mixed sizes |
| Nursery or child's room | Any size, shatterproof acrylic only | Mount with screws, not adhesive or a single hook |
The rule for hanging height
Hang a mirror so its center sits at about 57 to 65 inches (145 to 165cm) from the floor. That is average eye level, and it is also where art galleries hang their pictures, which is why a mirror at that height looks right even when nobody is looking into it. Above furniture, ignore the rule and leave a gap of 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25cm) between the top of the piece and the bottom of the mirror; any more and the two stop belonging to each other.
Sizing to the wall and the furniture
A mirror above a console, dresser or sideboard should be narrower than the furniture and wider than half of it. A 120cm console suits a mirror 60 to 80cm across. A round mirror can be a little smaller than a rectangular one in the same spot, because the empty corners give it breathing room. On a wall with nothing beneath it, go bigger than feels natural; measure the wall, and aim for the mirror to fill between a third and a half of the width.
For the woven, rattan, raffia and macrame pieces, the size on the product page is the outer edge of the surround, not the glass. The glass is usually a third to a half of that. If you want a mirror you will actually use to check your face, look at the glass diameter in the FAQ on each product page, or choose one of the plain-framed pieces where the whole thing is reflective.
Where mirrors work hardest
Opposite a window. A mirror facing a window borrows the daylight and pushes it back into the room. This is the single best place for any mirror in a dark room or a hallway.
At the end of a hallway. A mirror on the far wall makes the corridor read as longer and brighter. Choose something with presence, 50cm or more.
Beside the front door. Small, at eye height, with a hook or a shelf below it for keys. This is the mirror you will use most.
Above a fireplace. Size it to the width of the mantel, roughly two-thirds, and lean it or hang it with the bottom edge 10 to 15cm above the shelf.
In a group. Three or five small mirrors, odd numbers always, arranged with even gaps of 5 to 8cm. Lay them out on the floor first, then transfer the arrangement to the wall by tracing each one on paper and taping the paper up before you drill.
Hanging it so it stays up
Woven and beaded mirrors are light, generally under a kilogram, and hang from a single hook or nail through the loop or hanger on the back. Check the loop is centered so the mirror sits level. Glass mirrors in wood, metal or resin frames are heavier; the product page gives the weight. Under 2kg, a single screw into a stud, or a hollow-wall anchor rated for double the weight, is fine. Over 2kg, use two fixings, one each side, so the mirror cannot swing, and always screw into a stud or a proper anchor rather than plasterboard alone. Adhesive strips are for very light acrylic pieces only, and never in a bathroom, where steam loosens them.
Acrylic mirrors are the ones to choose where a fall would matter: a child's room, a hallway that gets knocked, a rental where you cannot drill. They give a slightly softer reflection than glass and scratch more easily, so clean them with a damp microfiber cloth and nothing abrasive.
Looking after it
Glass: a little glass cleaner on the cloth, not the mirror, so it does not run behind the frame and lift the silvering. Woven and rattan surrounds: a soft brush or the vacuum's dusting attachment, and keep them out of direct steam, which loosens natural fibers over time. Beads and shells: dust with a dry cloth; if something sticky gets on them, a barely damp cloth and dry immediately. Metal and crushed-diamond borders: dry cloth only.
A note on color and finish
Natural materials vary. Rattan is paler or darker from one batch to the next; raffia strands sit a little loose by design; beads are hand strung. That variation is the point of a handmade surround, and the photograph on the product page is a representative piece rather than the exact one that will arrive. Where a color is important to you, email us before you order and we will tell you what the current batch looks like.
Not sure which size or where? Email info@lumenandloam.store with a photo of the wall and the furniture beneath it, and we will tell you what fits.