Mirrors are one of the most practical tools in home furnishing -- they add light, make rooms feel larger, and serve as statement pieces -- but they have to be sized and placed correctly to do any of those things well. An undersized mirror on a large wall looks like an afterthought. A mirror hung at the wrong height on a dark wall does nothing for the light. Getting the basic rules right makes the difference between a mirror that looks intentional and one that just takes up wall space.
Using Mirrors to Make Rooms Feel Larger
Mirrors make rooms feel larger by reflecting the view from the window opposite -- or the lamp light behind the viewer. To get this effect, the mirror needs to face a window or a light source, not a dark wall or a blank corner. A mirror hung on the wall opposite a window essentially doubles the apparent width of the view that enters the room. A mirror hung perpendicular to a window reflects the adjacent wall and does much less for the space.
The effect is proportional to the mirror size. A large floor mirror or an oversized wall mirror reads as an architectural feature and significantly changes the feel of a room. A small decorative mirror on a large wall does very little for light or space -- it reads as decoration only.
Entryway Mirrors
The most functional use of a mirror in a home is in the entryway. A full-length mirror or a tall console mirror near the front door lets people check their appearance before leaving -- practical and almost universally valued. Height: the mirror should allow a person of average height to see from head to at least mid-torso. A console mirror on a hall table should sit at a height where you can see your face when standing.
Entryway mirrors are often paired with a console table or hall tree beneath them. This combination creates a landing zone for keys, mail, and bags while the mirror adds depth to a typically narrow space.
Dining Room Mirrors
A large mirror on one wall of a dining room doubles the apparent size of the room and reflects candlelight and overhead lighting in a way that makes the space feel warmer and more expansive during meals. In a formal dining room, a full-wall or oversized rectangle mirror above a buffet or sideboard is a classic combination. The mirror should be close in width to the furniture below it -- or slightly wider -- to read as a coordinated pair.
Living Room Mirrors
In a living room, a large mirror above a fireplace or on a focal wall serves as a statement piece and an anchor for the room. The mirror should be sized relative to the surface below it: above a fireplace mantel, roughly 2/3 to 3/4 the width of the mantel. A mirror much narrower than the mantel looks undersized; one that is the same width as the mantel or wider reads as intentional.
Round mirrors work well as accent pieces in living rooms when a rectangular shape would feel too formal or too structured. They also break up gallery walls composed of rectangular frames.
Mirror Height Placement
The center of a wall-hung mirror should be at eye level -- 57 to 60 inches from the floor. This applies in most rooms. The exception is above a piece of furniture, where you lower the mirror so the gap between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the mirror is 4 to 8 inches. A mirror hung too high above a console or buffet looks disconnected; one that is too close appears stacked.
Floor Mirrors
Freestanding floor mirrors -- full-length leaner mirrors -- work in bedrooms, dressing areas, and living room corners. They require no wall mounting and can be repositioned easily. The trade-off is that they lean against the wall rather than being fixed, so they are less stable. In a high-traffic household with children, a wall-mounted full-length mirror is safer than a leaning one.
We carry decorative mirrors, entry mirrors, and accent pieces at our Mesquite showroom at 227 US HWY 80 E. If you are looking for something specific -- a certain height, a certain frame style -- call us at (972) 288-9322 or come in and we will walk you through what we have in stock.
Quality Home Furniture has served the Dallas-Fort Worth area from our Mesquite showroom since 1975. We're a family-owned business at 227 US HWY 80 E, Mesquite TX -- open Monday through Saturday 10am to 7pm and Sunday 1pm to 6pm. Call (972) 288-9322.
Knowing the room dimensions before you choose a mirror size saves you from an undersized mirror on a large wall. Read our guide to measuring your room before you shop.