Extra Large Mirrors

Choosing the right size of big mirror for your wall

At this scale the question is less whether a mirror is big enough and more whether it suits the wall you have. Measure the wall and the furniture beneath it. Above a sideboard, console or bed, a mirror around two-thirds to three-quarters of the furniture's width usually looks settled, with a hand's width of wall between them. On an empty wall it can take up far more of the space without crowding it.

Before you order, mark the outline on the wall with masking tape or paper cut to size, and look at it from the doorway and from where you usually sit. Check that doors, switches and radiators stay clear of the mirror, and measure the route in as well: the front door, the stairs and any tight turn on the landing.

Which type of extra large mirror do you need?

Most of the range are wall mirrors, made to hang above furniture or on a clear stretch of wall, where they bounce light around the room. Many are full-length mirrors, tall enough to see yourself from head to toe, which makes them a natural fit for a bedroom, a dressing area or the end of a hallway. We also stock a few cheval mirrors, which stand on their own frame, and a few mantel mirrors made for the wall above a fireplace.

If you are torn, think about the job it has to do. A wall mirror is mostly about light and space, so place it where it can catch a window or a long view. A full-length mirror is a working mirror too, so put it where you can stand well back from it, ideally in good daylight.

Which shape of extra large mirror suits your room?

Most of our extra large mirrors are rectangular, the shape that makes the most of a big wall. A rectangle hung portrait adds height to a narrow stretch of hallway; hung landscape, it follows the line of a sideboard or bed. Many are arched, borrowing the curve of a window to soften a tall, flat wall, and many have an irregular outline that gives a modern room a focal point.

You will also find a few oval, round and square designs, and a hexagonal mirror. Curves are worth considering in a room full of straight lines, such as a hallway of doors and skirting, where an oval or round mirror makes the space feel softer.

Which frame, finish and style for an extra large mirror?

Most of the range is made with wood, and many pieces use metal, resin or ABS, with a few in composite, MDF or polycarbonate. Many have a clean modern frame and many are frameless, so the glass meets the wall with nothing around it. Many are ornate, with decorative detail suited to a period room, and a few have a bevelled edge that catches the light.

Finishes run through silver, gold, black, grey, white, bronze and brown, along with clear designs. Most of the range is modern in style, and many pieces are traditional, classic or industrial, with a few rustic, vintage, Scandinavian and art deco designs. As a rule, echo a finish already in the room, such as door handles or light fittings, and choose a slim frame or none at all where you want the reflection to do the work.

How to hang a big mirror on a wall safely

Weight is the thing to plan for. Check how heavy the mirror is before you buy fixings, then fix into masonry or a timber stud rather than plasterboard alone, with fixings rated well above that weight. Two fixing points spread the load and make it easier to hang the mirror level. Check the wall for hidden cables and pipes before you drill, and have a second person to lift and hold the mirror while you mark and fix.

The right wall plugs and screws depend on your wall rather than the mirror, so buy them to suit it. If you are unsure what your wall can hold, an hour of a tradesperson's time is money well spent.

Where an extra large mirror works best

Most of our extra large mirrors suit a hallway, where a big mirror on a side wall makes a narrow space feel wider and carries light from end to end. Most suit a living room as well, where a mirror opposite or beside a window throws daylight back into the room, and a mirror above a fireplace or sofa gives it a focal point.

Many also suit a bedroom, where a full-length mirror near the wardrobe is the practical choice; keep a large mirror off the wall facing the bed if a reflection at night would bother you. A few suit a study, and we have a mirror for the dining room. Wherever it goes, look at what it will face, because a mirror doubles everything in front of it, clutter included.