Living Room Mirrors

Where to hang a living room mirror

A mirror does its best work when it has something worth reflecting. Hung beside or opposite a window, it carries daylight deeper into the room and makes a narrow space feel wider. Before you fix it, sit on the sofa and check what it will show: a lamp or a painting is pleasant to catch, while a television is not. In a darker room, a large mirror near the main source of light does more than a cluster of small ones.

A few of the mirrors on this page are backlit, so they give off light of their own. If you choose a lit mirror, plan where its power will come from before you pick the wall.

Sizing a living room mirror for your wall

Measure the furniture before the wall. Over a sofa, sideboard or console, a mirror slightly narrower than the piece below looks settled, while anything wider can look top-heavy. Leave about a hand's span between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the mirror. Where there is no furniture below, hang the mirror with its centre at roughly eye level.

The dimensions on the product page settle whether the mirror will fit the space, so check them against your wall with a tape measure. If you are still unsure, cut card or paper to the same size, tape it to the wall and live with it for a day before you order.

Living room mirrors above a fireplace

A chimney breast is the natural place for a living room mirror, because the eye already goes there. A few of the mirrors we stock here are mantel mirrors, made for the space above a fireplace. A wall mirror in proportion with the mantel works just as well.

A wide, low chimney breast suits a landscape rectangle, while an arched or round mirror gives height to a narrower chimney. Keep the mirror within the width of the mantel shelf, leaving room on the shelf for candles or a vase. With a working fire or stove below, allow a generous gap so the mirror stays clear of rising heat.

Round, arched and rectangular living room mirrors

Shape sets the mood as much as size. We stock round, rectangular, arched, oval and irregular mirrors. A round mirror softens a room full of straight lines, from bookshelves to a television. Rectangles are the easiest to place; if the product page says yours can hang both ways, turn it portrait to draw the eye up a tall wall or landscape to stretch a long space.

An arched top hints at a window and sits well in period and modern rooms alike. Irregular shapes, with their softer, uneven outlines, give a plain wall a little character. A few of the mirrors on this page are square, a shape that suits alcoves and symmetrical pairs.

Frames and finishes for living room mirrors

Start with the metals and woods already in the room. We stock gold, silver, black, bronze, grey, white and brown finishes, with frames in metal, wood, resin and MDF. Gold and bronze bring warmth to soft neutrals, black gives a crisp line against pale walls, and silver and grey suit cooler colours. For a lighter look, we stock frameless mirrors, bevelled edges and mirrored frames.

Most of our living room mirrors have a modern style. For a period room we stock ornate frames and classic and traditional designs. We also stock rustic, industrial and Scandinavian styles for more relaxed rooms. A few of the mirrors here have an antique finish, which sits well in older houses.

Full-length mirrors in the living room

We stock full-length mirrors for a last look before you head out, or simply to bring height and light to a bare wall. A tall mirror at the far end of a narrow room makes it feel longer, and beside a doorway it catches light from the hall. Before you decide between leaning and fixing, check the mounting details on the product page, so you know whether the mirror is made to lean against the wall, to hang on it, or both.

A leaning mirror is still best secured with a safety fixing in a home with children or pets, and it needs a firm, level floor so it stays put.

Hanging a living room mirror safely

A large mirror can be heavier than it looks. The weight decides the fixings your wall needs: solid brick takes a standard plug and screw, while plasterboard needs cavity fixings rated for the load, or a screw into the timber stud behind. Check whether fixings come with the mirror and whether they suit your wall, so you know what else to buy. The hook type tells you how it hangs, so you can mark and drill before lifting it.

The depth shows how far the mirror stands off the wall, which matters beside a door or a busy walkway. Use a spirit level, check for pipes and cables before drilling, and hang a large mirror with a helper.