White Mirrors

What a white frame does

White is the quietest finish we stock. It does not add warmth the way gold does or contrast the way black does, and that is the point of it. On a pale wall a white frame reads as an edge rather than an object, so what you notice is the reflection and the light it returns. In a room that already has a lot going on, that restraint is worth more than a frame with something to say.

White against a white wall

The obvious worry is that a white mirror on a white wall vanishes, and it is half true. What stops it disappearing is depth: the frame casts a shadow line, the glass sits back from the face of the moulding, and the reflection is always a different tone from the wall around it. The effect is a mirror that reads as part of the wall rather than an object hung on it, which is usually what people want in a small room. If you want the outline to register from across the room, a darker finish will do that better.

Painted timber and modern profiles

Two quite different things sit in this range. The first is painted timber, often with the grain still showing through, which gives a softer and slightly rustic result and is a larger part of this range than of our others. The second is a slim modern profile in metal or moulded resin, where the white is flat and even and the frame is a narrow line. A few have worked mouldings finished in white rather than gilt, which reads as a period frame without the weight a gold one carries.

Shapes and sizes

Rectangular leads, with round and arched both well represented. The size spread is unusual for us: medium and large are evenly matched here, where most of our mirror pages are dominated by large. That makes this a good place to look if you are furnishing a smaller wall, a cloakroom or a space beside a door where a big piece would crowd the room. Extra large options are here too for a hallway or a bedroom wall.

Bedrooms and bathrooms

This range skews towards bedrooms more than any of our other mirror pages, and a good share suit a bathroom. Both make sense: white belongs in rooms that are already pale, and it sits naturally against white sanitaryware and tile. Hallways and living rooms take plenty too. If you are buying for a bathroom, check the frame on the product page. A painted or lacquered finish handles humidity; bare or waxed timber under a white paint is happier in a room with good ventilation than directly over a shower.

Keeping white white

The honest drawback of white is that marks show. Scuffs along the bottom edge of a frame and grey smudges near a light switch are the usual culprits. A damp cloth deals with most of it and a little washing-up liquid with the rest; test on the back of the frame first if the finish is painted timber rather than lacquered. Spray glass cleaner onto the cloth rather than the mirror, because a run of cleaner drying on a white frame leaves a visible tide line.