Wooden Mirrors

Why a wooden frame

Wood is the one frame material that brings its own texture to a wall. Metal reads as a line around the glass and does its job quietly; timber has grain, depth and a slight softness at the edge, so the frame becomes part of what you are looking at rather than just the border of it. That matters most in a room with a lot of hard surfaces, where a wooden frame takes the chill off tile, plaster and glass. It also ages differently. A painted metal frame either looks new or looks chipped, while timber picks up a patina that most people are happy to leave alone.

Shapes, and what each one suits

Rectangular frames are the largest part of the range and the most adaptable. Hung landscape above a console or a chest they follow the furniture; hung portrait in a narrow space they read almost like a window. Round mirrors soften a wall of straight lines and are the easy answer above a basin or a small sideboard. Arched frames borrow the shape of a doorway and give height to a low wall. Full length frames are the ones you lean rather than hang, and a wooden surround gives them enough weight to sit steadily against a wall.

Tones, from pale oak to near black

Timber tone does more work than shape in deciding whether a mirror belongs in a room. Oak is the lightest of the woods here and the most forgiving, because a pale frame borrows the colour of whatever is around it. Brown and grey frames sit in the middle and are the safest match for existing furniture. Black is the one that behaves like a graphic outline rather than a piece of wood, which is useful against a pale wall where you want the mirror to read as a shape. White frames almost vanish, and silver and gold finishes over timber give you the metal look with the weight of a wooden frame behind it.

Frame profiles

Profile matters as much as colour. A slim modern frame gives you the maximum glass for the wall it occupies and disappears into a plain scheme. A traditional moulding has a stepped or rounded edge that catches light along its length, which gives a mirror presence in a room that has cornicing or panelled doors. Ornate frames are the smallest group and the most particular: carved and moulded surrounds that are the feature of the wall rather than a border on it. If you are unsure, a slim frame is the one that dates most slowly.

Getting the size right

Most of this range sits in the large band, with a smaller number of medium pieces and a good spread of extra large ones. The rule of thumb that works: over furniture, aim for a mirror around two thirds the width of the piece below it, and hang it so the centre of the glass falls near eye level for a standing adult. On a blank wall with nothing beneath it you have more freedom and generally want to go bigger than feels comfortable, because a mirror that is too small on a wide wall reads as an accident. Every product page carries the exact dimensions, so measure the wall before you choose the band.

Leaning and full length

A good part of this range is full length, and many of those are made to lean against the wall rather than hang from it. Leaning avoids the fixing question, suits a bedroom or dressing corner, and makes a room read taller because the glass runs from floor height upwards. It costs you floor depth, and it needs an anti tip strap in any home with children or pets: the strap holds the frame back to the wall while the mirror still leans, so you keep the look without the risk. A heavy wooden frame is more stable leaning than a light one, but none of them should be left unanchored.

Rooms, and living with a wooden frame

Hallways take more of these than anywhere else, because a wooden frame warms up a space that is usually narrow and short of daylight. Living rooms are next, then bedrooms, where a full length piece earns its floor space. Wooden frames go into bathrooms too, though that is the room to think about: a sealed or lacquered frame handles humidity well, while a raw or waxed timber will not enjoy a room with a shower in it and no extractor. Care is otherwise simple. Dust the frame dry, keep glass cleaner off the timber by spraying the cloth rather than the mirror, and wipe any splashes off rather than leaving them to sit.