Installing Large Bathroom Mirrors

If you’re looking for bathroom remodeling ideas, a mirror is one of the easiest, fastest, and least expensive ways of changing your bathroom’s look. If you already have a mirror, you can modify the appearance of the entire room by adding or changing the mirror’s trim.

Light: One of the primary reasons to hang a mirror in your bathroom is to reflect light. If you hang it near a window, it will reflect natural light and bring in a sense of the outdoors. But it’s also important to have adequate electrical lighting near the mirror. Don’t rely on a single overhead light in the room. You need a lamp over the mirror as well. This provides extra lighting when you’re looking in the mirror to apply makeup or shave. A mirror also effectively doubles the brightness of the lamp.

Creating Space: One good bathroom remodeling idea to remember is that light reflected by a mirror will help make a small bathroom feel larger. You can hang a large mirror over the vanity, which will give the room the illusion of depth. Or you can position two mirrors on opposite walls so they reflect each other; this gives the illusion that the room goes on forever.

Style: Mirrors obviously come in many styles and shapes: modern, country, old-fashioned, oval, rectangular, square, and even triangles or irregular shapes. There are several important considerations in selecting a mirror. Frameless mirrors give a more modern appearance while framed mirrors, especially oval ones, are more old-fashioned. The style of the mirror should be in harmony with the style of the other elements in the room. If you have an old-fashioned vanity and a Victorian themed décor, then you will want a more ornate framed mirror. If your vanity and fixtures are sleek and modern, then you want a frameless mirror for a more streamlined look. Frames aren’t the only way to express style. You can paint designs on a mirror or have an elegant etched glass mirror. Play with the mirror’s style and shape so that it reflects your aesthetic choices.

Vanities: Most commonly mirrors are positioned over vanities, but here certain rules of thumb apply. A mirror should never be wider than the vanity over which it is placed. The style and color of the mirror should complement – if not match – the style and color of the
vanity. If you have a two sinks side by side, you can position a wide mirror over both or you can put a smaller mirror over each sink. For a truly his-and-hers effect, choose different mirror types and shapes
for each sink.

Use: Remember that bathroom mirrors aren’t just decorative; they are also functional. A small or medium-sized mirror can be attached to a pivot so that you can adjust its position. Many people find floor length mirrors helpful so they can see their reflection head to toe; mirrors are great as shower doors. If you have more than one person using the bathroom in the morning, you might want an extra wide mirror so they can both check their reflection at the same time.