Finding a balance between a practical mirror size and having it suit the rest of the bathroom’s style can be difficult to achieve. Measuring your space before purchasing your mirror is key to success, this way you won’t have any surprises once you come to hang your mirror.
Bathroom mirrors can be brilliant pieces of furniture that bring light to the smallest rooms in the home – either by bouncing light around the room, or if fitted with LEDs, can provide an extra light source as well as a beautiful reflection!
Use the bathroom vanity as a guide
You may want to use your vanity unit to determine your ideal bathroom mirror size. The most common vanity units are 600mm in width and 800mm in height, whether freestanding or wall mounted. Many customers choose mirrors that are the same width as their vanity unit, or a few centimeters smaller, so it is in proportion to the vanity. A mirror that is wider than a vanity unit can often drown it out and make it seem smaller than it is.
As for the mirror height, you should place your bathroom mirror at least 10cm higher than the very top of the tallest tap – so no components are touching or appear cluttered. The mirror should hang comfortably without touching any other objects, including wall mounts, adjacent walls, light fittings etc.
If you have a sink instead of a vanity in your bathroom, then why not try the UK's slimmest LED mirror – the Nano. At just 11mm deep and with both cool, daylight and warm white lighting, the Nano mirror is great for when space isn’t ample or if you want an especially minimal bathroom style.
Think about how you'll use the mirror
How large or small is your bathroom? A mirror can act as a subtle focal point in the bathroom, but if your bathroom is small, don’t choose a size that may drown out the room, unless your vanity is 800mm – 1000mm wide. You could then opt for a 800mm or 1000mm wide mirror.
What style bathroom furniture do you own or plan to own? Vanity units and sinks with rounded corners suit round mirrors or mirrors with rounded corners, whilst angular furniture is often better complemented by a rectangular mirror with angular corners (rounded furniture is also easier to clean!)
How do you use your bathroom space, and how many people will be using the bathroom? If more than two people use the room, a large mirror isn’t critical, however it will allow more members of the household to use the bathroom at once. Mirrors don’t necessarily need to be placed above a sink either – the time spent using a water source may be only a fraction of the time you need to spend looking into a mirror (let’s save water - remember to turn the tap off while brushing your teeth). So if you have a good size wall above the radiator or toilet, this could be a great space for a mirror if you have a window or otherwise full space above the sink.
Pick a mirror to suit the size of your bathroom
A mirror is a great way to reflect natural or artificial light around your room, and the greater the surface area of your mirror, the more light will reflect around the room. A rectangular mirror has more mirror surface area than a circular mirror, so will reflect more light, however circular mirrors are a very popular style choice, and can really complement a room’s design.
A mirror too large for the room can have the opposite effect and can swamp your space. If your bathroom is a busy area of the home but you don’t have a lot of bathroom storage, then a better use for your wall space might be a bathroom mirror cabinet. This also gives you added depth, so you aren’t leaning too far over whilst flossing or tweezing, which can be uncomfortable for some household members. For tips on how to pick furniture and which colours to use to make your bathroom look bigger, visit our handy guide on how to make a small bathroom look bigger.
Measure your wall to find a suitable mirror size
You should place your mirror high enough so that all household members are able to see their head, neck and a foot of space above their head when stood up. If you have particularly high ceilings, a long mirror can have a particularly dramatic effect, although it’s a good idea to cut out the shape of your mirror in paper and stick it onto the wall to visualise this first before deciding. At Pebble Grey, we stock mirrors from 390mm wide to 1200mm wide, so you are sure to find something suitable for your bathroom space!
If you are now ready to hang your mirror, see our guide on how to hang a bathroom mirror.
Consider the depth of bathroom mirror cabinets
If your sink or vanity is over 40cm deep, a bathroom mirror cabinet might be an ideal choice to maximise space and help prevent leaning over a sink (which may mean getting wet!). At Pebble Grey, we stock cabinets from 12cm to 13.5cm deep with adjustable shelves, allowing for a stylish yet practical solution whilst providing brilliant light output. Our cabinets are all made with lightweight aluminium, which has naturally anti-rust properties, making an LED cabinet an ideal bathroom piece.
Leave enough room to access the mirror's features
Our mirrors are brimming with extra features like shaver sockets, hygienic infra-red motion sensors for turning your mirror on and off, Bluetooth speakers, and more! If your mirror features any of these handy capabilities, ensure you leave enough space to plug in a toothbrush or shaver if you are mounting the mirror close to another wall.
If your mirror is operable using a motion sensor, this will need to be at least 15cm from the nearest wall, object or tile trim to ensure nothing interferes with the switch. If you have any questions about this please call our mirror experts, who are based in the UK on 01977 522021
