Decorative Mirrors

These are the mirrors that are not there to shave in. Entry halls, bedrooms, living rooms, the end of a dark corridor — places where a mirror is doing a job about light and space rather than grooming.

The range covers gold and rose gold framed ovals, arched pieces in black and gold aluminium, beaded frames in white, and large frameless rectangles up to 120cm. Sizes run from around 60cm x 80cm up to 90cm x 130cm.

Hanging a decorative wall mirror

The most useful thing a mirror does outside a bathroom is bounce light, so hang it where it can see a window rather than on the wall beside one. A mirror opposite a window effectively gives the room a second window; a mirror next to that window gives you a reflection of the wall opposite.

In an entry, hang the centre of the mirror at eye height for someone standing — roughly 155cm to 160cm from the floor to the middle of the glass. Over a console or a sideboard, work from the furniture instead: leave 15cm to 25cm between the top of the console and the bottom of the frame.

Frame finish is the decision that matters. Gold and rose gold sit well with warm timbers and brass hardware. Black aluminium suits a cooler palette and modern joinery. The beaded white frames read as softer and more traditional, and they carry a room with existing cornices better than a hard-edged frame does.

The shapes are also listed separately if you already know what you want: Arched Mirrors, Round Mirrors and Oval Mirrors. Ordered through Builders Warehouse Online, delivered Australia-wide.