Buying a mirror sounds simple: you pick one you like and hang it up. Yet the right choice makes a real difference. A well-placed mirror bounces daylight around, gives a narrow hallway more depth and makes a small room feel more spacious. A poorly chosen one hangs too high, is too small for the wall or reflects precisely the cluttered corner. This guide covers what to look at: size, position, height, shape and frame.

Why a mirror makes a room look bigger

A mirror does two things. It reflects light, so the room looks brighter, and it doubles whatever is opposite, so the eye sees more depth than there really is. The larger the mirrored surface, the stronger the effect. That is why interior designers often choose one large mirror for a small space rather than several little ones.

Where you hang it matters just as much. A mirror beside or at an angle opposite a window catches the daylight and spreads it further into the room. Think about what it will show, too. A plant, a beautiful lamp or a view through to another room becomes a second picture. An overloaded coat rack or the utility room door, less so.

Choosing the right size

Above a piece of furniture

When hanging a mirror above a console, sideboard or bench, a simple rule of thumb helps: choose a mirror roughly two thirds to three quarters the width of the furniture. Narrower looks lost, wider feels heavy. For a piece 100 cm wide, a mirror between 65 and 75 cm wide is about right.

A full-length mirror

If you want to see yourself from head to toe, in the hallway or dressing room, a little bit of physics helps. A flat mirror needs to be at least half your height to show your whole body, provided it hangs at the right level. For someone who is 1.70 m tall, that means at least 85 cm of mirror. A taller mirror gives more leeway, including for taller or shorter members of the household.

A good example is the organic shaped mirror (669 euros). It measures 200 x 84 cm, has a warm dark wood frame and is designed to stand on the floor against the wall. In a hallway or bedroom it fills an entire wall and instantly brings in more light.

How high to hang a mirror

  • On its own: hang the mirror so its centre sits around 150 to 160 cm from the floor, roughly at eye level.
  • Above furniture: leave 15 to 25 cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the mirror, so the two read as one arrangement.
  • Above a basin or in a narrow corridor: allow for the depth of the mirror and its frame, so nobody walks into it.
  • On the floor: lean a floor mirror at a slight angle against the wall and secure it with a wall fixing, especially if children or pets are around.

A concrete example. The oval gold mirror (799 euros) measures 76 x 151 cm. Above a bench 65 cm high and 100 cm wide, like our entrance bench, leave a 20 cm gap. The bottom edge then sits at 85 cm, the centre at around 160 cm and the top at 236 cm. At 76 cm wide, it is exactly three quarters of the bench.

Round, oval or organic

Shape sets the mood, sometimes even more than size.

  • A round mirror softens a room full of straight lines, such as a hallway with built-in cupboards or a tiled bathroom. It works well in smaller sizes and above a round table.
  • An oval mirror hung vertically draws the eye upwards and makes a ceiling feel higher. Ideal in a hallway, above a slim console or beside a door.
  • An organic, flowing shape brings something playful and relaxed. It suits interiors with natural materials and soft colours.
  • A mirror with a strong silhouette, such as the Aura mirror (465 euros, 137 x 77 x 17 cm), becomes the decorative focal point of a wall. Do allow for its 17 cm depth.

Gold or wood

A gold-coloured frame reflects light itself and adds a warm glow, especially under lamplight in the evening. It goes well with marble, brass, velvet and warm white walls. The oval gold mirror is a good example: mango wood clad in copper, combining the warmth of wood with the sheen of metal.

A wooden frame, particularly a dark one, grounds a room. It pairs with rattan, linen, wool and terracotta, and suits a calm, natural interior. If you are unsure, look at what is already in the room: repeat the colour of a lamp base, a table leg or picture frames, and the mirror will feel at home straight away.

For a real statement there is the Mirror Champagne (949 euros, 117 x 177 x 9 cm), a mirror to treat like a work of art: give it a quiet wall and keep the surroundings simple.

Small mirrors as accents

Not every wall needs a large mirror. Small decorative mirrors add sparkle where space is tight, beside a door or above a bedside table. The pineapple mirror (69.95 euros, 50 x 26 cm) has a gold, lightly distressed finish and an elegant lattice over the glass. There are also gold resin wall decorations set with small mirrors: a crab (27 x 43 cm), a butterfly (20.5 x 34 cm) and a dragonfly (26 x 35 cm). They hang from a single nail and look lovely grouped with prints and frames. Find more ideas in our wall decor.

Hanging a mirror safely

Large mirrors are heavy. Use plugs and screws suited to your wall: solid brick needs different fixings from a plasterboard partition. Ideally hang a heavy mirror from two hooks, which also keeps it straight. If you are unsure about your wall, ask at a DIY shop before you drill.

Delivery of large mirrors

Smaller mirrors and wall decorations are shipped with bpost within 48 hours of your order, with delivery anywhere in Belgium. Large mirrors are not sent by post: some models can only be collected from the shop. Each product page states what applies to that model, and you can always email us with questions at info@decodeman.be.

All models are gathered in the mirrors collection. You can also see them in our shop in Koksijde, where the large mirrors can be viewed in person.