Rectangular and square mirrors

The shape that fits the wall

A rectangle mirror wastes less wall than any other shape, which is why it is still the most ordered mirror we make. The interesting part is not the shape but the proportion – and that is where cutting to size earns its keep, because the wall you have is rarely the wall a shop-bought mirror was made for.

Long and narrow

A long mirror hung horizontally above a sideboard or a radiator stretches a room sideways. Hung vertically in a narrow hallway it does the opposite and lifts the ceiling. Slim mirrors – 30 to 50 cm wide and well over a metre tall – are the answer to the strip of wall beside a door that nothing else fits.

Tall mirrors

Once a rectangle passes about 140 cm it becomes a full-length mirror. In theory a mirror half your own height is enough to see yourself head to toe, but in practice we recommend a mirror 140–170 cm tall: the bottom edge 30–40 cm off the floor, which puts the top edge roughly level with the top of the head of the tallest person in the house. See large wall mirrors for the bigger formats, and note that we make wall-mounted mirrors only – not leaners or cheval mirrors.

Square mirrors

A square is calmer than a rectangle and reads as deliberate rather than default. It suits a cloakroom, a small bathroom or a spot above a chest of drawers where a wide mirror would run into a corner.

Choosing the size

Above furniture, aim for 70–90% of the width of the piece below: 70–90 cm above a 100 cm sideboard. On an open wall, leave at least 15–20 cm of clear wall around the mirror so it does not look wedged in. A mirror without lights can be cut to your own size in the cut to size configurator – rectangles up to 200 × 200 cm and circles from 13 to 150 cm across. There is also an irregular option, where you upload your own outline. On LED mirrors you pick from fixed sizes on the product page. Need something larger? Get in touch.

Edge and finish

The standard finish is a polished edge – ground flat and buffed clear. A bevelled edge adds a band that catches the light, which suits larger rectangles and period rooms. A frame in brushed anodised aluminium is available in five colours if you want the mirror to read as a framed piece.

Bathroom rectangles

Above a basin the rectangle is the default shape, and the lit versions live under rectangular LED mirrors. We make each mirror ourselves and send it out within 2–4 working days.