Tips on Hanging a Mirror Over Furniture

A well-placed mirror can enhance a view, add light and reflect a perfect scene. A poorly placed mirror can irritate the looker, add to the visual clutter, startle someone walking into a room, or completely overpower a space. Antique or new, large or small, mirrors will give you an opportunity to design your own artwork by reflecting a great view or feature in the room. Does this Spark an idea?

Make a Template

Eliminate extra holes in the walls. Hanging a mirror is best done with a template first. Make a paper template of the entire mirror including the frame. Hang the paper template on the wall with blue masking tape. Mirrors need to reflect a good view and should always be hung to allow anyone looking into it to see their entire face. Stand in front of the template and look at the opposite view. That is what you will see in the mirror. Adjust the placement with the template.

Find the Top Line

Custom decor requires some symmetry. Give your room a custom look by using the top of the door frame as your measurement for the top of a large framed mirror. Use a metal tape measure from the floor to the top of the door molding to get the top-line measurement.

Living and Dining Rooms

Hang mirrors over sofas so that the bottom of the frame is higher than the back of the sofa. Place mirrors behind or beside an overstuffed chair so that the entire frame will show when seated and when standing. Use smaller mirrors behind lamps to increase the light's efficiency and add atmosphere.

Fireplace mantels are great opportunities to design your own artwork with mirrors. Never let the mirror reflect only the ceiling. Tip the mirror down to reflect a person standing near the fireplace. Center the mirror to the firebox or have an asymmetrical arrangement by placing the mirror to one side.

Mirrors in both formal and informal dining rooms will enhance the atmosphere. Hang mirrors so that the bottom of the frame is higher than the backs of the tallest chair. Align the tops of the mirror with the top of the doors. Views should include the table and the chandelier. Avoid hanging mirrors that face a closed door, a dark hallway or the kitchen.

Entry Doors and Hallways

Hallway and entry mirrors should be hung on side walls over a table or as part of an entry bench. Light from your lamps will double with mirrors hung nearby.
Never hang a mirror on the top or at the bottom of a stairwell. It can be disorienting and dangerous. Avoid hanging mirrors directly in front of an entry door; they can startle people coming in the door.

Bedrooms

Hang mirrors over the bed's headboard to maximize a view. A painting, mirror and lighting combination over the bed will enhance the room without distracting from the bed decor. Hang a mirror or two near a reading chair in the bedroom to increase the light from the reading lamp and add a cozy feel to the reading area.
Mirrors attached to bedroom dressers or bureaus should be high enough to reflect an entire standing person. Tip the mirror slightly up or down and add a wooden shim to keep it in place, if necessary. Do not hang mirrors opposite the bed; it is disorienting to the sleeper. Full-length mirrors need to be hung where the looker can step back far enough to see themselves fully.