The Best and Worst Places to Put Mirrors in Your Home

When it comes to home decor, mirrors can be a secret weapon. In the right locations, they can make small rooms look bigger, brighten dark spaces, and make your home look expensive without having to spend a lot of money. But you (usually) can’t simply pick a random spot on a wall to hang a mirror and always reap the benefits: Placement matters. Here are some examples of the best and worst places to put a mirror in your home.

The best places to put a mirror in your home

When deciding where to hang a mirror, consider how you want it to function: Is it to amplify the natural light? Make a room look larger? Give you a place to check your face before leaving your home? In addition to the usual suspects (e.g. the bathroom vanity, small rooms, dark rooms, etc.), here are a few suggestions:

• In your entryway: Hang a mirror near the door you most frequently use to enter and exit your home, perhaps over a slim table or bench. It’ll give you a place to do one final appearance-check before heading out the door
• In your bedroom or closet: Unless you wear the same outfit every day like a cartoon character, having a mirror is helpful for getting dressed
• Over a fireplace: This classic mirror location looks cohesive and makes the room feel cozy

The worst places to put a mirror in your home

While mirrors are a great addition to certain parts of your home, there are other areas where you should avoid hanging one, including:

• Low enough on a bathroom wall facing a toilet: No one wants to see themselves on the can. See also: Full-length mirror facing the shower
• Small mirror on a large wall: Unless it’s one piece of a gallery wall, it’ll look out of proportion 
• Across from or behind clutter: Avoid putting a mirror somewhere that will multiply the messy areas in your home

Placing a mirror across from a window can go either way, and comes down to the glare produced by the sunlight reflected in the mirror. Will you be blinded by it when the sun rises, and you’re still in bed? Will it obscure your view of the TV? Will it brighten an especially dark corner or hallway? Figure out where you want—or, more importantly, don’t want—the extra light before hanging the mirror.