Designer Emily Henderson's Tips For Selecting The Perfect Full-Length Mirror

Almost every interior designer will tell you that decorating with mirrors is important, especially if you live in a small home. Mirrors can make rooms feel more spacious and bright by bouncing light around the space, per Style By Emily Henderson. Functionally, mirrors allow you to see what you look like before leaving the house, and full-length designs are necessary for critiquing completed outfits.

Designer Emily Henderson loves mirrors; However, she doesn't like using predictable designs, and certain mirrors can sometimes be the obvious choice. For instance, according to Domino, Henderson typically doesn't use them on medicine cabinets because she believes they are generic and unsurprising. She's also not a fan of hanging full-length mirrors over doors for the same reason.

Because of this, Henderson has laid out some unique ways to decorate with floor-length mirrors. Below, you'll find four of her tips on choosing the right mirror for your space.

According to Style By Emily Henderson, oversized design pieces always look purposeful. If you have an empty wall, a large mirror could be a great way to fill the space. These mirrors will appear extra lavish and expensive while most likely costing less than large wall art. In a blog post, Henderson says that "mirrors of massive scale either hanging or leaning are an extremely high impact way of addressing a wall and bringing in light, but are still way less than a piece of art."

Additionally, a large mirror could become the focal point and immediately draw the eye into a space. Decor SDA agrees and adds that a large mirror would add depth and dimension to your design. Further, surrounding the piece with smaller items would cover a whole wall in a tasteful way. If you're looking for a very delicate and vintage-looking piece, Anthropologie has many options, and there are also quite a few dupes.

However, perhaps you don't have a large empty wall where you could place an oversized mirror. If so, you could fill a smaller area, like a corner or a wall between two doors, with a narrow mirror. According to Style By Emily Henderson, a skinny mirror could help break up a large wall that has many doorways.

When doing this, you should hang the mirror across from a window, especially if you're installing it in a smaller room, as this will make the space feel larger and brighter. Mirror City seconds this suggestion and says that it's very important to pay attention to what's reflected in the mirror. Even if you don't have a window to place opposite it, make sure the mirror isn't reflecting something you don't want to emphasize, such as a cluttered space. Also, make sure you don't hang the mirror on the same wall as any windows, as it wouldn't be able to reflect the light back into the room.

To add extra visual interest, you could choose a mirror with an arch. This can be especially beautiful in homes without any distinctive architectural features, as it can bring in some fun movement, per Style By Emily Henderson. In another blog post, Emily Henderson says that "A non-square, rectangle, oval or circular mirror can make a space feel more modern, edgy, and fresh." Just like these unique shapes, even a simple arch could bring an unexpected element into your room.

Mirrors Direct says that this is one of the most popular styles today, as many desire to create a relaxed feel in their homes. These mirrors could give the illusion of a unique architectural window, which could benefit rooms lacking natural light. The Zoe Report adds that adding an arched mirror is an easy way to infuse personality into your home, as it will add a layer of drama. They can make a ceiling appear taller while also creating the illusion of more space. And, because they have a classic appearance, they can fit into many different styles.

Finally, if you're feeling a bit daring, you could choose a mirror with a colored hue. According to Style By Emily Henderson, one with an amber tint would provide warmth, but you could also choose one in any color you desire, even cool tones like green or blue. In another blog, Emily Henderson says that "A smoked, amber or pink mirror can do a lot more to a room or vignette than the traditional because it has more visual weight and can work with your color palette." In other words, instead of just being a functional element, a colored mirror will act more like a piece of art.

If you're wondering where to pick up a mirror with a hue, you may need to do some searching because they're not the most common. Target offers a wall mirror with an ombré copper look, and Lumens sells one with a slight green, gray, rosy, or taupe tint.