Ty Pennington's Simple Rule Makes Hanging Mirrors So Much Easier

Mirrors can fulfill a number of different functions in your home, including those far beyond providing a way to check your makeup or outfit. On a recent episode of "The Rachael Ray Show," HGTV's Ty Pennington offered some helpful advice for hanging mirrors you can use in various rooms. When faced with where to put yours, concentrate on the number 5 in terms of height parameters.

Pennington explains that the ideal height for hanging a mirror is around 5 feet above the floor. This places the bottom part of the mirror at eye level for anyone over 5 feet tall but also allows room underneath to place pieces of furniture if desired. This works particularly well across from a window at the same height, where the mirror will brighten the room by reflecting both light and the outside view. But, if you have very high or low ceilings, you can start at around 5 feet and tweak the placement as necessary.  

The number 5 guideline is also helpful for mirrors that are hung above mantles or higher pieces of furniture like dressers. Ty Pennington suggests hanging the mirror 5 inches above the top of the surface to create a similar effect of spaciousness and openness. For lower pieces of furniture like couches, you can still use the 5-foot height from the floor as a guide to find the ideal placement.

Pennington's fixation on 5 is an easy guideline to remember and works well, particularly for mirrors of smaller sizes. But, many Youtube commenters, and experts elsewhere, suggest that the center of the mirror, instead of the bottom as Pennington demonstrates on the show, should be hung at eye level. For most people, this is between 55 and 65 inches. In addition, the size of the mirror itself may impact the ideal height. You will also want to make sure to hang your mirror at a level that does not reflect any overhead lights in a glaring manner.