6 Expert Tips on How High to Hang a Mirror (with Pictures)

Mirrors are a popular decorative item that can also double as utility objects in a variety of different settings. Mirrors are hung in bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, living rooms, hallways, and dining rooms. But how high should you hang your mirrors? Is there an ideal height for mirrors in the home? According to experts, there is an ideal height as well as various rules you should follow to optimize the functionality of your favorite mirrors.

Here are six expert tips on how high to hang a mirror in your house.

The 6 Expert Tips on How High to Hang a Mirror

1. Leave Proper Space Above Furniture

For optimal sight lines and visual appeal, you should hang your mirrors at appropriate heights above your furniture. Managing the gaps between the bottom of your mirrors and the top of your furniture can ensure that your space maintains the best possible aesthetics. The human eye naturally accepts proportional gaps and is drawn to uneven or unsightly gaps. Keeping the gaps correct will ensure that your space always looks cohesive and natural.

The taller the furniture, the smaller the gap. For furniture 40 inches and taller, you should hang your mirror at most five inches above the top of the furniture.

For shorter furniture, the mirror should hang at a greater height. Furniture 35 to 40 inches tall should maintain a gap of 8 to 10 inches. Furniture shorter than 35 inches should have a gap of 10 to 18 inches.

2. Keep Mirrors at Eye Level

Most experts agree that a general rule of thumb for hanging mirrors is to try to keep them firmly at eye level. Eye level is anything from 60 to 66 inches tall. That is considered the optimal height to keep sightlines for most people.

That range is eye level for people who are standing. The eye level for sitting people is 44 to 54 inches. That means you should plan on hanging your mirror based on the sight lines you want to capture. Is your mirror for people who are sitting on a bed, chair, or couch, or is it for people who are standing?

3. Visualize Your Space and Plan Out Your Angles

While experts say the best height for mirrors is eye level in most situations, that is not always the case. Since mirrors are reflective, planning out their location is imperative to getting the best look. Mirrors can reflect flattering things like artwork, windows, and light sources. But mirrors can also reflect unflattering things if you are not careful. You do not want to hang a mirror only to find that it is reflecting the image of your dirty dishes in the sink from the nearby kitchen.

You should visualize what you want your mirror to show and then plan the angles to maximize your vision. The perfect angles for your mirror might not come at eye level. That is okay as long as the final result is what you want. Some mirrors will be higher or lower than eye level depending on the individual space as well as the size and shape of the mirror.

Do not be afraid to test and tinker with visual angles and sight lines with your mirrors at various heights.

4. Be Careful in the Bedroom

Mirrors are a popular staple of many bedrooms, but you have to be careful where to hang them and how high to place them. Bedroom mirrors generally come in two types, decorative or vanity. Decorative mirrors work to reflect artwork or sunlight to improve the ambiance of the bedroom. Vanity mirrors are hung to give yourself a full-length view when getting ready.

Decorative mirrors should hang at the same level as your room’s artwork. You want to check your angles to make sure that you are not reflecting sensitive things from inside your bedrooms, such as your bed or bathroom, towards the door. Decorative mirrors can be hung higher or lower than typical mirrors to create the look that you desire for your bedroom.

Vanity mirrors should be placed in a space where you can easily access them. Vanity mirrors should hang at eye level and give you enough space to see yourself from head to toe.

5. How High to Hang Mirrors Over Your Couch

Many people choose to hang a mirror over their living room couch. A mirror in this location can help make a living space feel much larger and brighter than before. Hanging a mirror over a couch can be tricky because if you get the height wrong, it could throw off the room’s flow.

If you have a standard couch, experts suggest hanging the mirror between eight and twelve inches above the top of the couch.

If you have a large couch or sectional, experts revise their suggestions for a higher fit. Large couches will require ten to sixteen inches of space to create an adequate visual break. Similarly, if you have high ceilings (10 or 12 feet), you should increase the gap between your mirror and your couch for a more proportional look.

6. Proper Height for Dining Room Mirrors

Dining rooms are great spaces to include a mirror. Mirrors can help brighten an interior dining room. A mirror can also help create the illusion of space within an enclosed traditional dining room. If you are considering hanging a mirror in your dining room, there are a couple of things to consider.

First, is your mirror going to hang over a buffet, bar, or console? If so, you should strive to leave between four and six inches of space between the furniture and the mirror. For shorter pieces of furniture, like buffets, you should leave six inches. For taller pieces of furniture like a bar or side table, you should leave four inches of space between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the mirror.

If you are hanging the mirror on its own on a wall, then you should try to keep the mirror at eye level.

Should You Hang Full-Length Mirrors?

Full-length mirrors are generally five to seven feet in height. Some people say you should hang full-length mirrors, while others say to lean them against the wall. The choice will ultimately be up to you. Hanging large mirrors can be tricky as the size and weight can put undue strain on regular fasteners. However, some people do not like the aesthetic look of a leaning mirror. If you want to hang a full-length mirror, be sure to consider the size and weight of the mirror before trying to hang it on the wall.

Conclusion

For most spaces, you should strive to hang your mirror at eye level for the best effect. However, there are circumstances in which a mirror might need to be higher or lower. The ideal height of a mirror depends on the height of the room, nearby furniture, and the type of space that it occupies. If you follow these expert tips, rules, and tricks, you will have no trouble getting the most out of your home’s mirrors.

• See also: How to Hang a Heavy Mirror Without Nails (5 Expert Tips)

Featured Image Credit: Cat Han, Unsplash