Eight Bathroom Mirror Approaches to Make Your Space Shine

This walkthrough follows the order the room was actually finished. Looking for bathroom mirror approaches? I'm sharing 8 approaches to make the most of your space!

Mirrors play a big role in any bathroom but often not much time or attention is given to choosing the right one. BIG mistake! Choosing the perfect mirror for your space can completely elevate the entire look and feel of your bathroom and should play a large part in your bathroom design. Today I'm sharing eight simple bathroom mirror approaches to make your space shine! (affiliate links included in post; full disclosure statement available {here})

One. Ditch Your Basic Builder's Mirror

The only thing more boring than builder's beige walls is a basic builder's bathroom mirror that's nothing but a cheap slab of mirror glued to the wall. The bathrooms in our last house were 4 for 4 with those babies when we moved in. One simple solution is pretty obvious – rip it off the wall and and replace it with a mirror with more personality. And it doesn't always mean you have to spend a ton of money. I found {this round rattan mirror mirror} that's a look-alike to the pricey medium sized Montara mirror for less than half the price! A strong choice is how it looks against the blue wallpaper and bathroom shiplap:

Sources:Wallpaper  |  Shiplap  |  2-Light sconce  |  Round rattan mirror  |  Vanity  |  Faucet (brushed nickel)  |  Striped planter  |  Woven soap pump  |  Towel ring (stainless) |  Towel  |  Vanity baskets (large) |  Toilet  | Toilet paper holder (brushed brass) |  Woven toilet tray (small) |  Woven canister  |  Bird art print (18 x 24) with White wood frame (similar) | Waste basket covered with grasscloth wallpaper remnant

These are some other kept round mirror options that would work in a powder room or other bathroom:

Mirror Sources:1. White rattan mirror ({this rattan mirror} and {this rattan mirror} are similar) |  2. Classic metal mirror with top hook  |  3. Jute mirror  |  4. Round mirror with leather strap (also see {this similar mirror}) |  5. Rope mirror  |  7. Modern wood frame mirror  |  8. Wood ball mirror

A powder room is also a great spot for an antique mirror or other unique mirror you might find by shopping flea markets or even Facebook marketplace. Want more round mirror inspo? See more pics of the preferred round mirrors or get info on choosing the correct size for your powder room mirrors.

Two. Add Storage Space With a Medicine Cabinet

Since small bathrooms are often short on storage space, consider using a medicine cabinet mirror with shelving for all of your toiletries inside. Medicine cabinet mirrors used to be universally ugly but now there are some really polished ones. I not only love this medicine cabinet mirror that we installed in our powder room (where we did a budget bathroom redo), but since it's recessed into the wall you'd never know that it opened up to reveal hidden storage inside:

Powder Room Sources:Annapakshi Indian Damask Stencil (11.25″ x 15.5″) |  Pedestal Sink  |  Sconces (Polished Nickel)

The exact medicine cabinet mirror that I used for my redo is no longer available but here are some other polished options:

Medicine Cabinet Sources:1. White wood medicine cabinet  |  2. Matte black edged medicine cabinet  |  3. Curved edge medicine cabinet  |  4. Beveled frame medicine cabinet  |  5. Classic white medicine cabinet  |  6. Wood grain framed medicine cabinet

You can use this trick with double sink vanities too! I don't think anyone would ever guess that these simple framed mirrors are recessed medicine cabinets (medicine cabinets found {here}, vanity found {here}):

One thing to remember if you're using a medicine cabinet mirror is to keep the height of your faucet in mind. Since the mirror has to open over the faucet, using a gooseneck or other tall faucet usually isn't the best choice since you'd have to hang the mirror too high to accommodate it. This is just one of my many small bathroom storage approaches to consider.

Three. Frame It Out

Another simple bathroom mirror idea (especially if you're on a tight budget) is to leave your mirror in place but frame it with decorative molding. You can buy a custom mirror frame kit from sources such as MirrorMate {here}. It's also a project that you could do yourself – simply buy decorative molding from the hardware store, make 45 degree cuts on the ends for the four pieces to fit together (if you don't own a miter saw, you can use a miter box and hand saw), glue the four pieces together on a level surface, and then glue the frame to the edges of the mirror with Liquid Nails. It's the bathroom mirror idea with the biggest bang for the buck!

It's a project that I always meant to knock out for this mirror in our guest bathroom but never got around to before we moved:

Guest Bathroom Sources:Vanity faucet  |  Faucet handles | Chrome towel ring  | White towels under vanity | Chrome towel bar | Chrome toilet paper holder |  Gray vanity (similar)  | Brass and pearl vanity knobs | Wallpaper – no longer available |  Brass flush mount light  |  Black marble toilet tray (similar)  |  Toilet seat with night light

Four. Mix Your Metal Finishes

There's definitely no rule that you have to choose just one metal finish for the mirror, lighting, faucets, and other plumbing in your bathroom. Consider mixing it up! In our primary bathroom I mixed aged brass light fixtures and {these gold edged mirrors} with brushed nickel faucets:

Sources:Wood & rattan double vanity  |  Vanity knobs  |  Bathroom faucets – brushed nickel |  Vanity lights  |  Vanity mirrors – gold |  Woven seagrass tray on vanity (similar) |  Cross base planter  | Marble stacking dishes  | Soap & lotion sink set with tray  |  Toothbrush holder  |  Bamboo toothbrushes  |  Gray & white striped towels  |  Robe hooks – golden champagne

I wrote an entire post with pointers on mixing metals in your bathroom and another post on master bathroom redo approaches that might help too.

Five. Add Interest With Textures

There are a LOT of hard surfaces in bathrooms so A strong choice is adding textural elements to warm things up. A textured mirror such as {this arched rope mirror} is a simple bathroom mirror idea that would be a polished addition to your space:

Serena & Lily

I also love the texture of rattan mirrors such as {this polished Lanai mirror}.

Six. Free Up Countertop Space With a Mirror + Shelf Combo

If you're short on countertop space in your bathroom, a mirror + shelf combo can give you that little bit of extra space that makes all the difference! {This mirror} that comes in antique brass and chrome options is the preferred:

Seven. Go Horizontal

Typically people use two separate mirrors with a double vanity but A strong choice is the look of going horizontal with an elongated double mirror such as {this double wide mirror}:

It comes with a French cleat mount that allows it to hang flush on the wall. Another bathroom mirror idea with a long mirror is {this double wide mirror} with curved corners:

Large mirrors like this can make your space feel bigger and brighter!

Eight. Give the Illusion of Height With an Elongated Mirror

If you have low bathroom ceilings and want to create the illusion of more height, using an elongated mirror like an oval mirror or {this pill-shaped mirror}  over a bathroom sink can do the trick:

Rejuvenation

Which bathroom mirror idea is your kept? If you're redo work or updating a bathroom, be sure to look at my bathroom lighting approaches too!