Square Mirrors

Square mirrors buying guide

A square mirror is the most symmetrical shape on the wall: the same width as height, with four equal sides and, in the soft versions, gently rounded corners. This collection is wider than the name suggests. It holds true squares, soft squares, rectangles close to square and a few related shapes, so the first job is to see which one suits the wall. The practical call: choose the proportion for the wall, size the width against the vanity, hang the centre at eye level and plan the light. The sections below take each step, with the source for each figure named in the text.

What is in this collection

The true squares are the Timberline California, in 600mm, 750mm and 900mm, 20mm deep, and the Thermogroup Square Polished Edge Mirror at 750mm by 750mm. The soft squares are the Otti LED Newport 900mm by 450mm in a metal frame, in white, black or brushed gold, which hangs vertically and is a lit mirror with rounded corners. The rest are close relatives. The Otti LED Newport also comes in 900mm by 600mm, 1200mm by 750mm and 1500mm by 750mm. The Marquis Pane is 750mm high in widths from 600mm to 1200mm, and the Marquis Alta is 400mm by 1200mm. The Turner Hastings Mayer Pivot Rectangle is 610mm by 495mm.

A rectangle that is close to square, such as the 900mm by 600mm Newport, reads as a calm rectangle, and a true square reads as a block. The listings state each size, so the choice is a matter of how much height you want above the vanity.

Why a square

A retailer's guide to square mirrors describes them as a classic alongside round and rectangular, with a clean, modern look that suits almost any room. It says the symmetrical shape suits people who want a balanced look, that squares fit smaller spaces than rectangles, and that framed and frameless versions suit both traditional and contemporary decor. Above a basin it says a pair of wall lights gives a brighter reflection. The guide adds that frameless squares can be grouped to make a larger mirror in almost any size or shape, so a few small mirrors can cover a wide wall.

A designer-led article on round and rectangular mirrors describes the other two shapes. Round mirrors break up the straight lines of furniture and architecture, and suit small bathrooms, where the lack of sharp corners supports a calmer feel. Rectangular mirrors are the classic choice, with clean lines that suit traditional styles. The square sits between them: it has the clean lines of a rectangle and the compactness of a round, and it asks less wall than a long rectangle.

Square, rectangle or round

The proportion changes how the mirror sits. A square suits a vanity that is about as wide as it is tall above the basin, and a small powder room. A rectangle suits a longer vanity, and the article says a rectangular mirror can balance the length of a double vanity or a long, narrow room. A round gives the same softness as a square without corners, and Houzz says round mirrors suit pedestal basins and bathrooms with many hard surfaces. For the alternatives see rectangular mirrors, round mirrors and oval mirrors.

Orientation matters for the rectangles in this collection. The article says portrait orientation suits dressing and grooming areas and makes ceilings appear higher, while horizontal orientation widens a room. A 900mm by 450mm Newport hangs vertically and gives height, and the 1500mm by 750mm Newport hangs either way. The Alta at 400mm by 1200mm is the tallest and narrowest of the group.

Size against the vanity

Houzz gives the clearest width rule: when the mirror is not the same width as the vanity, make it 70 to 80 per cent as wide, and 60 to 70 per cent when sconces share the wall. On a 600mm vanity that is a mirror about 420mm to 480mm wide. On a 900mm vanity it is about 630mm to 720mm, and on a 1200mm vanity about 840mm to 960mm.

Turn the rule around for the widths here. A 600mm square suits a vanity about 750mm to 855mm wide, a 750mm square suits one about 940mm to 1070mm, and a 900mm square suits one about 1125mm to 1285mm. The 450mm wide Newport suits a vanity about 565mm to 645mm, the 900mm by 600mm Newport hung horizontally suits one about 1125mm to 1285mm, and the 1200mm Newport suits one about 1500mm to 1715mm. Treat these as starting points, tape the outline to the wall and look at it from the doorway.

Big, small and large squares

People search for big, small and large square mirrors, and the range here covers them in steps. The small end is the 450mm wide Newport and the 495mm wide Mayer pivot. The middle is the 600mm to 750mm California and the 750mm Thermogroup square. The large end is the 900mm California and the 1200mm and 1500mm Newport. A bigger mirror is not always better: a 900mm square is 900mm tall as well, which on a basin with a tall mixer can crowd the ceiling, as the worked example below shows.

Grouping squares

The retailer's guide says frameless squares can be grouped. The arithmetic is simple. Two 750mm squares with the 100mm gap the Australian height guide asks for between two mirrors cover 1600mm of wall, which under the Houzz rule suits a double vanity about 2000mm to 2285mm wide. Two 600mm squares cover 1300mm, which suits a vanity about 1625mm to 1860mm. Centre each square on its basin and keep the tops level, so the pair reads as one feature.

Two mirrors over a double vanity

A double vanity gives you the choice between one wide mirror and two. Homes and Gardens says to hang a mirror over each sink on a double vanity for balance, and Houzz says several tall, skinny mirrors give a vertical look. The 450mm wide Newport and the 400mm wide Alta are narrow enough to pair, and the tall pair gives the vertical look. If the mirrors are lit, plan the supply for both before the wall is closed.

Small bathrooms and powder rooms

A humidity guide says a mirror 600mm to 900mm tall suits most single vanities, and suggests keeping 150mm to 200mm clear above a mirror from cabinets or exhaust fans. A 600mm or 750mm square fits that range and a compact vanity without crowding the corners. The retailer's guide says squares fit smaller spaces than rectangles, and the designer article says round mirrors can make a small space feel larger, so in a very small room the choice is between a square and a round.

Height on the wall

Hang the mirror so its centre meets your eyes. An Australian height guide puts the centre at 1500mm to 1650mm from the floor, with 100mm to 200mm between the tap and the base of the mirror and the top edge at least 100mm below the ceiling. Houzz says a mirror needs to reach about 30cm above and below the eye line of its users.

Work it through. A 750mm square centred at 1600mm covers 1225mm to 1975mm, which clears a tap and reaches above the eye line of most adults. A 900mm square at the same centre covers 1150mm to 2050mm, leaving 350mm under a 2400mm ceiling. The height guide notes that average eye level runs from 1600mm to 1750mm, so measure the people who use the basin.

A worked height example

The Australian height guide gives a worked example: on an 850mm vanity with a 175mm basin mixer, the base of the mirror falls between 1125mm and 1225mm from the floor, and with a taller 305mm mixer between 1255mm and 1355mm. A 900mm square with its base at 1125mm reaches 2025mm, and at 1355mm it reaches 2255mm. Both clear a 2400mm ceiling by more than the 100mm the guide requires. A 1200mm tall Alta with its base at 1225mm reaches 2425mm, which is over the ceiling, so the tallest mirror needs a lower base or a higher ceiling.

Wall space around the mirror

A square takes the same wall in both directions, so the space above and beside it matters. Houzz counts sconces as part of the mirror's footprint, which is why its percentage drops from 70 to 80 per cent to 60 to 70 per cent when lights share the wall. The Australian height guide asks for the top edge to sit at least 100mm below the ceiling and the base 100mm to 200mm above the tap. Add a switch, a towel rail or a shelf to the same wall and the usable width shrinks again, so mark every item on the wall before you fix a screw.

The Otti LED Newport

The Newport is the lit group in this collection. The listings give an anti-fog 5mm copper-free mirror, a motion sensor with an on and off button, a LED light strip, adjustable colour temperature at 3000K, 4000K or 6000K, a memory function that recalls your preferred settings, and a colour rendering index above 80. They state IP44, SAA approval, 40W and plug-in installation. The frameless 1500mm version is described as backlit and frontlit, with cool, natural or warm light and up to 50,000 hours of use, and the frameless 1200mm version is backlit.

A bathroom lighting guide recommends light at the sides of the mirror and not only overhead, because overhead light alone casts shadows on the face. A lit Newport supplies that without extra fittings. For the group see Otti mirrors, and for all lit mirrors LED mirrors.

The pivot rectangle and the Marquis shapes

The Turner Hastings Mayer Pivot Rectangle is 610mm by 495mm in brushed brass, 76mm deep, with a thick-plated bevelled mirror and concealed brackets. The listing says it tilts to the perfect viewing angle. The Marquis Pane is a squashed arch from 600mm to 1200mm wide and 750mm high, and the Alta is a tall rectangle with rounded corners at 400mm by 1200mm. For the Marquis range see Marquis mirrors.

Reading a listing

The listings carry the same fields in the same order. Start with the overall width and height, then the depth, which on this collection runs from 20mm on the California to 76mm on the Mayer pivot rectangle. Next read the orientation line, then the wall mounting line, which names the batten, hangers or brackets. For lit mirrors read the wattage, the voltage, the colour temperature line, the IP rating and the installation line, which says plug-in. Finally download the specification sheet, and read it before you choose the fixings.

Matching the frame to the room

The Newport frames come in white, black and brushed gold. A UK bathroom retailer's guide says to match the mirror finish to taps and accessories for a cohesive look, or to contrast on purpose, and says black cuts through pale tiles and matches black brassware while brushed gold matches brass taps. A design guide on mixed finishes says to use one or two finishes in a small room, to avoid very similar shades, and to keep items in a group in the same finish. A white frame disappears against white tile, which is useful where you want the glass and not the frame to show.

Upright or sideways

The listings say which way each mirror hangs. The 900mm by 450mm Newport and the Alta hang vertically, the Mayer is portrait only, the Pane is portrait at 600mm and horizontal at 750mm, 900mm and 1200mm, and the other Newport sizes hang either way. The squares have no direction, which is part of their appeal: they fit a wall without the decision about orientation. Check the orientation line before you buy, because the power point and fixing positions change with the direction.

Using a plug-in lit mirror

The Newport is rated IP44, which a retailer's guide gives as a minimum near basins and showers, and it is SAA approved. The listings give plug-in installation, so the cord needs a power point within reach and out of the splash zone. Where the supply cannot reach the position you want, an electrician can advise on a hardwired supply, and the listing for the 900mm by 450mm and 900mm by 600mm Newport states plug-in only. Plan the cord and the switch before the mirror goes up.

Frameless or framed

The Timberline California is a plain square with a split batten mount, the Thermogroup square has a polished edge, and the Newport comes framed in white, black or brushed gold or frameless. A glass fabricator's guide says a frameless mirror is a single sheet of glass with polished or bevelled edges, mounted directly to the wall, and that a frame protects the edges from knocks. For the choice see frameless mirrors and framed mirrors.

Fixing a square mirror

The listings describe the fixing for each mirror. The Timberline California mounts on a split batten, the Thermogroup square comes with metal hangers, the Newport has wall brackets and fittings, and the Mayer has concealed brackets. The fixing carries the whole load, so choose it for the weight of the mirror and the wall behind it. A hanging guide says studs are the most secure fixing and cavity anchors suit plasterboard without a stud, and that a mirror over 100cm should be lifted by two people. A plug-in Newport needs a power point behind or beside the mirror, so plan that before you fix.

Glass and humidity

An architecture publication's humidity guide says moisture gets into a mirror through the edges and through tiny scratches in the protective paint on the back, and that copper-free or edge-sealed glass slows the oxidation that causes black spots. The listings give copper-free glass on the California and the Newport. A glass fabricator's guide adds that a mirror glued tight to a damp splashback deteriorates faster, and that running the exhaust fan after a shower protects any mirror. Check the fixings once a year, as the humidity guide advises.

Care and cleaning

A stockist's care sheet for an LED demister mirror says to clean with a soft microfibre or lint-free cloth rinsed in warm water and wrung out, then wipe gently with a soft dry cloth. It advises against glass cleaner, window cleaner and chemical agents, because they can damage the silver coating. Keep liquid off the edges.

Choosing quickly

• A small powder room: a 600mm California or the 450mm wide Newport.
• A single vanity: a 750mm square, or a 900mm by 600mm Newport.
• A double vanity: two 450mm Newport mirrors or one 1200mm.
• Light at the basin: the lit Newport.
• A classic bathroom: the pivot rectangle in brushed brass.
• A tall, narrow wall: the Alta or the 900mm by 450mm Newport.

The final check is the same for every mirror: proportion against the wall, width against the vanity, height against the eye line, and fixings against the weight. For the general guide see mirrors, and for the wall browse wall mirrors.