If you want to give your bathroom a little refresh, updating your mirror makes a huge impact. Here are 13 must-have bathroom mirror ideas to update your space.
The bathroom mirror. Standing in front of it is where you style your hair, check to make sure there’s nothing in your teeth, and take that one last look at your outfit to make sure it fits just right.
Compared to your vanity, paint colors, or lighting, the bathroom mirror may seem like a small detail – even an afterthought. But this often underappreciated decor item can be the final transformative piece that takes your bathroom from “lovely” to “WOW!”
Mirrors are practical and decorative, and they enhance the lighting in the room to make the room feel spacious. But if your home is filled with those horrible 80s and 90s builder’s grade mirrors, you can (and should, IMO) update them in order to make your bathroom look its very best.
Instead of slapping any old boring mirror on your wall (or keeping your old one as is), I’ve searched the internet and found 13 gorgeous and inspiring bathroom mirror ideas to make your space look even better than you imagined.
There’s something for everyone here, but first, let’s quickly cover some of the design options to choose from.
Oh, and before moving on, if you’re the type who loves decorating your home BIG time, but on a small-time budget? Then you’ll want to grab a free copy of “Builder-Grade To Beautiful: 10 Totally Transformative Home Decorating Solutions, All Under $100!” Click here or on the image below. Your copy will be sent right away!
Bathroom Mirror Design Styles
Choosing the perfect bathroom mirror involves several decisions. Let’s begin with size, shape, and framing options.
Framed vs. Frameless
Framed mirrors have a border around the outside edge, which can be made of various materials like wood, metal, or plastic. I love that these mirrors can add an extra touch of personality while helping to bring together all the other design elements in the room.
By contrast, frameless mirrors offer a modern and sleek look that ideally suits minimalist designs. Since there’s no frame to catch dust, there’s a little less cleaning and maintenance with these mirrors.
Shapes and Styles
Most people think of a large rectangle mirror in the bathroom, but there are many other styles to choose from, including:
- Round – The humble circle (or oval) mirror can add a chic, elegant, and balanced look.
- Vertical – Taller than it is wide, this design can add just the right amount of mirror without taking over the room.
- Horizontal – A long horizontal mirror is ideal with large vanities in large spaces and is especially popular in modern bathrooms.
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Aesthetic Elements to Keep in Mind
Once you decide the shape and size you want for your bathroom mirror, it’s time to choose the colors, textures, and materials you want to hang on your wall!
Symmetry
If you have a double vanity, placing two individual mirrors above the sinks can create a sense of balance.
Texture and Patterns
If you want to add texture, create details like mosaics, metal inlays, or wood patterns to bring a unique flair to your bathroom. This list will show several amazing texture and pattern ideas!
Colors and Vibe
Consider what you already have in your bathroom. Do you want to complement it and enhance it?
For example, if you’ve chosen to go with a minimalist design, consider using a frameless mirror or one with a sleek metal frame. On the other hand, if your bathroom is more modern farmhouse, you might choose a rustic wooden frame for your mirror.
Or would you like to contrast the rest of the decor so that your bathroom mirror becomes a statement piece? For example, perhaps you use it as a pop of color in an otherwise minimalist room.
Pro Tip: Your bathroom mirror doesn’t need to match the vanity, shower fixtures, or anything else in the room unless you want it to. Whether you choose to have one that matches or not, let it infuse the room with some personality!
13 Must-Have Bathroom Mirror Ideas
Here are some easy bathroom mirror ideas you can do yourself to spark your creativity and inspire you to take your old builders grade mirrors and make them incredible.
So break out your tape measure, wood glue, hot glue…if you wanna get fancy, you could definitely warm up your miter saw, table saw, or nail gun for some of these (but only if you wanna get wild). With 13 terrific options from simple to complex, you’re sure to find something you love!
1. Reclaimed Wood Framed Mirror
Do you have a home with old 80s or 90s mirrors? Update (and beautify) them by adding a unique frame! This gorgeous reclaimed wood frame idea from Heathered Nest (that’s me!) transformed the ugly 1980s bathroom mirrors in our home into stylish pieces that I love to display. And bonus…they didn’t cost a ton of money to create.
We used the existing vanity mirrors, a bunch of scrap wood to turn these plain mirrors into something way more interesting than the builder-grade bathroom mirrors they started out as. There are step-by-step instructions (and your full Home Depot shopping list) here.
2. Farmhouse DIY Mirror with Corner Brackets
If the thought of taking your old master bathroom mirror down is too risky, you can take a page from Her Happy Home and leave it up while ALSO hiding those hideous plastic mirror clips holding it in place. I love the simplicity of this DIY project because it doesn’t alter the mirror in any way. Instead, you frame the mirror – with a new frame!
3. DIY Round Framed Bathroom Mirror
This wooden barrel frame look is modern, gorgeous, and much easier to create than you may think! Good Morning Loretta provides a full tutorial so you can DIY this bathroom mirror idea yourself.
4. Mosaic Tile Mirror Design
I LOVE this custom mirror from Centsational Style! This DIY mosaic design utilizes pre-made tile mosaic and a custom-cut mirror from Lowes to create a surf and sand-inspired piece that steals the show in this bathroom remodel.
And wow does this concept make a big difference! From plain mirror to a big focal point in this small bathroom.
5. DIY Minimalist Framed Mirror
My favorite way to update a mirror is to add a frame, but that doesn’t mean you need to use a large chunky frame! Tidbits – Cami went sleek and minimal with a simple 1-inch stained walnut frame.
Bathroom mirror ideas like this one are super easy to replicate and perfect (or adaptable) for any decor style.
6. West Elm-Inspired Bathroom Mirror Idea
A comparable mirror from West Elm can be a budget-killer, but thankfully DIY bathroom mirror ideas like this one are easy to replicate.
And if you think that the sides of this mirror from Simply House Love are metal, think again. They are thinner strips of wood painted to look like metal, and it works brilliantly.
7. Craftsman Style DIY Mirror Frame
Are those brand new mirrors? Nope! Believe it or not, Home and Hallow started out with the same basic builder-grade mirrors in this space that MOST of us have. They decided to use MDF for this mirror-framing project, and the results are terrific!
There’s a huge difference between the before and after pictures…it’s truly stunning – and just may make you want to run out and buy supplies to frame your mirrors too.
8. Double Framed Bathroom Mirror Ideas
It’s amazing what you can do with wood and a basic builder-grade bathroom mirror. This tutorial from Hana’s Happy Home provides full details to walk you through the process of using trim pieces to create this DIY frame.
And here’s some good news! This project only requires about $60 and an afternoon (or maybe even just a couple of hours)!
9. Embossed Wood Moulding Frame
Mom Home Guide wanted to make the mirror frame match the vanity in this bathroom. I think the use of embossed chair molding as a mirror frame is a simple yet brilliant idea.
The fact that she used Command strips to hang this mirror makes it an even better idea.
10. Round Floating Mirror DIY
WOW. This image made me do a double take, and every time I look at it, this design climbs higher on my list of favorite bathroom mirror ideas.
Woodshop Diaries created a stunning floating shelf and mirror design that’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. The best part? The mirror isn’t glued or mounted on the wall. Instead, it’s simply sitting in a slit in the rear of the piece of wood (she used a 2×4) she used for her shelf.
11. Cute Medicine Cabinet Bathroom Mirror Ideas
Need storage? You can DIY a medicine cabinet! At Home with Ashley remodeled this bathroom and needed to keep some storage, so she created a medicine cabinet.
Ashley wrote a really good tutorial that will work whether you’re reusing an old medicine cabinet, or like her, creating one from scratch using mdf boards.
Not only is this a great idea, you can complete the entire process in an afternoon, and will be eye-catching.
12. Coastal Oyster Shell Mirror
If you love coastal decor and want to customize a mirror for your bathroom, grab your oyster shells and some Liquid Nails! Then follow this DIY tutorial from Shine Your Light Blog.
Note: If you want to be frugal, you can use your own collected oyster shells, but make sure to bleach them so they don’t smell! Otherwise, you can buy clean oyster shells to use.
13. Painted European Oak Inspired Mirror DIY
If you have a vanity mirror with a frame that you like, but you want to change the color, use this technique from The Crowned Goat.
A European Oak painting technique transformed this mirror (in an affordable way!) from gold to a rustic-inspired wood vibe that looks incredible! I’m always amazing at what a couple coats of paints can do to create a fresh new look for so many things!
There are challenging things that will come up when updating your bathroom decor, but a new bathroom mirror doesn’t need to be one of them.
Making (or buying) one of these bathroom mirror ideas that is both functional and stylish is easier than you probably think!
Rather Not DIY? Here are Options You Can Buy!
If you don’t have the time or energy to put one of these projects together to achieve the bathroom look of your dreams, there’s no shame in buying what you want! Here are some great options to choose from.
- White Coastal Chic Mirror (my personal fave right now – we have in our powder room)
- Tile Mosaic Mirror
- Dublin Cottage White Wood Framed Mirror
- Rustic Distressed Mirror With Black Corner Brackets
- Cross-Corner Wall Mirror
- Blue Round Mirror Wall Decor-Tempered Glass Mirror
- Natural Rustic Wood Framed Mirror
- Modern Oval Mirror
More Ideas for Your Home
Want even more great decor ideas? Check out these posts!
Pin these DIY bathroom mirror frame ideas! And if you decide to use one of these ideas for your bathroom makeover, leave a comment on the pin! That helps others know whether one of these DIY frames is a great option for them, too!
Pssst…before you go, I sure would love to hang out with you again really soon! Sign up now and get a FREE copy of “Builder-Grade To Beautiful: 10 Totally Transformative Home Decorating Solutions, All Under $100!” Click here to enter your email or on the image below. Your copy will be sent right away!
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