I think about this too, and I totally agree with you! Our master has a gigantic mirror (framed out) that spans the entire length of the double plus vanity. It would be silly to replace it with two small mirrors. I wouldn't even dream of it. I think "in style" may ahve something to do with it. I do think the smaller mirrors are proportioned well for pedestal sinks though.

I've been wrestling with this one. Our master is set up likes yours with a large plate mirror. I wanted the mirror and never thought anything of it until I found this place. :) I think it would "look" better with two smaller ones but isn't as practical. I might frame it out like I've seen done in blogland to give it more interest. My concern with pulling that off is trying to put wood trim over the screws. Not sure how well I can etch out a spot to make it fit well.

My favorite powderroom has a counter to ceiling, wall-to-wall mirror with a chandelier hung in front of it. A nice big mirror ceases to be a picture frame with a "looking glass" in it and becomes part of the architecture. Don't let the trendistas influence you, a big mirror is a good thing, 'trendy' or not.

The smaller mirrors have frames around them, so they have a warmer look than bare mirror against the wall. It's not better, it's not worse, it's just a different style.

I LOVE BIG mirrors!

sheesharee, you don't have to remove your mirror. Here's a blog where she shows how she did it with the mirror left on the wall. Looks great too!

Isabella and Max Rooms Blog

Here is a link that might be useful: Framing a Bathroom Mirror

Redecor, Thanks! That's that recent one I really wanted to follow. I saw Rhoda at Southern Hospitality did hers with trim and there were a few others but I really like how the trim is in the blog you linked to. It doesn't look like her mirror has any screws though. Glued maybe? I might send her a message. The lack of frame is the only thing that bothers me about my large mirror.

I too have the large plate mirror. I ordered a frame from Mirror Mate. It was very easy to do. You send them your dimensions and they send you the pieces, which you glue together and attach to your mirror. It wasn't cheap (about $200), but it would have cost more than that to buy 2 mirrors and if I bought 2 mirrors, I think I would have needed to change my lighting as well. In the long run, this was a cheaper way to go and I am very pleased with it. They also send you sample frames. If anyone is interested, after I ordered the samples online they emailed me a 15% off offer, so I would suggest waiting to order until you get a 15% off offer.

I prefer the large mirrors. It would be nice if mine were beveled, but I would never change it out to a smaller framed mirror. I've also thought about framing it but it's so easy to clean the way it is and it's unobstrusive. If I remodeled, I'd still use a big one that would take up the wall behind the sinks.

I have a huge unframed mirror on each side of my master bath. We have a counter with a sink on each side. I love the way the reflection is endless. Even though framed mirrors were in style when I did it, I like practicality and the look of the large ones.

In my half bath that is used by guests, however, I have a sink that is installed in a piece of furniture with drawers. I love that with the wood framed mirror over it. Different looks for different situations.

I'm so happy to read this thread! My love of my large MB mirror was my dirty little secret. It doesn't look as elegant, to me, as a beautiful framed mirror, but it reflects tons of light from the two windows, and is so easy to clean. I'm not so crazy about the framing around the mirror. My DIL did it, and you can see the edge of the mirror behind the framing.

Dee

I had the framed out large wall mirrors in my old house. In our current we asked for those to not be included when building so we could add our own smaller ones and I did have a problem finding the ones we wanted. I don't like the large mirror. I don't want to see myself naked/clothed in the mirror every time I walk by or come in/out of the shower/bath I prefer the smaller ones we have as I need it only for fixing things on my head and I see my head and chest in it, but only when I specifically look do I need to see mine or anybody elses reflection.

We have a full length mirror in the closet if I want to see how my clothes look on me.

Now we do have a kid we didn't have when this house was built so I may need to rethink the mirror thing when she gets older as to fit her size. Maybe we'll do a plate mirror for a while then or just move a mirror down.

I did the framed mirrors in the bathrooms 8 years ago, so I am not sure that this is new in style thing.
I love the look. It does make the bathroom look much cozier and less industrial. In my current, less than perfect setup, it made something really ugly into something bearable and even cute.
In my next house, I will be making something in-between. I will use my hand made concrete tiles to create custom surrounds for the mirrors. So it will be built in but will have the framed look.

I have had both. Right now, every mirror is small and either framed or with a decorative edge. What I can say is that I do not miss crawling up on the counter to clean the big mirrors. It always felt like a project. Now, I can clean my bathroom mirror while brushing my teeth!

We've got the original wall-to-wall plate mirrors in our ca. 1978 home. Oh, and the Hollywood light bar that goes with them. Bathroom renos are planned for sometime in the next few years and I hadn't even started thinking about mirrors. Great, something else to think about!

I wondered about this too when I started my bathroom renovation - ended up with a nice size mirror:
{{!gwi}}

I haven't read the replies yet, but we have a large mirror like your's, and I'd love to take it down and put in a framed mirror. Why?

Because it makes the bathrom cozier instead of cold.

However, a large mirror somewhere in your house is a must so you can look at the back of your hair, outfit, etc.

I love my vintage big mirrors.

When we finally re-do the baths, I plan on keeping the look...but intend to do something different with the sink...perhaps a trough sink? It's years away. (I'm hoping I can even replicate the tile...I'm pretty certain Daltile still makes it.)

Wow,guess I struck a chord here. I thought maybe no one would be interested in this question.

Thank you for all the responses. I see warmer, cozier, easier to clean, all those seem to be good reasons. I still like my big mirror though. I have to admit it is a shock first thing in the morning to see more of myself than I really want to!

In our powder room we have a small mirror over the pedestal sink; no frame, but the matte edge sort of gives it a frame, I think.

redecor, I love that mirror! Unfortunately many of us don't have the room for a frame. Darn!

Mj, I have the same mirror you have and I don't see them as being "vintage." Unless 1980 is vintage. lol.

Many homes are still putting in the large mirrors and the only thing that's different is the lighting.

I got 2 large bevel edge mirrors that pivot for our soon to be dual vanity bathroom redo. We have the large mirror now but it doesn't cover the entire wall. Can't wait for it to be gone.

I should note that if I had room for a large wall/floor mirror I would be more eager to change out my bathroom mirror. A framed one does make it look cozier. I actually will stand on the edge of the tub to get a full view of my outfit if need be since that's the only large mirror we have.

If I were starting from scratch, I would use 2 separate framed mirrors. I did not want to tear down my large wall-to-wall unframed one (glued to the wall), so I framed it out with large, wide fluted molding, painted it black, distressed it a bit to match the vanity that I also painted. I probably have $30 total in it. I'm happy with it.

I also thought about putting a piece of the molding down the center of it to add further interest to it. I still may do that.

I already have my two mirrors to put up and am waiting (it's been awhile) for DH to take down the big one and put these up. I just think it looks nicer with the frame color that is picked up in the warm wood of the vanity.

We built our house 2 years ago. About 2 years ago we did some small updates in the master bath. Cabinet hardware, faucets, lights and went to two mirrors instead of the one large. Our bathroom wasn't *cold* looking but installing the two mirrors definitely updated the room. I think it's a matter of choice. The two mirrors aren't small, it's just not one huge mirror. Our master was the bath we had used the large mirror in. It IS easier to clean the two. Also, you can still see your hair and even a big mirror in the bathroom isn't going to show much of an outfit - you still need a full length mirror which we have a couple of those elsewhere in the house. I like having a full length in the walk-in mb closet.

I was thinking Rhoda changed over from the big mirrors now, but maybe not. I do remember reading her tutorial on framing in a large one, which definitely looks better imo.

tina

I've heard one of the benefits of having two mirrors is that you can put a light in between and on either side. Supposedly, it's a more natural and more flattering reflection. Overhead light can make your eyes look "baggier" for lack of a better word...I saw that on one of those hgtv decorating shows, so I can't chime in with personal experience :)

Photography is a bit of a hobby of mine, and overhead light is definitely harsher on the face. That's why it's much better to take outdoor pictures in the morning or evening. Otherwise, you run the risk of "raccoon" eyes. Of course, there's a million ways around that, too. :)

Cold is such a judgmental word :)

A mirror only reflects what the rest of the room looks like, maybe the rest of the room is whats, you know... c---.

Or maybe d----.

we just built our house and went with a big mirror in the master. i have a vanity area between the sinks so i wanted mirror in front of me there too.

The reason smaller mirrors are a good thing at this time is because large mirrors have been in style and everyone has had them in their homes (unless you have a new home). Designers have to change the styles every few years so folks will continue to need to hire them to redesign their homes. It also boosts the economy because everyone is made to feel like they must go out and purchase smaller mirrors. I am keeping my large mirrors. I've lived long enough to have both styles and I wouldn't go back to smaller ones if you paid me.

I'll go really 60s and 70s and admit that I like the full wall mirror with the sconces penetrating the mirror so your face is lit from the sides.

I've seen Candice Olson do the lights through the mirror. And it has historical references, the girandoles of the 18th and 19th c.

I'm a huge fan of big mirrors like the ones pictured above. I think they make the room look larger. I'm glad I am amongst friends.

We have a mix of the smaller mirrors and the large ones.

In our masterbath we have these great Robern Mirrors that open up into medicine cabinets. We have side lighting plus overhead cans.
{{!gwi}}

And open...
{{!gwi}}

Our guest bathroom is a full bath and to make it better for guests, we extended the granite over the toilet so they would have increased
counterspace. That resulted in needing a full wall mirror, which we framed with mirror. It opens up the space significantly.
{{!gwi}}

Shee, I meant to suggest - get yourself a full length mirror you can attach to the back of a door. No more standing on the bathtub and you can see yourself head to toe. LOL

tina

Doonie,

Your last picture gave me an idea. My parents' powder room mirror is roughly 60" x 72", and the bottom edge has a chip and some loss of silvering since it is 40+ years old. I should look into having it framed in mirror strips like you did to cover the damage. It also adds layer of interest.

My Mom did a big bath redo a few years ago, and replaced the large 1970's unframed mirror with a pair of smaller framed ones. I think it made her bathroom look half as big, and now it seems almost claustrophobic. I suppose it's no longer "dated" though...

Palimpsest,
I'm glad I was able to give someone an idea. Our mirror measures 65" by 44" and we got the 3" double bevel frame. It was done by a local glass company. The same ones we used for our glass shower door.

All in all, I do prefer the big mirrors in bathrooms because they reflect more light and brighten the space and it's easier to see your reflection. We went with the smaller framed mirrors in our master bath only because we needed a dedicated space for medicines (and a place where DH could plug in his electric razor thereby keeping it off of the counter.)

My parents replaced a large plate glass mirror with one of those giant medicine cabinets with the mirror doors, needed more storage. It starts about 1.5' above the counter now. So if you are washing your face you have to straighten up to see if all soap is washed off, didn't have to do that with the other full mirror. I was thinking of getting one of those cabinets for storage, but I have decided I like the full mirror better, no matter what "designers" think about them.

I needed more storage too and found a upper kitchen cabinet that wasn't really deep stained white and installed it over the toilet on wall. Took some getting used to, it felt too big at first, but now I like it.

Lots of replies! In our master bath we have a rectangular mirror with a pretty frame. Then because the space is only about 4 ft. wide with a wall on both sides, I had the workers put an inset medicine cabinet on each side. When I want to see the sides or back of my hair I just open the appropriate side mirror. And we each have our own medicine cabinet! Works for me. Plus it reflects lots of light from the sconces on each side of the framed mirror. I also had them tile up that area under the framed mirror about a foot high. Keeps lots of water splashes off the mirror. Looks nicer too because the tile has a beautiful 3 inch high band of "deco" tile that continues around the 3 sides of the area.

There is just one sink in the counter area because my husband and I are hardly ever needing the sink at the same time. We separated the toilet, tub, shower part of the bath from the sink with a pocket door so that while one is in there, the other can be using the sink without a steamed up mirror and all. It works great. I had seen this set-up in some motels and liked it a lot. Makes the bathroom do double duty!

Do what my niece did ... she got picture frames and hung them over the big wall-to-wall mirror in her bath.

So she has the "look" of small mirrors with very little expense, and it does break up the "Motel 6" look. A couple of big mirrors are over the sinks, and a variety of smaller ones are hung at various levels. Some even have pictures in them.