G-M010 Wall Mirror: where a 69cm round gold mirror works

Round mirrors are usually bought too small. A circle has less glass in it than a rectangle of the same width, and on a big wall it can end up looking like a porthole. At 69cm across, the G-M010 Wall Mirror is in the middle of the useful band: large enough to hold a wall on its own above a piece of furniture, small enough not to dominate a small hall.

One size, and what 69cm covers

The listing gives a single figure, a diameter of 69cm. It does not say whether that is the glass or the outside edge of the frame, and it does not break out how wide the frame band is, so ask us if you are fitting it into a measured gap. Useful comparisons: it is about the width of a dining chair back, and it will cover roughly the top third of a standard internal door.

What a circle does that a rectangle does not

• It softens a boxy room. Doors, windows, skirting and furniture are all rectangles. One circle on the wall is often the only curve in the room.
• It is forgiving above furniture. A round mirror does not have to line up with the edges of the console below it; it only has to be centred.
• It is harder to dress in front of. A circle this size shows your head and shoulders, not an outfit. If you want a full-length view, a tall rectangle or a free-standing mirror is the better buy.

How high, and how to centre it

A circle has no top rail to line up on, so get the centre right and the rest follows.

• Above a console, sideboard or chest, leave roughly a hand's width between the furniture top and the bottom of the frame, and centre the mirror on the furniture, not on the wall. They are rarely the same point.
• On an open wall, put the centre of the glass at about 155 to 160cm off the floor so that it works as a mirror and not only as decoration.
• Mark the centre, then measure out 34.5cm each way to see the full circle in pencil before you drill. Round mirrors look wrong by smaller margins than rectangular ones.

The gold frame, and the blanks

The listing describes a refined gold frame in a minimalist design with clean lines, says the warm gold finish helps the mirror work with natural light, and leaves everything else open. There is no frame material, no depth, no glass thickness, no weight and no fixing method, and nothing states whether it is suitable for a bathroom. None of that is unusual on a mirror listing, but all of it is worth a question if you are hanging it on plasterboard or in a wet room. Ask us and we will tell you what we can see on the piece itself.

Seeing the G-M010, and the other circles

Photographs and the order page are on the G-M010 Wall Mirror listing, and the rest of the circles sit alongside it in Wall Mirrors. For something bigger, the PU006/007 Wall Mirror is listed as a round mirror at 80cm or 100cm across. If you want a pair, the G-M015 Gold and Black Wall Mirrors (2 Pack) are two 90cm circles, one gold and one black. The G-M002 Wall Mirror is the more decorated round gold option at 80cm. Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond.