Custom Mirrors

Three decisions, made in this order, and each one narrows the next.

• Shape. Rectangles and squares are the fastest and cheapest. Pills, arches, ovals and circles are cut on a CNC and cost more, but they soften a room full of straight tile lines. Shaped mirrors also need their radius agreed before cutting — it cannot be adjusted on site.
• Edge. A flat polished edge is the clean contemporary default. A bevel catches light along the perimeter and suits more traditional rooms. Either way, the edge should be worked — a raw cut edge is sharp and will chip.
• Fixing. Concealed brackets or a French cleat give a floating look with nothing visible. Direct adhesive is cheaper but effectively permanent, and it needs a mirror-safe adhesive — standard silicone attacks the silver backing.

Bathroom mirrors fail from the edges inward. The black spotting you see creeping in on an old mirror is the silver backing corroding where moisture got in.

• Copper-free silver mirror. Standard in every wet-area mirror we supply. Far more resistant to the humidity and cleaning products a bathroom throws at it.
• Demister pads. A thin heating element bonded behind the mirror, wired to the light circuit. Keeps a patch clear while the shower runs. Needs an electrician and is much easier to plan before the wall is closed up.
• LED lighting. Perimeter, backlit halo, or a frosted band across the face. Front-lit is far better for shaving and make-up than a backlit halo, which mostly looks good in photographs.
• Safety backing. A film applied to the rear so that if the mirror is ever broken, the pieces stay put. Standard on gym and full-height wardrobe mirrors.