Category Archives: Bathroom inspiration

5 Excellent Reasons To Choose a Backlit Mirror For Your Bathroom

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A backlit mirror is very much what the term sounds like: a mirror with lights mounted on the back, and which illuminate the mirror’s surface, while providing a soft surrounding glow.

These mirrors have gained in popularity lately as options for bathrooms, but they are far from a “here today, gone tomorrow” trend. Quite the opposite – they exude a timeless sophistication, while also offering many potential practical benefits.

Below, then, we have set out just some of the possible advantages of having a backlit mirror installed in your bathroom.

It provides a soft, even glow

We referenced it above, and it is certainly one of the great benefits of a bathroom backlit mirror; a wonderful diffuse glow can be provided from where the lights are fitted. In the case of our backlit mirrors at Illuminated Mirrors, dual-white (CCT) LED lights are incorporated on the reverse of the mirror’s edges.

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The glow helps provide a refined and relaxing atmosphere in the bathroom, which is – after all – a space within your home where you will wish to feel especially contented.

You can choose from a variety of styles for your backlit mirror

Many people particularly associate backlit mirrors with a more “contemporary” look, and it is true that they tend to be sleek and modern in their aesthetic.

However, it is possible to specify a backlit mirror in any of a broad range of styles and sizes – including both framed and frameless options – to cater to whatever “vibe” is desired.

LED lighting in backlit mirrors can deliver energy savings

Choosing a backlit mirror that uses LED lighting will enable you to benefit from greater energy efficiency compared to traditional light bulbs. As a consequence of this, you can also count on the mirror illumination lasting for a while.

And of course, it’s all good for reducing your home’s carbon footprint and better protecting the only planet Earth we have. 

A backlit mirror can even have a shaver socket incorporated into it

Yes, that’s right: on the bottom-right edge of our own backlit mirrors’ frames here at Illuminated Mirrors, near the infrared sensor, a shaver socket is built in. This feature can be used to charge an electric shaver or toothbrush, delivering even greater day-to-day convenience.

The potential option to switch between warm and cold lighting

Dual White Lighting is incorporated as standard in our backlit mirror options at Illuminated Mirrors. This enables the user to easily alternate between warm and cold lighting.

The warmer 3,000K light is the more flattering of the two, which makes it perfect for selfies. If, on the other hand, you need a more practical light giving truer colour in the reflection, you can activate the colder 5,000K option with the press of a button. This can be an excellent light setting for applying makeup, as what you see in your reflection will be what others see when you are out in public.

Please note that not all backlit mirror options on the market will offer this feature, which could be one more reason to source your next bathroom mirror from Illuminated Mirrors.

Would you like to learn more about what that backlit mirror could look like, and the other options we can present as part of our bespoke service? If so, please don’t hesitate to contact our experts today.

Which is best for a bathroom mirror – a landscape or portrait orientation?

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If you have been giving serious thought lately to having a new large bathroom mirror installed in your home – whether or not it is also illuminated – you will probably already appreciate how big a visual difference the shape, size, and orientation of a mirror can make.

Choosing between landscape and portrait orientation for your large bathroom mirror might initially seem like a question of how you can make the most of your available wall space, and nothing more than that.

However, as we will explore further in this article, there will be a number of other aspects to consider when making your choice.

What do we mean by ‘landscape’ and ‘portrait’ orientation?

You might be more accustomed to hearing the terms “portrait” and “landscape” in your local art gallery than when you are comparing your options for a large bathroom mirror. So, before we go further, let’s be clear about the respective definitions:

Landscape backlit bathroom mirror
  • Landscape orientation, also often referred to as “horizontal” orientation, entails the mirror or image being wider than it is tall. As the name implies, in the world of art and photography, this orientation is associated with landscape images, panoramic views, and other horizontal subjects.
Portrait edge-lit bathroom mirror
  • Portrait orientation is also known as “vertical” orientation, whereby the mirror or image is positioned in such a way that the height exceeds the width. Most of us associate this orientation with – of course – portraits of human beings. Unsurprisingly, then, this is a common orientation for home mirrors.

Why might you favour a landscape bathroom mirror?

One relatively obvious reason to invest in a landscape mirror for your bathroom is the expansive view such a mirror can provide – not only of you, but also of your bathroom.

Unsurprisingly, then, when it comes to bathroom mirrors, landscape orientation is strongly associated with a sense of opulence. If you’re especially proud of your bathroom’s design and fittings, a large bathroom mirror in landscape orientation can be great for showing it all off – literally “reflecting” the impressive interior scheme back at you.

A landscape mirror can be an excellent choice for making the space in which it is hung feel wider, or for complementing a bathroom that is already wide.

Alternatively, a portrait mirror may seem a better choice for your bathroom

As you might imagine, a portrait or vertical mirror can be effective at making a room feel longer or taller. And, of course, it can work well in a tall room because of how it makes the most of the space available.

A large bathroom mirror in portrait orientation can also make sense due to the “portrait” that it captures of the viewer, encompassing their face and upper body. So, if you expect to spend a lot of time in front of your bathroom mirror perfecting your beauty routine or examining your physique, you may be especially drawn to the idea of a portrait mirror.

Naturally, there is much more than the orientation of your bathroom mirror that you will need to think about if you are seeking to choose the perfect one for your space. This is why we place such a strong emphasis on the bespoke nature of our service here at Illuminated Mirrors – because we really do recognise that no given set of needs is the same as the next.

Enquire to our team today to discover more about our made-to-order service, which can ensure you benefit from your dream illuminated bathroom mirror.

Why would you choose an asymmetrical mirror for your bathroom?

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There is inevitably a broad range of practical, functional, and aesthetic factors that are likely to guide your decision-making if you are on the lookout for a lighted bathroom mirror.

However, you might not have given much thought to the shape of your next bathroom mirror, even if this oversight was simply due to a belief that “all mirrors are rectangular”.

So, what are some of the reasons why you might be drawn towards the notion of an asymmetrical mirror for this crucial part of your home?

An asymmetrical mirror could help you feel closer to nature

The fact that asymmetrical mirrors are also sometimes referred to as “organic” mirrors should give you a clue of this aspect of their appeal.

Slim Bathroom Pebble Mirrors
https://www.illuminated-mirrors.uk.com/bathroom-mirrors/shaped-mirrors/organic.html

As we are all aware, the natural world is full of irregular and sometimes unpredictable shapes, encompassing often wavy and sweeping lines. And of course, our own pebble mirrors resemble exactly that – a pebble, of the kind you might find down on the beach.

In recent years, there has been much discussion about many architects’ and interior designers’ ever-greater embrace of biophilic design (this term referring to design that brings elements of the natural world into buildings).

Bearing this trend in mind, you might consider an asymmetrical bathroom mirror as a subtle way to make you and other members of your household feel that little bit more embedded in nature.

It can be a statement piece, offsetting the rectangular parts of your bathroom design

We’re going to be bold here, and presume that you probably don’t have a pebble-shaped bathroom! So, an asymmetrical mirror in your bathroom could provide a point of head-turning interest for anyone and everyone who sees it.

Inspired by nature
Mirrors; Inspired by nature.

After all, a lighted bathroom mirror does typically serve as a focal point of this space (both aesthetically and in terms of how it is used on a day-to-day basis for such tasks as toothbrushing and shaving). So, you can probably see how an asymmetrical mirror could offset those straight, rectangular lines of your bathroom in interesting ways.

Having said all this, not all elements of contrast that might be introduced into an interior space will necessarily be pleasing to the eye. It is still important to consider whether your own bathroom would be suited to an asymmetrical mirror, or whether the interests of visual harmony would be best served by an alternative shape, such as an oval, arched, or rectangular mirror.

It can come equipped with all manner of convenience-boosting features

If you have paid little attention to the idea of purchasing an asymmetrical lighted bathroom mirror due to a perception that it couldn’t possibly incorporate all the features you would wish it to have, it might be time to think again!

Fabulous Frames
Create a unique feature in your bathroom or en-suite

As our own range of organic-shaped mirrors at Illuminated Mirrors demonstrates, an asymmetrical mirror in your property could incorporate the likes of RGB colour-change mood lighting, a shaver socket, and/or a heated demister pad to prevent the mirror from fogging up.

If you are unsure whether an asymmetrical design could be the right choice for your lighted bathroom mirror, or if you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Illuminated Mirrors’ experts today. We take pride in our highly bespoke service, which can help ensure the final mirror that we provide to you satisfies your very highest expectations.

How to incorporate industrial elements into your bathroom

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Many people have embraced “industrial chic” in their homes in recent years, and you might feel drawn towards the same style. You wouldn’t necessarily have to look far for inspiration, after all.

Many homes (and even offices) have been fashioned from what used to be industrial units. Meanwhile, if you have recently converted your loft, you may have reacted with delight at seeing the exposed wooden panels and beams and taking in how good they look.

What you may not have realised, though, is how easily you can incorporate the same kind of style into your bathroom — if you know exactly how to go about it. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the ways in which you might achieve this.

Take the ‘less is more’ approach

Historically, industrial spaces have been designed more for practicality than for aesthetics. This is why many of them come with exposed brick walls; furthermore, there is often little attempt made to conceal plumbing fixtures such as pipes and valves.

So, you might look to strip out superfluous elements from your own bathroom, or at least aim for a relatively simple and sparse aesthetic with the fixtures and fittings that you do invest in.

You might consider this black bathroom mirror, for instance, which is super-slim at 20mm deep and framed with aluminium just 8.5mm thick. Don’t forget, too, that here at Illuminated Mirrors, we can create bespoke designs in accordance with your own preferences and requirements.

Reuse, reuse, reuse!

The prospect of adding industrial fittings to a bathroom often particularly strongly appeals to eco-conscious homeowners, as they may relish the opportunity to repurpose existing pieces that could have otherwise ended up in landfill.

Do you, for example, have a few woven baskets going spare around the house? If so, why not put them on display in your bathroom, filling them with such supplies as soap bars and shampoo bottles?

You could even go as far as attaching some salvaged signs to your bathroom walls. Other decorative items, though, might be best exhibited on shelves.

Open sesame — or rather, open shelving

You will likely wish people who enter your bathroom to be able to quickly and easily see any artwork pieces, potted plants, and beautiful ceramics you put there.

It stands to reason, then, that it may be best to strategically place these items on “open” shelves, instead of shelves tucked away inside cabinets that are likely to be closed a lot of the time.

Besides, open shelves can also be used for storing practical pieces that you might wish to keep within easy reach, such as toothbrushes.

Mix it up with metals

Why settle for just one type of metal in your bathroom — especially since doing so could leave this space of the home looking a little too “perfect” and uniform?

Integrating a range of seemingly random metals into your bathroom décor could render it discernibly “makeshift”-looking, and therefore faithful to an industrial ethos (although of course, you will still want to promote a certain degree of aesthetic harmony, too).

Imagine, for example, pairing brass taps and wrought iron rails with the black bathroom mirror we mentioned earlier (which, remember, comes with an aluminium frame). This, of course, could be just one of a multitude of interesting possibilities for your bathroom design scheme.

To enquire to the Illuminated Mirrors team about this product and our bespoke service, please reach out to us via email or Live Chat.

Why opt for a bathroom mirror with a built-in wireless Bluetooth speaker?

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There is a lot of scope for customisation with the illuminated mirrors that we offer for bathrooms. We can make you an illuminated bathroom mirror with the lights arranged in a dotted formation, while you can also specify what dimensions you desire for the mirror to enable it to fit “just right” in your space.

What you might not have realised, though, is that we can even equip your new mirror with a wireless Bluetooth speaker.

Would this add-on prove something of a gimmick? Not necessarily in your case! Here are several reasons why you could reap significant benefits from it.

Bluetooth is a mainstream, widely adopted connectivity standard

You probably already use Bluetooth quite a lot to connect your smartphone, iPad or even laptop to wireless accessories, including headphones or earphones.

So, once your Bluetooth-compatible mirror has been installed, you shouldn’t struggle to set it up with your device. You will also be able to play audio from online platforms that you may already be accustomed to using, such as Spotify and Audible.

You can enjoy listening to music while washing yourself

For many of us, bathing or showering can be a soothing experience. Unfortunately, though, we have to emphasise the “can be” part.

Washing oneself can be such a routine process, you might do it without a lot of conscious thought. This situation, in turn, can leave your mind with something of a vacuum it desperately needs to fill.

Have you often found yourself fraught with worry while in the bath or shower? If so, you could pleasantly distract yourself by playing music out of a Bluetooth speaker affixed to the mirror.

Why not catch up on your ‘to read’ pile of books as well?

What if you usually like to read but often lack enough free time to do so? If this sounds like a present dilemma of yours, you could consider consuming more of your books in audio form. That way, you would be able to “read” (we should really say “listen to”) them at times when you are typically too busy with other things.

Those “other things” could include bathing and showering, as any audiobooks that you own on platforms like Amazon’s Audible and Apple Books could be played via the Bluetooth speaker.

Even ‘water-resistant’ phones aren’t always safe in the bathroom

At this point, you might be wondering: “Couldn’t I just do all of these things with my phone?” After all, many smartphones are now water resistant as standard. Nonetheless, it’s important to pay close attention to the term “water resistant”, as it does not mean exactly the same thing as “waterproof”.

There will be specific circumstances in which a water-resistant smartphone model can withstand water damage — and those circumstances may be more limited than you imagine.

Conversely, a bathroom mirror — even one with Bluetooth connectivity — is specially designed to be used in the bathroom.

To learn more about how an illuminated bathroom mirror could enrich your bathroom routine, please reach out to us today.