You’d be hard pressed to find a bathroom that doesn’t have a mirror in it, but having a bathroom mirror that’s attractive, big enough to help you assess your outfit, and functional to boot? That’s a little harder. Even if you have a pretty good medicine cabinet, chances are you can do better. So if you find yourself wishing you had more than a standard vanity mirror over your sink, you might want to consider investing in one of these stylish, inventive storage mirrors.
Full Length Storage Mirrors Upgraded For Your Bathroom
There’s certainly no rule against having a standard, no-frills, full-length mirror in your bathroom. But chances are, unless you have a magazine-style master suite, you probably don’t have the room to dedicate to a big, clunky mirror – especially not when you can use that wall and floor space to much-needed storage. The good news is, you can have both. Rotating mirror storage cabinets are fast becoming more common, and allow you to have the full length mirror you want without sacrificing the storage you need.
Rotating storage mirrors come in a range of sizes and installation types. They can either be freestanding or mounted to your wall, and have a mirror on one side and storage on the other (or for larger ones, you can even find storage on all three other sides!). Often they’re boxy in style to accommodate cabinet-like storing on the reverse side, but if you’re tight on space, you can also find very thin models with hooks and accessory storage opposite the mirror rather than shelves and cubbies.
Switch To Mirror-Fronted Linen Cabinets
Most traditional linen cabinets are all about the elegant woodwork, and most modern ones are as streamlined and minimalist as possible, but it is possible to find ones that incorporate large, mirrored fronts. These are typically not quite full length mirrors (especially if they’re wall mounted, as many more modern linen cabinets are), but they offer a combination of closed cabinet storage behind a mirrored door and open cubbies, which are great for storing towels and toiletries.
The mirrors on cabinets like this are often a little smaller as well, in service of style: they use the mirrored door as a point of contrast to the wood to create striking geometric shapes and a simple, stylish, usually asymmetrical design. The good news is, this particular quirk means there’s quite a bit of flexibility in the type and placement of the storage, so you can get a look that works well with the design and layout of your bathroom.
Upsizing Your Medicine Cabinet
Replacing a vanity mirror with a medicine cabinet is one of the most tried and true ways to sneak both a mirror and extra storage into the same space. That said, limiting them to above your sink is a mistake. Full-length medicine cabinets are rare and a bit of an oddball choice, but give you a big, almost-seamless mirror that’s completely packed full of storage. Better still, some models can be recessed into your walls, so they take up almost no space at all.
Of course, the caveat here is that medicine cabinets are fairly shallow, meaning they’re better for storing toiletries and cleaning supplies than bulky items like towels or toilet paper. Still, if you need accessible storage for small items and a larger reflective surface than a standard vanity mirror, this is a great option that will help you maximize the space you have. Bonus: you can find very long horizontal medicine cabinets, too, which are great for a shared bathroom.
These days, storage mirrors come in all shapes, sizes, and finishes, so there’s almost no excuse to have a bathroom mirror that doesn’t do double duty, whether it’s a full length cabinet or just a decorative mirror with a shelf for your toothbrush!
