Choosing the best mirror shapes for a living room is one of the most transformative decisions you can make in interior design is a single well chosen mirror can redefine how a space feels, functions, and flows. At Elysium Home, Sydney's premier destination for designer mirrors, we work with the distinguished Belgian brand Deknudt Mirrors, crafted in Belgium since 1946, to bring living rooms of every proportion and aesthetic to life.

Introduction: Why Mirror Shape Matters

A mirror is never just a reflective surface. In a living room it is architecture, art, and atmosphere in one. The shape you choose communicates an entire design language: soft and organic, structured and traditional, minimal and modern. Unlike wall art, a mirror also performs by bouncing daylight deeper into a room, creating the illusion of additional space, and framing whatever sits in its reflection.

The living room is typically the largest social space in the home and the one where guests form their first impressions. This makes it the ideal canvas for a considered mirror choice. Whether you are working with a heritage terrace in Paddington, a beachside apartment in Manly, or a contemporary new build in the Hills District, there is a mirror shape and a Deknudt design that will feel entirely at home.

At Elysium Home's Lane Cove showroom (open by appointment), our team (John and Natalie) guide clients through shape, scale, and placement every day. The advice in this guide distils those conversations into a practical framework you can apply before you visit us or from the comfort of your own home while exploring our full designer mirror collection online.

Round Mirrors in the Living Room

Round mirrors bring an inherently softening quality to a living room. Their absence of hard corners makes them particularly versatile as they work equally well in minimalist interiors, where they introduce organic contrast against angular architecture, as they do in eclectic rooms already full of curved sofas and organic textures.

The Luna Black Round mirror from Deknudt — available at 200cm diameter is perhaps the most dramatic expression of this principle. Its generous scale commands a wall with confidence, while the fine matte black strip keeps the focus firmly on the mirror glass. Hung above a fireplace, it creates a focal point that reads as both contemporary and enduring.

For smaller living rooms, a 60–90cm round mirror in a sculptural frame achieves impact without overwhelming the space. The key is positioning, a round mirror centred above a console table, sofa, or fireplace creates a natural visual anchor that draws the eye and gives the room a sense of intention.

Browse our full range of round mirrors →

Stylistically, round mirrors suit Scandi interiors (pair with light timbers and linen), Japandi spaces (matte frames, restrained palette), coastal homes (organic shapes mirror the nautical theme), and mid-century modern rooms (circular forms are a defining motif of the era).

Rectangle Mirrors: Classic Proportion

The rectangle is the most versatile mirror shape available, and for good reason as it mirrors the proportions of windows, doors, and artwork frames, the architectural vocabulary most of us already live within. A well chosen rectangular mirror feels like it belongs in a room the moment it goes up.

Hung vertically, a tall rectangular mirror elongates a room visually and draws the eye upward, a technique particularly effective in living rooms with standard height ceilings. Hung horizontally, it widens the perceived breadth of a wall and works beautifully above a sideboard, fireplace ledge, or long console table.

Deknudt's Haussmann mirror is the brand's most celebrated rectangular form, a 175cm statement piece with a profile that references Parisian Haussmann architecture. Its clean, bevelled frame works in heritage, transitional, and contemporary interiors with equal ease. Visit our showroom (open by appointment) to see it in person, the quality of Deknudt's copper-free glass becomes immediately apparent the moment you stand in front of it.

Explore rectangle mirrors for living rooms →

Rectangle mirrors are also the go-to choice for creating a gallery style mirror wall. Grouping two or three rectangular mirrors of the same design (or harmoniously varied sizes) across a large living room wall creates a hotel lobby effect that elevates the entire space.

Square Mirrors: Contemporary Symmetry

Square mirrors occupy an interesting middle ground between the softness of round forms and the directional energy of rectangles. Their equal proportions give them a calm, grounded presence as they do not push the eye in any one direction, which makes them particularly suited to rooms designed around balance and symmetry.

In contemporary and architectural interiors, think raw concrete, dark joinery, and monochromatic palettes... a large square mirror in a minimal frame can serve as the room's centrepiece without competing with other design elements. The reflective surface becomes the visual relief point in an otherwise textured environment.

Square mirrors also work well in pairs. Two identical square mirrors flanking a fireplace, doorway, or art installation create a formal symmetry that elevates the design vocabulary of the entire room. This is a technique frequently seen in high end residential and hospitality interiors.

View our designer square mirror collection →

XL Statement Mirrors: When Scale Becomes the Statement

In a living room with generous ceiling heights or expansive wall proportions, an XL mirror is not just an option, it is the correct design choice. Oversized mirrors create a sense of architectural drama that no other decorative element can match. They transform walls, multiply light, and make entire rooms feel curated.

The Calco Gold mirror from Deknudt at 166cm with its signature organic, free form silhouette is one of Elysium Home's best selling pieces for exactly this reason. The irregular golden mould frame catches the light in ways that shift throughout the day, making it feel almost like a living sculpture. It works beautifully leaned against a wall at floor level as much as it does hung traditionally.

For living rooms with very high ceilings, consider a floor to near ceiling rectangular or arched mirror that functions almost as a false window, the effect of an additional "window" in the room can be startlingly beautiful, especially when positioned to reflect garden views, artwork, or a beautiful light fitting.

Discover our XL and statement mirror range →

How to Choose the Right Mirror Shape for Your Living Room

With so many beautiful options available, the final selection comes down to a handful of practical and aesthetic principles.

Balance existing shapes in the room. If your living room already features strong rectangular architecture such as long sofas, horizontal joinery, a wide fireplace, introduce a round or organic shaped mirror to create contrast. Conversely, a room full of curved furniture benefits from the grounding presence of a rectangular form.

Match mirror proportions to wall proportions. A narrow rectangular mirror on a wide wall will look lost. A large round mirror on a narrow wall between two doorways will feel crowded. As a general rule, your mirror should occupy between one-half and two-thirds of the width of the wall or the furniture beneath it.

Consider what the mirror will reflect. Before committing to a placement, hold a large piece of cardboard or foam board against the wall to preview what will be reflected. You want the mirror to capture natural light, a beautiful part of the room, or an interesting architectural feature not a television screen or a cluttered bookshelf.

Think about frame material and finish. The frame is as important as the shape. A brushed brass frame in a warm, Hamptons style interior creates instant harmony. A matte black frame in a contemporary space maintains visual coolness. A sculptural organic frame in gold, like the Calco, works as a standalone art piece. Browse Deknudt's full Australian collection at Elysium Home to explore the range of finishes available.

Still unsure? John and Natalie at our Lane Cove showroom (open by appointment) offer personalised advice — call us on 02 9879 6670 or get in touch via our contact page. We are happy to discuss your space, your aesthetic, and guide you to the perfect mirror shape for your living room.

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