Vanity mirrors were once the calling card of the Hollywood starlet: incandescent bulbs framing the dressing room mirror to make the makeup artist’s job easier, and the actor look a million bucks.
Today, the same beautifying warmth and functionality of this old-school look has been pulled gracefully into the modern era, with the rise of the intensely popular light-up bathroom mirror.
In this article, Tile Merchant presents our ultimate guide to the benefits of illuminated bathroom mirrors; including how to choose the perfect one to match your home, suit your needs, and increase your property value.
Lighted bathroom mirrors today come in a great many shapes and sizes, with numerous add-on functions which can drastically change the way you interact with your bathroom (for the better!).
In short, an LED bathroom mirror is a mirror with soft, warm, energy-efficient bulbs at the borders or framing the entire circumference of the unit, to give you a gentle backlight in which to prune, preen and clean yourself.
The Tile Merchant bathroom mirror range has been carefully curated to suit a range of bathroom decor styles and Irish homeowner needs
We love bathroom vanity mirrors with lights, but why should you? Unless you’ve seen the real deal in action before, you might need to know a little more about them before you’re ready to consider installing one at home. Here’s a look at the 6 top benefits of an illuminated bathroom mirror.
Mirrored glass works in any space, since it’s just reflecting the decor, tiling, and fixtures already fitted in the bathroom. It’s the mirror’s frame which can often be hard to match with your style. With the best LED bathroom mirrors, however, the lights are the frame, creating an undeniably beautiful aesthetic which easily marries modern with traditional in a timeless blend.
There’s a reason vanity mirrors got their name: they not only help you ensure you look your best, they make you feel it, too. Bathroom lights positioned above or over mirrors give you an often-unflattering unidirectional light, which isn’t great for shaving, applying makeup, or getting ready.
Illuminated mirrors, on the other hand, present a clean, even spread of backlight which ensures you never miss an inch of stubble, your foundation is blended perfectly, and your lippy looks lush. If you’re ever in need of some self-love and confidence, LED bathroom mirrors will help you look and feel truly amazing
Having another source of lighting in a room is never a bad thing. The powerful, dimmable LEDs in our bathroom mirrors with lights give you a remarkably wide range of lighting options from just the one source.
Whether you’re looking to relax, take a romantic bath with your partner, or need a brighter, clarifying light in the middle of the night, illuminated mirrors are there to set the scene.
In contrast to incandescent bulbs found elsewhere in the home, the LED bulbs in modern lighted mirrors for bathrooms are far longer-lasting, and use considerably less electricity, thus making them altogether better for our environment.
The decade, of course, is the 2020s, and Ireland’s house-proud renovators are looking for something a little extra special to give their bathrooms that finishing touch – a touch which says modernity, minimalism, style and elegance.
Introducing the surprise bonus features found in some of our very best lighted bathroom mirrors:
As if lights built into the bathroom mirror didn’t already make these pieces more desirable than your average mirror, a score of additional features make our units versatile, functional, and useful in a wide range of scenarios.
Last but not least, you’ll hopefully be glad to learn that – contrary to assumption – illuminated bathroom mirrors are not at all difficult to install.
Tile Merchant’s mirrors come with everything you need for DIY installation in the box: from the brackets and screws, to the plug and IP44 waterproof connection box. With just one point of wiring, installing a bathroom magnifying mirror with light is far less hassle than installing bathroom lights and mirrors separately.
We hope we’ve managed to convince you that an LED illuminated mirror would make a fantastic choice for your bathroom renovation project.
Not only do they look good and make you feel amazing, they work in any space, are easy to install, and come with a host of amazing features, from anti-fog demister technology and Bluetooth speakers, to magnified sections and dimmable lights.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the things you should consider before picking the perfect illuminated mirror for your Irish home setup.
We’ve a wide range of size options in our lighted bathroom mirror catalogue, in different orientations to suit your preference. Our smallest LED mirrors are just 70x40cm, whilst our largest stretch to 140x60cm.
You even have a choice of shape when it comes to selecting what light-up bathroom mirror works for you. Circular mirrors are an increasingly popular choice across Ireland, though long rectangular ones often suit couples’ bathrooms better. All shapes offer slightly different aesthetic advantages, so the ultimate decision rests on which might work best for your space.
Undeniably, a Bluetooth bathroom mirror with dimmable backlight is going to cost you more than a plain old mirror. However, the Tile Merchant mission is always to provide for everyone, which is why we’ve made a point of stocking a range of illuminated bathroom mirrors at a range of different prices, starting at €237.99
Whilst all of our lighted bathroom mirrors are sleek, minimalist and modern, there are subtle style differences between the different brand manufacturers. Some have more angular, blocky edges, whilst others are noticeably softer, giving you options when matching the mirror to your preferred aesthetic.
You can also choose between installing a single mirror unit, or multiple as a cabinet feature for the family. We stock units intended to be installed as multiple, 2- or 3-piece suites, typically doubling as cabinet storage for larger households.
Your final consideration, when choosing the perfect touch screen bathroom mirror (did we forget to mention that you control some of them by touch?), is whether you’d like an LED mirror which lights up the whole wall, or one which frames just the face of the user. Vanity style mirrors are more intimate, whilst mirror walls provide greater light throughout.
Here at Tile Merchant, we like to keep up with all of the freshest, most functional and effective, aesthetically pleasing trends on the Irish home improvement market. LED illuminated bathroom mirrors are one of the hottest items in Ireland right now, and we’re proud to stock a wide range of them.
If you’re eager to buy one, or would like to see an illuminated mirror in action first, why not pop down to one of our fully-stocked showrooms. We have two in Dublin, and one in Ashbourne, County Meath.
Alternatively, give us a call, and one of our expert sales team members will help you find the right light-up mirror for you. We deliver to any address in Ireland.
LED bathroom mirrors work either by touch or by infrared sensor, which detects the proximity of a person and automatically turns on. Touch screen LED mirrors can typically be dimmed as well.
Yes, all bathroom mirrors with lights come with bulbs pre-installed so that you don’t have to worry about this part of the installation. Installation of illuminated LED Bluetooth mirrors is actually super simple.
Not all LED bathroom mirrors are dimmable, but many of the best are. You can dim your light-up bathroom mirror to any degree of brightness between 10% and 100%, simply by tapping and holding the touch screen ON/OFF button
Yes, all bathroom mirrors with lights and speakers require electricity. There are some cheaper LED bathroom mirrors which work by battery, but these are less functional and far less environmentally friendly. Typically, LED bathroom mirrors must be wired into the mains.
Bathroom mirrors with LED lights are powered by mains electricity via a single wire point and an IP44 waterproof box.
Yes, you’ll need a certified electrician to connect the single wire point of your LED illuminated bathroom mirror to your mains electricity. However, if you’ve already prepared the rest of the installation, this is a quick and easy job for any electrician, and shouldn’t cost a lot. Check out Tile Merchant’s portfolio of trusted tradespeople to find someone in your area.
We offer extremely competitive pricing on our entire range of tiles and likewise. We stock a huge range of wall and floor tiles and our prices are competitive for retail and trade. Our stock is widely available in our showrooms in Dublin and Ashbourne (Co. Meath) which are open 7 days a week
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Alternatively, if you’d prefer to shop our tiles online, we can supply you with samples delivered for free.
Blog by Calum
Tile Merchant
Cal Bannerman is a freelance writer, editor, podcaster and voice actor from the Scottish Borders. They run the storytelling podcast “Stories from the Hearth”, and live in a wee Glasgow flat with their partner and cat.
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