There are home design trends that are totally in your face. Some that come to mind are checkerboard patterns, zellige tile, and warm neutrals. But then there are some that have been lurking in the background, prominent but not called out. Pier mirrors are the latter. While you probably won’t find them on any “top home decor trends for 2025” lists coming up, I tend to have a good hunch for these types of things and let me tell you, they are here, they are loud, and they are here to stay.
But let’s back up first. Some of you reading might be well versed in the pier mirror, or pier glass as it’s also called. If you happen to watch Alison Victoria’s show Windy City Rehab, you know all about this as she hunts down an antique pier mirror for a project she’s working on nearly every episode in the same fashion you may pursue a glass of water after ingesting a spoonful of cinnamon. She has good reason, though, because pier mirrors are marvelous and powerful design tools for not only making a statement but the statement in a room.
Now, if that last paragraph was as confusing as jumping into an episode of Game of Thrones season 3 without any prior watching, don’t worry, I’m here to share my knowledge. Gather ’round students, for today we are going to explore what a pier mirror is (and its origins—quickly, but in a not boring way), what you need to know to acquire a pier mirror like what it should cost and where to look, and of course, ooh and ahh over beautiful images of them in play inside very stylish homes. Let’s go.
Pier Mirror, Pier Mirror, On The Wall, Are You The Fairest Of Them All?
While I’d love to tell you that I first learned about the pier glass decades ago during my design academic days, such a time does not exist, and I originally was introduced to it when I got assigned a story during my Apartment Therapy tenure. My eyes knew what they were after years of publishing high-end interior projects, I didn’t know them by name.
A pier glass is simply a mirror that is often quite slender and tall, and ornate that would be hung on a pier wall, which is the wall space between two windows. It was typically placed above a small pier table or console. It had to be long and lean to a) fit in that narrow spot and b) maximize reflection surface area. You see, pier mirrors came to be in the 17th century (read: no electricity in homes for a looong way) and were associated with European estates, palaces, and other such elite homes. They were meant to bounce light around in rooms that often had very little natural light, not to mention make the rooms look more grand. Ceilings in the salons of these homes where pier mirrors were used were really tall, so the mirrors themselves could often be exaggerated in size.
Early versions spoke to Baroque and Rococo design eras, but they became even more popular in the 18th and 19th centuries during the Georgian and Victorian eras. Mirror technology (is that a thing?) improved, reflections became clearer thanks to mercury-backed glass, and costs came down which allowed more access and larger sizes to be made.
Depending on the period they come from, they can be made of mahogany, giltwood, poplar, bronze, and even partly of marble. Some look like giant gold mirrors full of scrollwork, urns and ribbons, while others are built into large elaborate millwork which can be found as the feature of a room or in the entrance of a home (think a brownstone).
Do I Need A Victorian-Era Brownstone Or Parisian Flat To Make A Pier Mirror Work With My Design?
I’m going to keep this one short and sweet: no!! Look, Brooklyn brownstones, Chicago greystones and any manor-like home in England, France, and the like are going to make a pier mirror feel right at home, because well, this is where many of them that are still around today originated. Would I recommend an antique pier mirror in a new-build tract home? Ehh….I’m sure someone could make it work, but that’s not to say they are a no-go anywhere but a 100-200-year-old residence. It all depends on what else is in your home. A giltwood pier mirror might be such a cool moment of drama in an otherwise contemporary room with high ceilings. The same goes for a Victorian millwork-encased version in a newly renovated craftsman. If it feels right to you, just go with it.
What Should I Know About Buying An Antique Pier Mirror?
Googling “antique pier mirror” gives you a very wide variety of results that you may leave that search wondering if you even actually know what a pier mirror is, aesthetically speaking. There are different sizes, finishes, styles, and drastic swings in price. But I’d recommend finding something you love for your home (regardless of whether you can buy it or not), and just studying it. Get a good grasp on the naming convention, era, wood type, and size, and use it as reference on your own hunt.
Where To Buy Them IRL And Online
Much like any other antique, antique stores and dealers are a great place to start your journey toward pier mirror ownership. If you’re looking for the larger more built-in-looking pier mirrors, you’re going to want to hit up an architectural salvage dealer, instead, though. Anyone who sells old doors, windows, and architectural details is likely to have something in that realm. Oh, and never overlook estate sales, too!
With regards to online, there are, of course, the usual suspects: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Chairish, 1stDibs. While some dealers will have okay-ish prices for shipping, though, remember that these are large and delicate, have to be crated, and can cost as much or more to ship than you paid for the piece itself. Scoring something local is going to be your best bet both for your budget but also for the style of your home if it’s in any way historic.
What To Look For
Anything antique is going to vary drastically in price depending on many factors. Condition, restoration, size, and historical significance. You’ll want to check for blemishing on the mirror itself (though that can be pretty charming and not a deal breaker), how well maintained the wood framing is and if it needs any repairs, if it’s a reproduction or a genuine antique, what shape the backing material is in, and provenance (though that might be harder to come by if you’re buying from a peer-to-peer marketplace where sellers aren’t always educated on what they have).
What You Should Expect To Pay
Okay, ready? It’s a range as wide as the Atlantic between New York and London, but very useful to know.
On the high-end: Really rare and well-preserved pier mirrors from the 18th or early 19th centuries can run you between $4,000 or so all the way to $25,000 and well beyond (I saw a pair for six figures during my research).
Mid-range: Most pier mirrors are going to land in this category. These are more common pieces from the late 19th century and early 20th century or anything that isn’t in great shape. Here, you’re looking at $1,500 to $4,000/$5,000.
Low-end: If you find a pier mirror that’s in the range of $500 to about $2,000, you’re either dealing with a reproduction, something from the early 20th century that is pretty simple in its design, or just something that someone might not know anything about. You can also find new, decorative pier mirrors around this price.
What Words Do I Use When Looking Online?
On any marketplace, people have to know that they actually have a specific thing and list it as such. Most have no clue. Here are some ways I’ve seen pier mirrors listed:
- Pier mirror/pier glass
- Hall mirror
- Console mirror
- Hall tree with mirror
- Extra large ornate wall mirror
- Dressing mirror/dressing glass
- Trumeau mirror
- Mantel mirror (mantel mirrors are not the same as pier mirrors, but some people tend to confuse the two)
We’ve Reached The Show & Tell Portion Of This Post
Ready to fall in love? Let’s explore some pier mirror eye candy…
The image above is the Brownstone Boys’ room from the 2024 Real Simple showhouse. They are no strangers to the Victorian Brooklyn Brownstone style of pier mirror, and they used two in their space. As you can see from the one above, they often have other decoration like pedestals, feet (common in Georgian mirrors), tables/benches, and hooks. The image below is what’s reflected above: another, smaller pier mirror which you often see in the foyer of homes like this.
Another designer fluent in pier mirror is Mallory Fletchall, the name behind Reserve Home. In her previous and current Brooklyn homes, she has had an array of enviable pier mirrors in her living room, dining spaces, even her bedroom. See below:
Can you even?!? Because of their size, they do such a great job of extending the depth of a room, even if it’s on the smaller side. Not to mention what it can do for helping to spread around light in spaces that might be darker than you want them to be. Just be sure to measure very carefully if you’ll be putting a pier mirror in its traditional spot (between windows). Mirrors of certain time periods have giltwood scrolls that extend past the main frame of the mirror, and because these mirrors look best when they go almost fully side to side and top to bottom on a pier wall, every centimeter counts.
This stunning entryway is in the same home I shared first in the home with that wildly gorgeous living room with the stately pier mirror painted in white. Both are by Lex & Hudson, but I wanted to show this one, too, because not every pier mirror has to be this gargantuan thing. They can be more slender and better suited to a compact floor plan, too.
Speaking of compact floor plans, this sweet and moody dining spot above by Claudia Williams is in a studio apartment, which of course is a home size that could use any trick of the eye possible to “make” more room (or at least the appearance of it).
Any space with existing plasterwork and intricate detailing is ripe for a pier mirror, especially if the windows are grand, like this room by Benjamin Vandiver.
This is actually a brownstone that was for sale, but it’s fun to see the sheer scale of these mirrors. Also, my brain would fight me on having two such mirrors in a single space (it would tell me it was too much of a good thing), but the drama is hard to beat.
The idea of painting anything made of mahogany or giltwood white makes my heart cry, but every time I see it, I get the tissues out, wipe away the coronary tears, and stop in admiration like I did in this room (the home of A Guy Named Patrick). As much as it hurts to think about, painting an aesthetically heavy piece like this in a shade of white is a quick way to lighten the load while leaving all the boldness.
Lastly, I’m so excited I found this shot because it’s the most realistic for most of us here reading (I’m guessing). Like I said earlier, you don’t have to live in a French estate with a grand parlor to make a pier mirror feel at home. Find something scaled appropriately to your room, and you can make it work! Thank you Garrett and Leona of The Olde Standard for showing us this.
To round us out, I went digging through the internet to see what I could find, though this search made me realize how hard these are to find online (remember: in person is best!). I was hard-pressed to uncover something similar to some of the examples above, but I thought it would be a good exercise nonetheless to show you what’s out there, what prices are like, and the wide range of styles. I split the product roster into two categories: under $2,000 and $2,000+.
1. French Victorian Style Hall Pier Mirror | 2. Antique Victorian Eastlake Mahogany Hall Parlor Entry Vanity Pier Mirror 86″ | 3. Antique French Gilt Pier Mirror | 4. Early 19th Century American Mahogany Tabernacle Pier Mirror | 5. Swedish Carved Pier Mirror | 6. Labarge Italian Large Monumental Pier Mirror | 7. French Neoclassical Giltwood and Gilt-Gesso Pier Mirror, Circa 1820 | 8. 19th Century Empire Revival Mahogany Pier Mirror | 9. Danish Christian VIII Mahogany Arched Pier Mirror
1. French Neoclassical Giltwood and Eglomise Pier Mirror | 2. Walnut Eastlake/Victorian Pier/Mantle Mirror | 3. 19th Century Neoclassical Mirror | 4. Tall Pier Mirror with Console in Dark Mahogany, Baltic Region, circa 1910 | 5. 19th Century Italian Pier Mirror | 6. Rare 19th Century Giltwood Pier or Hall or Dressing Mirror | 7. Antique Giltwood Diamond Dust Pier Mirror | 8. Federal New York Pier Mirror, Late 18th Century | 9. Antique American Eastlake Style Victorian Walnut & Burl Walnut Pier Mirror with a Carrera Marble Top Base Stand
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This is where I leave you. With eyes and heart full, and a renewed love of the pier mirror. And while yes, I do think it’s “trending,” it’s such a classic piece that it far supersedes whatever a “trend” even is. When you can take something from the 18th century and put it in a 21st-century home with 21st-century furniture and finishes, you know you have something that is timeless.
Until next time my friends…
Opener Image Credit: Design by Malcolm Simmons | Photo by Keyanna Bowen | From: Malcolm’s Bedroom Reveal Is Here
