How to Hang a Mirror on a Wall: The Complete Guide
A simple step-by-step guide for hanging mirrors on drywall and concrete walls.
By TLM Editorial Updated 28 May 2026 6-min read
A well-hung mirror earns its keep. It opens the room, then finishes it. The aim is to do it once, and never have to do it again.
What you'll need.
Gather these before you start. The install moves quickly once everything is laid out.
- —Tape measure and pencil
- —Spirit level (or a small laser level)
- —Drill, plus a regular bit for drywall and a masonry bit for concrete
- —Screws sized to fit your D-rings or keyhole hangers
- —Wall anchors matched to your wall type
- —Painter's tape
- —An extra pair of hands, for anything over 10 kg or wider than 70 cm
01 Choose the spot.
Where you hang the mirror matters as much as how. Get the position right and the room does half the work for you.
Full-length mirrors
For a head-to-toe view, leave 10 – 20 cm between the bottom of the mirror and the floor — enough to see your feet with breathing room. The top of the mirror should reach about 10 – 20 cm above the head of the tallest person in the household, so everyone reflects fully.
Wall mirrors above furniture
For any wall mirror hung above a console, sofa, or bed, the center of the mirror should sit 145 – 152 cm from the floor — the gallery standard, the height that feels right in almost any room. Leave 15 – 25 cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the mirror.
Mind the clearances
Behind a door? Install a door stopper first — without one, the door handle swings into the glass. Beside a drawer or wardrobe? Leave at least 0.5 cm of clearance.
02 Identify your wall.
Two wall types cover almost every home in Singapore. You can tell them apart with a knock.
Drywall
Sounds hollow when you knock. Common in condo internal walls and some HDB partition walls. A thumbtack pushes in easily.
Concrete or brick
Sounds solid and dull. Most HDB structural walls and condo external walls. A thumbtack won't go in.
03 Pick your hardware.
This is the section most people skip and regret. The right hardware depends entirely on what your wall is made of.
Drywall
You need three things:
- A regular drill bit
- Drywall anchors (plastic with wings, or metal molly bolts for heavier mirrors)
- Wood screws that fit the anchors
Drill the hole → push the anchor in → drive the screw in.
Concrete or brick
You need three things:
- A masonry drill bit (essential — regular bits won't even scratch concrete)
- Plastic wall plugs (also called rawl plugs)
- Wood screws that fit the plugs
Drill the hole → push the plug in → drive the screw in.
About your mirror's mounts
TLM mirrors come with either D-rings (small metal rings) or keyhole hangers (flat brackets with a keyhole slot). Both hook onto a screw in the wall.
04 Mark your spots.
The drill marks need to match the spacing of your D-rings or keyholes exactly. Off by 1 cm and the mirror won't sit right. Here's the easiest way to nail it.
The tape transfer (our method)
Stretch a strip of painter's tape across the back of the mirror, covering the D-rings or keyholes. Press it flat. Mark the exact mount points on the tape with a pencil. Peel the tape off in one piece and stick it to the wall at the right height — your drill marks are already there, perfectly spaced. No measuring, no math.
If you don't have painter's tape
Hold the mirror against the wall (with help) at the right height. Pencil a small dot at the top center. Then measure the D-ring or keyhole spacing on the back and transfer those measurements outward and downward from your top mark.
Either way — hold a spirit level across your two marks before drilling. A 1 cm difference is invisible now but will bother you forever.
05 Drill and install.
Take it slow here. There's no prize for finishing first.
06 Hang and level.
Lift the mirror onto the screws. D-rings hook over the screw heads from above; keyhole hangers slide down over them. For anything over 10 kg or wider than 70 cm, get an extra pair of hands.
Place a spirit level across the top edge. If it's tilted, slip a thin washer behind the screw head on the low side, or back the screw out a half turn on the high side.
A finishing touch
Stick a felt bumper behind each bottom corner. It protects the wall, keeps the mirror plumb, and lets air pass behind the glass — which extends the life of the silvering.
Common mistakes.
Most failed installs come from one of these. Catch them before you drill.
Eye level is 145–152 cm to the center. Anything above and the room feels top-heavy.
A drywall anchor pulls straight out of concrete. A bare screw tears through drywall. Match the anchor to the wall every time.
D-ring and keyhole spacing is the one thing you cannot eyeball.
A 1 cm tilt is invisible while holding the mirror. It's the first thing your eye catches the next morning.
Over 10 kg or wider than 70 cm — get an extra pair of hands. Glass breaks. Walls patch.
The handle will hit the glass. Install a door stopper first.
When to hire a professional.
Doing it yourself is satisfying. Knowing when not to is wiser.
Call a pro if any of these apply:
- The mirror is over 25 kg or 120 cm wide
- You can't tell what your wall is made of
- You don't own a drill, level, or stud finder
- The mirror is going on a concrete wall and you've never drilled into one
- It's a statement piece you'd hate to damage
TLM Installation Service
Our preferred installer has hung hundreds of TLM mirrors. He knows our products, our hardware, and how each one should sit. Installations done by him are covered under warranty.
Do it once. Do it well.
Enquire about installation