Funny, I've been scouting for a full length mirror for my new apt. for the last few weeks. The only caveat is that I want an antique mirror with a gold gilt frame and every one I like cost 3 to 4 thousand dollars!

Word to the wise: check the mirror out in person before you commit. I know a lot of people who bought awesome-looking mirrors online but the reflection turned out to be warped.

Watching kittens and puppies investigate full length mirrors is one of life's best amusements.
On the other hand - I look at the mirror above and think "As traps go, this is a splendid example." The houseguest who takes the corner too quickly and foot-hooks the mirror into smithereens; or the child who crashes into it one evening, thinking it is a door; or the person who pushes back from the table too quickly and has an intimate encounter with glass.

I used to have the same mirror leaning against the wall. As m_j_s said above, it proved an excellent trap. Before disaster could destroy it, I hung it on the wall to keep it and everyone out of harm's way. Side benefit: dust bunnies don't get stuck behind it anymore :)

Make sure it's anchored to the wall.

I worry about the placement of the lean-against-the-wall mirror in such a high-traffic area in the top picture. Looks like it's courting disaster.

I just think they look sloppy leaned up against the wall. Unpolished, like a college dorm or something. I prefer them wall mounted for aesthetics, and of course this has the side benefit of fewer dust bunnies and disasters. (Don't get me wrong; we totally have a sloppy leaned-up mirror over our mantel because we were afraid to hang the huge thing in our old plaster walls. But it's not a look I like.)

However, I think the floor ones that are on an angled swively stand thingy (what's the fancy design term? I want to say "canter" but that's a horse thing and I also want to say "cantilever" but that's a different design thing, sigh). Anyway. Y'all know what I mean. Those cheval (that's it!) mirrors are more polished, though it's hard to find a sleek mod look with that kind of old-timey style.

I have one leaned against the wall, but not in a high traffic area. I like the look when they're gigantic.

I could only have one of these in a NO traffic area in my home. Yep, a foot would catch it, a visiting kid run into it, etc., as noted above. Mirrors, to me, belong flat against a wall. Besides, leaning mirrors make you look fatter or skinnier, depending on whether they are leaning toward you or away from you, I forget which. This lean must be the one that makes you look skinnier, else everybody wouldn't be doing it. Or, if it is the other way, then this is weight-loss incentive, like putting a picture of yourself at your fattest on you refrigerator door! People seriously need to think about safety, though. Anchored or not, a foot could still catch on the edge of this one.

We used to have the IKEA MONGSTAD mirror hanging horizontally on our old condo wall to help enlarge the small space. When we moved to our home it sat in our basement for a year because we were sure where to fit it in. So we finally positioned it leaning against the wall in our bedroom and it really changed the look of the room. I am all for these.

The one shown does alarm me a little because it's vulnerable to people coming around two corners, but otherwise I think as long as they are anchored they are perfectly safe.

However as with all mirrors it's important to take into account what the mirror will reflect - you don't want to have a reflected view of piles of muddy boots, or overflowing bins.

I'm also a big fan of mirrors with things in front of them - plants especially, or lamps. That way you can give the illusion of a bigger space without having something that's immediately recogniseable as a mirror.

Daniel over at manhattan-nest.com has used (I believe) this exact mirror in his long and quirky hallway! It's tucked around a corner, so you only really notice it on your way out, but it fits the space perfectly and adds so much to it! Need to find a way to incorporate one into my own life soon... :)

@Jukles—I’m with you on the antique gilt… my dedication to Craigslist and estate sales and years of wading through junk finally paid off.

I finally found this massive ornate frame.  Sadly the glass was long gone, but getting a replacement was fairly easy, and the price was unbelievable.

I personally think there is no better way to make a space feel brighter and bigger than an oversized mirror… although, I prefer to mount them on the wall.  Leaning reflects a lot of the ceiling, but if you hang it, the reflection is of the room and windows, and it makes a difference…

Just last week--true story--I bought a long tall mirror and leaned it against a wall. The very next time I walked into the room, caught it with my toe and--smash!

We found ours after our neighbours did a clean sweep and left all their perfectly good TEAK furniture out on the curb. The mirror was meant to go on top of a nine-drawer buffet-style side unit... but we had other ideas. We turned it vertically and VOILA! Full length luxurious hall mirror for our tiny, dark hall. Suddenly, it didn't feel so small! I like free. Free is best.

Oh, that mirror is making me nervous. I'm just waiting for it it slide and shatter! I'm a fan of mirrors typically but I think I'd prefer full-length mirrors in a bedroom/large fantasy walk-in closet or dressing room.

I had a Pottery Barn thick frame huge mirror for years butted up against a wall and never had an issue. I sold it on Craigslist not to long ago and bought an Ikea hovet- I prefer a more mirror, less frame look now. It's nice looking against a wall, but much more precarious then my old frame- the dog knocked it over in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago. Scared the hell out of me.

Buy the mirror separate (mirror only, without frame) -- my mom gave me one that she had bought for 50 cents at a house sale, but probably you won't be so lucky. Then, I went to a framing store (where frame is sold by the inch or foot - I forget). Choose your frame carefully-- they had a very large selection. I chose a gold gilt frame (which was one of the most expensive framing materials they offered). They do the framing for you. Total cost: $225. At the time, I thought the cost was high (10 years ago), but later (when this type of mirror became popular), turned out not so expensive after all. And, I got a custom mirror.

There are some cheap ones here too: http://www.uniquemirrorsonline.com/floor-mirrors.html