We have our winners!

Congratulations to Diane in Leesburg, Virginia and Kyra from Germantown, Maryland for winning our Pizzazz MirrorSquares giveaway yesterday!  We hope the gift adds a little sparkle and shine to their holiday season.  Stay tuned for more giveaways in 2010 so you too can be a winner!  Happy Holidays from your friends at MirrorMate.

MirrorMate Holiday Giveaway

In the spirit of the holiday season, we're giving away two sets of three Pizzazz Mirror Squares - the perfect number to line a wall behind a couch, down a hall or behind a dining room buffet.  One winner will receive three in Cherokee Espresso Walnut and another winner will receive three in Pemaquid Old World Silver - both shipped free.  You can check out the photos of them below.  The first two people to email mirrormate@florekpr.com will win!  Please include MirrorMate Giveaway in your subject.  On your mark, get set, go!

For the decorating diva on your holiday list...

Looking for a last minute gift for the decorating diva on your holiday list? Try two or three Pizzazz MirrorSquares to liven up their walls. With the selection of nearly 40 frame styles, you’re guaranteed to find one that fits their style. The 12” squares are less than $20 each and ship free through January 20th.


And for the décor in your home? Pizzazz MirrorSquares can also be used to add some sparkle and shine during the holidays and year round. Place a grouping of MirrorSquares behind a dining room buffet to reflect candlelight during holiday celebrations.

Looking for more holiday decor ideas? MirrorMate spokeswoman and home stager extraordinaire, Kate Hart, recently dished out some great tips for beautiful, budget-friendly holiday decor on NBC10 in Philadelphia. Below are some of the suggestions that were featured in the segment.

Tip 1: Use what you have and re-purpose it. For an easy and inexpensive Christmas card display, thumb tack a wide ribbon to the top of the door frame, tie a beautiful bow and let the rest hang down the length of the door. Use double stick tape to attach holiday cards down the ribbon as they come in.

Tip 2: Group decorations of similar color to get more bang for you buck. For a festive centerpiece, use pillar candle surrounded by ornaments and fill hurricane vases with complimenting ornaments.

Tip 3: Go for metallics and organics. The metallics add glamour and bling, while organics help bring the outside in and give warmth to the home. Both are “in” this holiday season.

Enjoy & happy holidays from your friends at MirrorMate!

MirrorMate Photo Shoot Secrets Revealed

As you may have seen on the home page of our website, we recently finished a fun photo shoot at my good friend Sonia's home here in Charlotte.  We used both MirrorMate frames and Pizzazz MirrorSquares to makeover her bathroom, family room and master bedroom.  We thought we'd share just a bit on how we got the look featured in the photos - in case you'd like to do the same.

We started in the bathroom by taking down those harsh "Hollywood" style lights and replacing them with a fixture that casts a softer light.  We then framed the bare mirror in Cherokee Marbled Maple. 

In the family room we added some "pizzazz" in a great geometric pattern above the couch using Pizzazz Mirror Squares in Portage Moonlight. 

Finally, in the master bedroom, we hung the MirrorSquares in Tribeca Black above the bed, really highlighting the wall as a focal point of the room. 

Expert Home Decor Tips that Add Spice to Your Life

As the temperature drops outside, we asked MirrorMate Spokeswoman, and America’s top Home Stager, Kate Hart for some fun, simple ways to warm up the home. Turns out that spice isn’t just for cooking!


“Spicy scents and colors add the feeling of warmth to your place just like they add heat to your palate,” says Hart.

Try these tips to spice up your living space just in time for Thanksgiving guests – and throughout the cold winter months.

• Paint an accent wall in your room a warm and sultry color such as Sherwin Williams’ Spicy Hue 6342 or Benjamin Moore’s Spiced Pumpkin 034. Too afraid to make a permanent color commitment? Cut foam core to fit the space in the back of a bookcase and paint the foam core the accent color you desire and then insert in place.

• Add some new toss pillows to your sofa or bed in warm hues such as ginger, pumpkin, or cinnamon. Look for heavy fabrics such as Jacquards or Kilims to add even more warmth.

• Infuse your space with the scent of cinnamon, clove or nutmeg with scented candles, room spray or centerpiece. For a simple centerpiece, perfect for Thanksgiving, take any round or square glass container and line up cinnamon sticks on the outside perimeter. You can tie them in place with raffia or fishing line. Insert a scented candle in the vase and you have an instant “scentsational” centerpiece. Group them to create even more drama on a dining room server or table.

Take these tips for spices beyond the table to heat up the home all winter long. Happy Thanksgiving & happy decorating!

Decorating Trend: "Clear is the New Black"

A recent Miami Herald article heralds clear (aka glass, mirrors, metallics, crystal, lucite) as the new black – a decorating trend that is taking hold and bringing some shimmer and shine to accent pieces, lighting, furnishings and wall decor. Featured in everything from Pottery Barn to high-end design magazines, it's a simple, affordable way to add some light to our lives - and homes without a major makeover.

The article highlighted some great "tips for clear decor" from Decorating Den Designer Sharon Binkerd, including filling a crystal bowl with glass balls, adding crystal or acrylic lamps, painting furniture with metallic paint, adding crystals to an old chandeleir, drapery hardware with glass finials, and - our personal favorite - adding a MirrorMate frame in "brushed bronze, silver sheen and brushed chrome."

With the holidays drawing near it's the perfect time to add some on-trend pieces that bring a sparkle to the home.

Hotel-Inspired Design in Woman's Day

We love Woman's Day and were thrilled to be featured in a recent article, "11 Ideas for Hotel-Inspired Design." It was the perfect fit for us, having framed many a bare mirror for leading hotel chains, as well as homes. For those on a limited travel budget, the idea of a "staycation," where you relax and enjoy time and activities in and around your home, has grown. With some simple decor changes, like adding calming paint colors, streamlined furnishings, a neutral palette and plush towels, homeowners can achieve the look and feel of a vacation at home year-round. Check out tip #4 in the Woman's Day article to read more on giving your bathroom the look of an elegant hotel with a MirrorMate frame.

Adding Pizzazz to My Home

I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Amy Florek, publicist for MirrorMate and forever on a home improvement mission – part of the reason I fell in love with MirrorMate! Starting this month, I’m going to be blogging for MirrorMate, along side the company’s president, founder and inventor, Lisa Huntting. We’ll share design ideas and personal stories, along with updates on what is happening here at MirrorMate. We hope you enjoy and join in the conversation. We’d love to hear from you too!

To give you a little background on my love of DIY projects for my home, we bought a fixer-upper about 5 years ago (pre-kids, when there actually was free time!) and have touched just about ever square inch of the home. Personally, I’ve taken wall paper down and repainted every room, retiled the master bathroom floor and vanity backsplash, swapped out dated light fixtures and ripped out ugly carpet, to name a few!

Most recently I rearranged the family room (with the help of my three year old!) so that the focal point would be the fireplace – it had always felt lopsided to me. Then I saw a spot that I knew would be perfect for MirrorMate’s Pizzazz MirrorSquares! The room needs more windows so the mirrors really help to add light and open the room more. They’re in Portage Pebbled White http://bit.ly/pizzazzportagewhite with such a nice distressed look. Okay, off to attempt sewing drapery panels for the dining room…wish me luck!

15% off MirrorMate frames

There's just one day left to take advantage the MirrorMate fall sale. Enjoy 15% off and start getting the bathroom ready for holiday guests! http://www.mirrormate.com/

Boring Mirror on the Wall? MirrorMate Frames Will Fix Them All

As you may know I am a huge fan of MirrorMate Frames the amazing custom frame that can update a boring builder's grade mirror and give your bathroom a brand new look in just minutes. We recently staged the home of Kyle Korver, a professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz. When Kyle played for the 76'ers he purchased a home in the Philadelphia suburbs. When he made the move to Utah we were called in to help him prepare the home for sale.

The home looked beautiful and had a lot of custom upgrades and finishes but the bathrooms needed some finishing touches to give them the higher end look they deserved. Below are before and after photos of one of the bathrooms we updated using MirrorMate Frames. What you did not see is that we also stained the bathroom cabinets a darker color to go with the more contemporary feel of his home (they were pickled wood and looked too country) and installed new scones in one of the baths. I am kicking myself for not having before-the-before photos but we were so busy getting the home ready for market that I forgot to take them! www.mirrormate.com

$35 OFF ANY FRAME STYLE! ENDS FRIDAY

Shop Today! $35 off any frame ends tomorrow! Click here: http://tinyurl.com/cq79ns

MirrorMate's Kate Hart in "Everyday with Rachel Ray"

Check out MirrorMate's spokesperson Kate Hart's mention in "Everyday with Rachel Ray." http://bit.ly/BJ42R For more on Kate Hart and her staging tips visit http://www.mirrormate.com/Expert-Tips/

STYLISH SUMMER SAVINGS! CELEBRATE THE 4TH WITH $35 OFF NEW STYLES

Save in style this summer! Now through July 31st, our newest frame styles and colors, including all Pacifica, Chelsea, and Cherokee - Brushed Chrom frames are $35 off! Use coupon code 35BUCKS at checkout. And don’t forget that through July 20th 6 frame samples are just $1! It’s never been easier or more affordable to transform the look of your bathroom.
www.mirrormate.com

This is the summer of style, as we introduce two beautiful new frames to the MirrorMate line – Pacifica and Chelsea. Inspired by the curves of the California Coast, Pacifica, comes in a glimmering Silver Sheen. The Chelsea frames will put you in a New York state of mind, featuring such rich, warm colors as Black Satin, Espresso, Cherry Red and Brushed Bronze.

In addition, two of our current frame styles, Venetian and Cherokee, will also have new colors added to the line. Venetian will now be available in Black and Cherokee, made of entirely of recycled woods, will come in a 2” and 3” Brushed Chrome.

In celebration of these new introductions, MirrorMate is offering 6 samples for $1 for ALL frames until July 2oth! It’s never been easier to choose the perfect frame to complete your bathroom. As our expert Kate Hart (http://www.hartstaging.com/) suggests, just match the frame to your existing cabinetry or hardware for a transformation that gives you easy, affordable, designer-inspired style!

To check out these new styles and colors or order your complimentary samples, visit http://www.mirrormate.com/Shop/Collections/

$300, 3 days of projects

Find out to improve your house for $300 and 3 days of projects.
Kate Hart shares her ideas on how small bathroom changes can really make an impact.

Read more:

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090516/LIFE0802/905160311/

The economy stinks, but home is still our haven. Hear how paint and MirrorMate frames are brighten our spaces while keeping us on budget.

There’s no denying that the economy has us all cutting back and budgeting like never before. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University confirmed the decline in home improvement projects in their recent report, “The Remodeling Market in Transition.” http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/media/r09_release_2-4-09.html
But while major renovations are being put on hold, many homeowners are looking to make the most of what they have by utilizing budget-friendly makeover tools that give them the biggest bang for their buck. Despite the recession, MirrorMate continues to experience growth. And according to Home Channel News, sales of paint, another budget-friendly way to change the look of a room, are also on the rise. http://www.homechannelnews.com/FreeStory.aspx?id=90285 The take away: All it takes is MirrorMate & a can of paint to transform a bathroom – on time and within budget!
Low Cost (Even No Cost!) Ways to Give Your Home a Whole New Look
Tweet: Stager Extraordinaire Kate Hart shares low cost (even no cost!) ways to give your home a whole new look. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/MMFblog
“It’s quite possible to transform the look of your home with little - or even no money,” says Kate Hart, one of America’s top home stagers and owner of Hart & Associates Staging & Design in Philadelphia, PA. “It just means smart, selective shopping and getting creative.”

“Rearrange, reuse, swap with friends, buy second hand and most of all, have fun with it,” continues Hart.
Below are Kate’s top tips to get the look you want in your home for less:
Shop Your Home: If you are looking to make a change consider taking pieces from other rooms to make the transformation. Need some fun new toss pillows for your family room sofa? Swipe some pillow shams from the guest room and recover the pillows you already have. And for a more luxurious look in the master bedroom, don’t be afraid to separate matching sets of end tables from the living room.
Have a Furniture Swap: Chances are if you are on a budget, so are your friends. A fun and FREE way to get new furniture and accessories is to host a furniture swap party at your home. Invite your neighbors and friends and have them bring good condition home accessories, lighting, area rugs and small furniture. Draw numbers to see who gets to go first and then select the item of your choice. Furniture too big to bring to the party? Bring a photo and then arrange to have the winner pick it up later that week.

Shop Second Hand: If you are looking for affordable furniture do not be afraid to shop consignment, thrift, or used furniture stores. Baby boomers, executives who are relocating and athletes often choose to sell their furniture and purchase new furniture when they make the move. Often times you can find almost new brand name items if you know where to look.

Add Some Color: To give your room an instant update, consider repainting it a new, on-trend color. Amid the economic downturn, Sherwin-Williams reports consumers looking to brightening up their homes – and moods – with colors that are “energetic and more optimistic,” including shades of yellow, orange and red[1]. If you are scared to make such a big color commitment, paint one wall in your room an accent color such as the wall behind your bed or paint the backs of your bookcases to add architectural interest.

Give an Old Mirror a New Look: Adding custom molding or trim to a room is one of the most costly parts of a design job. If you are updating your bathroom do not remove your existing plate glass mirror. Reframe it instead. MirrorMate® frames instantly turn your builder’s grade, outdated mirror into a custom work of art. They offer lots of frame finishes to choose from and are an affordable, do-it-yourself alternative to custom millwork.

Repaint, Don’t Replace: Old cabinets got you down? Pink porcelain in the powder room making you pout? Don’t invest in replacing those items, repaint them instead. Reglazing your bathroom tile or repainting your kitchen cabinets can be done for a fraction of installing a new kitchen or bathroom.

Add some Bling: Kitchens and bathrooms can be some of the most expensive rooms to remodel. If budget is an issue, make over your existing cabinets with some new hardware. Choose a chrome handle for a contemporary look and a brushed nickel or bronze for a more traditional one. Complete the transformation by adding new faucets to the sinks to coordinate with the new hardware.

Bring the Outside in: If you are looking for fun and affordable décor for your home consider finding what you need in the great outdoors. Turn an oversized funky painted flower pot into an instant end table when you top it off with a glass table round from a local home store. Create a dramatic centerpiece in seconds by collecting various branches from your yard, securing them in a bundle with twine and sticking them into a tall hurricane in the center of your table.

Negotiate: If you see a piece of furniture that you love do not assume that you have to pay sticker price. Research similar items online and ask your furniture or home décor store if they are willing to match a price or reduce their fee. Negotiate to have them remove delivery or installation charges if you are willing to pick up the items yourself. Buying more than one piece? Some stores offer discounts the more you buy.

These money-saving tips make it possible for anyone, on any budget, to get a new look that will give you a whole new outlook.

Lisa Huntting and MirrorMate on the Front Page of the Charlotte Observer

Check out MirrorMate's fearless leader, Lisa Huntting, and the great article about MirrorMate from the Charlotte Observer. http://tinyurl.com/cvrg4l

40% OFF Select Styles

Take 40% OFF Select Styles!

You can choose from Acadia - Dove White, Venetian - Gold Wave and White Wave, Alton - Cherry, Honeyed Oak, and Unfinished, Portage - 18K Gold, Old Town Silver, Pebbled White and Sand.

Hurry, because once they're gone they're gone!

http://www.mirrormate.com/

Discount reflected in shopping cart.

Going Green One Mirror at a Time

With Earth Day upon us, many take stock of their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. We wanted to take this opportunity to share with you what we’re doing to help make the earth a greener place – one bathroom mirror at a time.

One of the best things about MirrorMate is the fact that we help keep mirrors out of landfills, reducing construction waste with the reuse (and beautification) of an old mirror. You can feel confident in your purchase and secure in the knowledge that MirrorMate does all they can to run an eco-friendly business and works with vendors who do the same.

MirrorMate Spokesperson Kate Hart on Giving your bathroom a makeover on a budget - 4/15/09 - Philadelphia News - 6abc.com

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/consumer/save_with_6abc&id=6413606

HOME NOT SELLING?

EXPERT HOME STAGER SHARES TOP TIPS TO GET YOUR HOUSE IN TIP TOP SHAPE!

“Attention to detail throughout the home can make the difference between a house that sells and one that sits on the market,” explains Kate Hart, one of America’s top home stagers and owner of Hart & Associates Staging & Design. “In particular, improvements to the kitchen and bath - the two rooms that sell a home - will always help bring in the buyers.”

Below, Kate Hart shares some easy and effective home improvements that homeowners can do to make a big change without breaking the bank.

Curb Appeal: First impressions are everything, and this has never been truer than in today’s market. To leave a positive impression on buyers, take care of any exterior maintenance issues before buyers arrive, such as power washing walkways and patios, cleaning your gutters, touching up peeling paint, replacing broken light bulbs, edging and mulching beds, and adding fresh annuals. Some free things you can do include polishing your front door hardware and sweeping away pesky cobwebs.

Kitchen: Give your kitchen a mini facelift on a budget by repainting your cabinets instead of replacing them. For a more contemporary look, consider a semi-gloss espresso brown. For a more traditional look, opt for a semi-gloss creamy white. Complete the makeover by adding new hardware. Considering professional help? Ask your local painter if they can spray a lacquer finish on your cabinets. This treatment is more expensive than painting the cabinets yourself but the result looks like a factory finish.

Bathroom: Give an outdated bath a pick-me-up by replacing your existing lighting, faucets and hardware with updated styles and framing your plate glass mirror with a MirrorMate® frame. Easy to install, these frames come in many different finishes and give your bathroom a custom, designer look in minutes. http://www.mirrormate.com/

Bedrooms: Take your bedroom from lived-in to luxurious by creating a headboard that gives your room a more complete look. Measure the width of your bed and determine the height you prefer. Purchase a ¼ inch piece of plywood fitting these dimensions (ask the store to cut if for you) and cover it with 2 inch foam that fits the dimensions you selected. Wrap the foam and plywood with batting that can be purchased from a craft store. Finally staple gun a fabric of your choice around the headboard you’ve created. You can then hang the headboard behind the bed on the wall as if you were hanging a piece or art using “D” rings and hooks or attach it to your bed frame using bolts and washers.

Family Room: Make your fireplace or great view the selling feature, not your entertainment center. Chances are your family room is currently centered around the things you do everyday, such as watch TV. Before showing, rearrange your room to showcase the architectural focal point of your family room.

Dining Room: Keep this room de-cluttered and streamlined so buyers can imagine how they can enjoy this space with their families. Before showing, make sure to remove any knick-knacks and extraneous items from your china cabinet or sideboard. A rule to follow: pack up any items that are smaller than a softball such as salt and pepper shakers, wedding cake toppers, and small figurines.

Living Room: Make sure you are selling your space, not your stuff. Before showing, again, remove any family photos from the mantle, end tables and bookcases. Give this space a less cluttered look by keeping no more than three items per surface. For example, go with a piece of art and a pair of candle sticks on the mantle instead of your favorite collection.

“It’s important to complete all your improvements before your home goes on the market because as the saying goes…you never have a second chance to make a first impression,” continues Hart. “And once the sign goes up, you need to keep up the clean, de-cluttered look because you never know when you’ll have a showing. It just takes one buyer to sell your home.”

Press Release

Contact: Amy Florek
617-640-8134
amy@florekpr.com

HOME NOT SELLING?
EXPERT HOME STAGER SHARES TOP TIPS TO GET YOUR HOUSE IN TIP TOP SHAPE

CHARLOTTE, NC (April 6, 2009) – As the all-important spring selling season approaches in an historically slow housing market, sellers need to do all they can to market their home – and that includes staging it to attract and “wow” potential buyers. Home stagers know just the right moves to make to take a house from bland to grand and bring home the biggest return on investment. Their tricks of the trade and answers to common design dilemmas can make all the difference in selling a home – as well as enjoying one.

“Attention to detail throughout the home can make the difference between a house that sells and one that sits on the market,” explains Kate Hart, one of America’s top home stagers and owner of Hart & Associates Staging & Design. “In particular, improvements to the kitchen and bath - the two rooms that sell a home - will always help bring in the buyers.”
Below, Kate Hart shares some easy and effective home improvements that homeowners can do to make a big change without breaking the bank.
Curb Appeal: First impressions are everything, and this has never been truer than in today’s market. To leave a positive impression on buyers, take care of any exterior maintenance issues before buyers arrive, such as power washing walkways and patios, cleaning your gutters, touching up peeling paint, replacing broken light bulbs, edging and mulching beds, and adding fresh annuals. Some free things you can do include polishing your front door hardware and sweeping away pesky cobwebs.

Kitchen: Give your kitchen a mini facelift on a budget by repainting your cabinets instead of replacing them. For a more contemporary look, consider a semi-gloss espresso brown. For a more traditional look, opt for a semi-gloss creamy white. Complete the makeover by adding new hardware. Considering professional help? Ask your local painter if they can spray a lacquer finish on your cabinets. This treatment is more expensive than painting the cabinets yourself but the result looks like a factory finish.


Bathroom: Give an outdated bath a pick-me-up by replacing your existing lighting, faucets and hardware with updated styles and framing your plate glass mirror with a MirrorMate® frame. Easy to install, these frames come in many different finishes and give your bathroom a custom, designer look in minutes.

Bedrooms: Take your bedroom from lived-in to luxurious by creating a headboard that gives your room a more complete look. Measure the width of your bed and determine the height you prefer. Purchase a ¼ inch piece of plywood fitting these dimensions (ask the store to cut if for you) and cover it with 2 inch foam that fits the dimensions you selected. Wrap the foam and plywood with batting that can be purchased from a craft store. Finally staple gun a fabric of your choice around the headboard you’ve created. You can then hang the headboard behind the bed on the wall as if you were hanging a piece or art using “D” rings and hooks or attach it to your bed frame using bolts and washers.

Family Room: Make your fireplace or great view the selling feature, not your entertainment center. Chances are your family room is currently centered around the things you do everyday, such as watch TV. Before showing, rearrange your room to showcase the architectural focal point of your family room.

Dining Room: Keep this room de-cluttered and streamlined so buyers can imagine how they can enjoy this space with their families. Before showing, make sure to remove any knick-knacks and extraneous items from your china cabinet or sideboard. A rule to follow: pack up any items that are smaller than a softball such as salt and pepper shakers, wedding cake toppers, and small figurines.

Living Room: Make sure you are selling your space, not your stuff. Before showing, again, remove any family photos from the mantle, end tables and bookcases. Give this space a less cluttered look by keeping no more than three items per surface. For example, go with a piece of art and a pair of candle sticks on the mantle instead of your favorite collection.

“It’s important to complete all your improvements before your home goes on the market because as the saying goes…you never have a second chance to make a first impression,” continues Hart. “And once the sign goes up, you need to keep up the clean, de-cluttered look because you never know when you’ll have a showing. It just takes one buyer to sell your home.”

ABOUT KATE HART
Kate Hart is a pioneer in the staging field, having helped hundreds of families and realtors prepare homes for sale through her Philadelphia-area company, Hart & Associates Staging & Design. Her design work has been featured in numerous books and national publications, as well as on The Fine Living Network, HGTV Radio and CNN Headline News. Hart was also recently recognized by the Real Estate Staging Association as “Staging Professional of the Year.”

ABOUT MIRRORMATE LLC
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, MirrorMate LLC was founded by Lisa Huntting, who invented the product as a design solution for the four bare mirrors in her own home. The patented design allows the custom-cut frame to tape directly to the mirror currently on the wall, covering clips and channels and fitting seamlessly with any mirror - even if it sits atop a backsplash or runs to the wall or ceiling. MirrorMate comes in over 40 styles, installs in a matter of minutes and gives the bathroom a finished, updated look. As the original and industry leader, MirrorMate frames are patented in the U.S. with additional patents pending in the U.S. and Canada. For product and company information, as well as a demonstration video, please visit http://www.mirrormate.com/.

Star Style: Kelly Ripa’s Dressing Room Done Right

We’re so excited to share with you a recent project we were a part of. Kelly Ripa’s dressing room at Live with Regis & Kelly was in need of a major makeover and we were asked to help. Talk about bright lights and a big, blank mirror! Decorating mavens from the magazine Ty Pennington at Home worked their magic, updating lighting, furnishings, storage and more. The final touch was a MirrorMate frame in Grandezza Aged Silver to finish off the room’s biggest (95 inches wide to be exact!) focal point. Check out the transformation! http://www.mirrormate.com/buzz/ You can also find it at http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Shelter/Decorating/Ty-Pennington-s-Star-Style.html