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