Monthly Archives: July 2022

Fabulous framed mirrors

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Framed mirrors are most certainly on an upward trajectory in terms of 2022 style stakes, and so if you’re looking for a way of refreshing and pulling a room together, they may well be something to consider when selecting your next mirror for the home.

Frames are able to completely alter the overall look and feel of a mirror in an instant, and can tie any mirror into any interior scheme. – Small touches such as tying your bathroom taps, bedroom furniture or dressing room details in with the material or colour used for your mirror frame can go a long way in terms of pulling a whole look together for an effortlessly coordinated scheme.

So, how do you decide which framed mirror is best for your own space?

First of all, it’s important to consider whether you want the mirror to blend into its surroundings, or whether you’d like it be a statement piece, almost like wall art, that creates a stand-out focal point in the room.

It’s also a good idea to know exactly where your mirror will be positioned in your room, because this can often dictate the size and shape of it, and therefore also the type of frame.

Mirror frames can come in all manner of materials, from wood to metal, colours (any colour under the sun), and also with varying thicknesses of frame, from minimalistic, thin styles to wider, bolder designs.

Here are a few of our favourite framed mirror styles for a little home inspiration …

Traditional elegance

Quite often more ornate, with a classic look and an air of romanticism and sophistication, traditional mirrors with moulded frames look great in period homes and classically styled interiors.

But if you’re updating a mirror, you may also be longing for modern features and functionality like LED’s or touch sensors, so with a more traditional finish it may be worth considering a fusion design. – There are many ways to get salon-standard lighting that’s perfect for hair and make-up, but with the elegance of more traditional frames.  

For example, as all of our mirrors are fully customisable, we can retro-fit lighting to traditional frames, like this Hollywood bulb framed full length mirror, which would look amazing in a glamorous, vintage styled dressing room space or bedroom. The lighting helps to keep things functional, and allows the best of both worlds with a stand out, timeless mirror design and with all the clever mod-con touches that you need as well.

Sleek and sophisticated

If you have a minimalistic bathroom, you may be wondering how to tie your mirror design into your scheme, when for your own style preferences, perhaps less is more?

By opting for a stylish, powder-coated, understated frame that just adds an edge of sophistication to a mirror, you can help draw the eye to a focal point in the room and also ensure that it ties in with the rest of the interior.

For bathrooms with brass fixtures and fittings, we’d recommend opting for a gold painted metal frame, like this one which will help to pull everything together and will ground the mirror on the wall. These bespoke twin bathroom mirrors have rounded corners to tie in to the curves of the fixtures and fittings, and are backlit for added impact.

And to complete an elegant dressing room scheme with something ever-so subtle, just a hint of brass surrounding the mirror edge can sometimes be just enough to frame the mirror and add extra elegance.

Pretty in pink

Pink or rose gold framed Hollywood style mirrors provide a bold statement in a dressing room, perfect for added drama and for pulling in highlight interior colours to create a strong synergy.

Pink framed mirrors work particularly well in green and gold dressing room spaces, and add an element of fun and flamboyancy.

Painted frames offer an option to create a subtle, harmonious look to your room by pulling in existing room shades, or alternatively you can try adding a punchy colour pop with a contrasting coloured frame

Grey painted frames are a great option for neutral schemes, and they work really well as a base for most other colours, too.

The addition of LED lights as an internal border here serves the purpose of enhancing the dressing room space above the table and provides the perfect spot for makeup application.

Illuminated illustrations

If you have something a little more bespoke in mind and would like a more illustrative, patterned design for your mirror frame, we can etch any image accurately onto a mirror, which makes a fabulous option for creating bespoke, stand-out unique framed mirror designs for businesses and homes alike.

Is there an image to show for this?

Industrial Luxe

Sometimes a simple black frame is all that is needed in order to pull an interior scheme together. From painted painted wood frames to powder-coated metal frames, available in all manner of shapes and sizes, black frames are sleek, sophisticated and very on trend for 2022 for an industrial bathroom, bedroom or dressing area with an element of luxury.

Opt for smaller, rounded mirrors above basins and tie them in to black heated towel rails, shower panels and taps for a cohesive feel.

And if you’re looking for big impact, select large, floor standing panel mirrors, edged in black for a bold statement in a walk in wardrobe or dressing area.  

Add bright LED lights around the frame for an extra glow up – ideal for hair and makeup application.

Nurturing nature

Pebble frames are big news when it comes to interiors for 2022. With their natural, organic shape, they look perfect encased by a wooden frame. Ideal for Scandi style interiors, and also cottage influenced rooms too, wooden frames are a gentle addition to complete a welcoming, homely scheme with warmth and comfort.

Print a pattern

For something a little bit different, why not consider printing onto frames? Printed frames allow you to match your mirrors visually with any of the materials within your interior, helping to pull everything together for balance and synergy. Take this marble scheme bathroom, where we have printed a marble design onto one of the edges of our backlit mirrors for a cohesive bathroom design.

Does my bathroom need a demisting mirror?

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Long, hot showers are one of life’s little luxuries. – The only real frustration can be all the steam to contend with afterwards, especially when you are in a rush to get ready for work or the school run.

The age-old technique of wiping mirrors with your hand immediately after showering often causes a buildup of smudges and smears, and de-fogging with towels can leave thread and fluff residue, which can be almost as irritating as the steam itself. – Not to mention the fact that just a couple of minutes later you are left with a fully misted up mirror again.

Post-shower condensation on your bathroom mirror can really delay you getting ready, adding time and unwanted stress to your morning routine.

Luckily as bathroom mirror specialists, we have a solution that will always keep the whole of your mirror steam-free, and your reflection crystal clear.

The majority of our mirrors contain hidden heated demister pads as standard, which gently work to clear your mirror of condensation efficiently and safely, to reveal a full and clearly illuminated reflection …

So, you may be wondering how an Illuminated Mirrors demisting mirror can help you keep your bathroom mist-free?

Our hidden demisters quickly and efficiently de-fog our mirrors

If there is one thing that we all value and would like more of, it is time, and these mirrors are ideal if you are in a rush since you can quickly see your whole reflection without the worry of condensation on the mirror immediately after showering. Our demisting mirrors enable you to get on with your beauty routines as quickly as possible, and the technology is cleverly hidden too, so no need to worry about the pads impacting your sleek and seamless bathroom design.

They have a safe and durable demister functionality

There is no need to be concerned about safety either, since our demister features have a high temperature tolerance, as well as being able to resist dust and moisture too, meaning that they provide long-lasting, high performance. The surface of the demister pad itself has a low temperature which means that it cannot overheat.

Anti-fog mirrors help elevate the bathroom design

Demisting mirrors can improve the bathroom design in terms of look and feel by providing a perfectly functioning room that always looks great (even after showering). They also add a sense of luxury from a practical perspective too because you have the benefit of a fully functional mirror immediately after bathing, providing a space to get completely ready for the day. This makes demister mirrors the perfect option for a guest bathroom too, by providing added comfort and style for visitors.

Our demister mirrors have full size de-fogging technology

Unlike many other mirrors on the market where the demisting technology only covers the central space, on our demisting mirrors, the whole of the mirror surface remains fog-free (no matter how steamy your bathroom becomes).-  If you’re selecting a large mirror for your bathroom, we think it’s important to reap the benefits of that by having the ability to see a full and detailed reflection at all times, to help streamline those post-shower beauty routines.

A demister mirror helps avoid damp

The full-size de-steaming functionality also makes our demister mirrors perfect for bathrooms with no windows or a lack of decent ventilation. They can really help bathrooms that usually remain damp for hours after having the shower switched on, by clearing the condensation quickly and effectively.

They are easier to keep clean and clear

Anything which helps keep a bathroom cleaner is a plus in our book. Investing in a mirror with built in demisters means that there is no need to wipe and re-wipe… You will spend less time leaving smears, streaks, and smudges with towels every time the mirror mists up, leading to less time spent cleaning the mirror to get rid of said smudges. – Win, win!

Demisting mirrors are economical and efficient to run

The operational costs of a demisting mirror are minimal. The little money it costs to run one easily offsets the outlay of extra cleaning and time due to smudges and smears that otherwise mount up from removing the mist.

Almost all of our mirrors come with built in demisters, and many of our cabinets have the demisting technology option, too, so there is a vast variety of choice when it comes to selecting a demister mirror to suit your bathroom.

Here’s to a fog-free bathroom!

Top 5 tops for making a smaller bathroom look bigger

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When it comes to beautiful bathrooms, many of us imagine owning dreamy, spacious bathrooms with plenty of room for a freestanding tub, double shower, and statement basins, not to mention oodles of storage. But let’s face it, often space in the bathroom is at a premium, so it’s always worth having a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to making this room look and feel bigger.

From the use of colour and texture, through to materials and lighting, there are many clever and considered ways to enhance the amount of perceived space in your bathroom.

Have a read through our top 5 tips to take your bathroom from compact to capacious with just a few simple styling hacks.

  1. Clear the clutter

By their very nature, bathrooms tend to attract a build-up of items, from toothbrushes and makeup, through to bath toys and medicine. But we can’t very well magic all these must-haves away, so the solution is rather in the choices we make for clever storage instead.

If you have established that good storage is a priority for you, yet you are trying to make your compact bathroom or en suite appear bigger than it is, then choose closed cupboards rather than open shelving. Solid cupboard doors can not only hide away all the stuff that you don’t want your guests to see, but they can also help maintain the flow of the space, therefore making the room appear larger than it really is. Choose flat faced, or simple cupboard doors that tie into the wall colour for a seamless look.

Another option for smart storage that won’t add to the visual clutter, are shelves that house baskets or totes. The key to keeping it neat and tidy is in consistency, so ensure that all the baskets are uniform in shape and size for a clean look. A huge benefit of open shelving is that you can make use of the wall space if floor space is at a premium.

Top tip: paint the shelving the colour of the walls and select storage tubs that are the same tone too so that it all blends into the room.

Mirrored bathroom cabinets are a multifunctional way to maximise space, cover all the clutter and enhance the size of the room. They often also have moveable shelves internally, which means that you can flex the space according to your requirements. The mirrored doors will not only reflect what is in front of them but also bounce more light around the

room, making the space feel brighter and bigger.

When it comes to furniture, anything which sits off the floor helps make a room look lighter and airier, and therefore bigger. Choose floating (wall mounted) vanity units or cupboards with slim, exposed legs so that you can see a gap between the bottom of the unit and the floor to give the impression of more room.

  • Create clarity and space with colour

One of the most instant and transformative ways of making a small bathroom appear bigger, is through the way in which colour is used. There are several different tricks that can be deployed, depending upon the desired outcome and personal tastes. Here are several techniques to enlarge a bathroom with colour:

Monochromatic magic

Select one colour, and create a monochromatic scheme by choosing tiles, paint, cupboard doors and accessories all in the same hue.

Colour drenching in this way will envelope the room in one colour, creating more of an elegant, uniform look which will make the bathroom look bigger than schemes with multiple colours that are likely to draw the eye to detail.

 Top tip: When tiling, choose grout in the same colour as the tiles to create more of a seamless look and feel.

Perfectly pastel:

Avoid dark and highly saturated colours in small bathrooms, as these will give a sense of cosiness and intimacy, closing the space in. The objective is to try and bounce as much light around the room as possible, with a light and airy finish, so pastel palettes and lighter colours are very much your best friend here.

White on white:

For a timeless, simple look, decorating with white on white in a bathroom helps create a flowing look, as any white tiles and accessories will immediately blend in with the ceramicware of the WC and basin. – But white needn’t mean boring. – Pull in character and interest with different textures and shapes, for example white waffle towels, or hexagonal shaped tiles.

  • Makeover with more mirror

A statement mirror above a vanity unit will do more than just reflect what is in front of it, it will also work to bounce light around the room, increasing the brightness and therefore the perceived size of the space.

Here are a few rules of thumb when it comes to selecting a bathroom mirror with the objective of making the room look bigger:

  • Choose a mirror that ties into the rest of your scheme. For example, if the theme is lots of flowing lines, go for mirrors with irregular or rounded edges. A more cohesive looking scheme will immediately make a room look larger
  • Select the largest mirror that your wall space will allow. The more space there is on which to bounce light, the better
  • Consider smaller vanity mirrors to enhance dark corners on washstands and vanity units
  • Be strategic about where to hang the mirror and be cautious about what you are reflecting – Remove any clutter that a mirror might reflect, as this will add un-needed detail and fussiness to the room. Reflecting windows, blank walls or tiled walls is best for bouncing light and making a room look bigger.
  • Layer your lighting

Good lighting sources are so important in a bathroom for activities such as shaving or makeup application, where often there isn’t much natural light available.

Luckily, there are some clever lighting tricks that you can try to help brighten the space and make it appear bigger than it really is.

Consider the different types of lighting that you require and add them in at various locations around the bathroom.

  • 1 – Task lighting. This type of lighting can often be tied into the edges of contemporary mirrors and cabinets and is particularly handy for activities requiring detail, such as shaving or applying makeup.
  • 2 – General lighting. Recessed spotlights, usually in the ceiling, are physically unobtrusive and will light the room well all around from a general perspective.
  • 3 – Ambient lighting. We can enhance a space with mood lighting such as with wall sconces (usually positioned either side of a mirror), or down lighting from feature pendants.

5.  Less is more

To make a smaller bathroom appear bigger, it is best to avoid too much of anything. Clean lines and simple styling will have a significant impact on perceived space.

Too much detail in a room can draw the eye and add fussiness and visual noise to a room, so large expanses of plain solid materials or tiles can really help open the room up. To enhance a bathroom size visually, avoid the use of intricate patterns.

That said, if you do like a little boldness when it comes to interior styling, subtle stripes can assist in make a room appear bigger, and particularly verticals with the impression of adding more height to a room. You could try this as full-length window voiles, ridged tiles or even experiment with some striped towels hanging neatly on a ladder.

Keep the flooring free from rugs and mats, as these all add more visual clutter to a space and will enclose the room.

Remove visual barriers within the room by switching out shower curtains for transparent glass screens, allowing the room to feel larger.

In small en suites or cloakrooms, it may pay off to consider smaller functional options such as triangular corner showers, corner basins and wall hung WC’s to make the most of the surrounding space that you do have.

Build your bathroom design around the practical necessities of the room as a priority, and keep the styling uncluttered, simple, and streamlined to enhance the feeling of space.

Happy styling!