Hand Carved Augusta Mirror £598

Mirrors are something that we all have in our homes, whether they are full length mirrors, bathroom mirrors, dressing table mirrors or wall mirrors simply used to bounce the light around the room.

Have you ever wondered what the very first mirrors would have been like?

The earliest mirrors were likely to have simply been pools of still dark water. The earliest known manufactured mirrors – examples of which have been dated back to 6000BC – were made of pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. Polished copper mirrors were made from around 4000BC in Mesopotamia, and polished bronze mirrors were made in China from around 2000BC.

It is thought that the first metal coated glass mirrors appeared in the first century AD. During the early Renaissance a technique of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam was perfected, and Venice became the centre of mirror production in the 16th Century using this method. In this period mirrors were regarded purely as a luxury item, being particularly expensive and not accessible to all.

As time moved on and methods changed, mirrors gradually found their way into every home. Today’s mirrors are generally produced by the vacuum deposition of aluminium directly onto the glass substrate.

At New England Lifestyle we have a range of white mirrors to suit all tastes and all budgets. Prices start at just £168 for our Manhattan Mirror, a simple design with built in shelf.

The New England White Landscape Mirror, at £198, features beaded detailing. The Madison Mirror features a hand carved bow to the top and additional detail to the surround, priced at £398.

Our full length mirrors are priced at £498, and the grandest mirror of  all measuring 201cm high by 120cm wide, the Nantucket Mirror is priced at £598.

White Augusta Mirror

I have recently purchased a new three bedroom apartment from Berkeley Homes, overlooking the sea in West Sussex. I have to say that in my search for a new build apartment, I was struck by the quality and attention to detail of Berkeley Homes. For example the apartment benefits from high quality sound insulation (very important when there are two children running around!), superior double glazing, and an extremely efficient boiler with under floor heating. I have an en-suite shower room with a very well designed walk in shower, plus a separate bathroom, where again the quality of the bath, basin, toilet and taps are second to none. There is a beautifully fitted kitchen with a white stone work top and high quality stainless steel electrical appliances.

Before moving in I painted the apartment white throughout and installed wooden flooring in the living room and kitchen which I painted brilliant white. The rest of the apartment is fitted with off white pure wool carpet. Then I was ready to go, and really enjoyed picking pieces of our furniture to complement the interior.

Furnishing the Apartment

In the living room I have two Chelsea 2.5 Seater Sofas, covered in white fabric and two Newport Coffee Tables. I have chosen the beautifully hand carved Augusta Mirror to bounce the light around the room, and whilst the interior of the flat is very contemporary in design the exterior of the building is very Art Deco, and the elaborate design of the Augusta Mirror really echoes this contrast. In the dining area I have a New England Oak Dining Table with white legs, and Newport White Dining Chairs with white seat pads. I have to say that it has created a brilliant space for living and working in as I quite often do a lot of my creative processes at home.
As there are three bedrooms, my son who is only six came up with a brilliant idea. He said to me “Dad… if we both sleep in the single bedroom, and you design a set of bunk beds, then we can use the other spare room as our playroom!” “Brilliant!” I said to him, and so I designed a New England Bunk Bed for them, which they have in their bedroom along with a Manhattan Chest of Drawers and a Manhattan Bedside Table. In their playroom we have a 2.5 seater Chelsea Sofa and Armchair, and New England Coffee Table and Side Table, and their television and DVD player sits on a New England Television Cabinet.

We are all now very settled in our new home, very much enjoying apartment living by the sea.

Manhattan Double Wardrobe with Drawers

What is it about us girls, when it comes to clothes and shopping?!! We all seem to accumulate numerous articles of clothing… and are generally not so good at parting with the items that, if we are honest, are never going to see the light of day. You all know the kind – the impulse buys, the bargains that we just couldn’t resist!

Our Manhattan Double Wardrobe with Drawers is the ideal choice of wardrobe to neatly store a multitude of clothing. Build our smart white wardrobe into your dressing area, and all your favourite pieces will be instantly at hand. Choose stylish storage boxes to safely store out of season items, and group accessories and shoes in clear plastic boxes.

This huge white wardrobe can be set up to have full length hanging on one side, perfect for the summer season’s long floaty dresses. As the cold weather approaches, why not put one or two shelves back in, and the chunky knits can then be close at hand.

I love the idea of a tall white mirror positioned just beside my dressing up wardrobe, and a beautiful mannequin as pictured here (image source: house to home.) Perfect for planning the next day’s attire… or better still, the weekend’s party outfit!

Original image by Joe_B, flickr

…who is the fairest one of all???

If the Queen were to choose her own magical mirror in the hope of making herself as beautiful as Snow White, what might it look like? Would it be a large, grand, full length white mirror such as the Nantucket Mirror, standing an impressive 201cm tall and stretching 120cm across? With such a majectic mirror the Queen would be able to view her whole self, perhaps increasing the power of her magic.

Or would she choose a simpler white mirror, perhaps the New England Mirror with its curved top and pretty beaded detail in which to admire her fair features?

The vain beauty may prefer the very elegant hand carving of the Augusta Mirror, a lavish feature mirror with its European influenced style.

I think the perfect white mirror would be the Madison Mirror. A feminine choice with hand carved bow detail to accentuate the beauty shown within, and just the right dimensions.

If you are looking for your own magical mirror, which white mirror would you choose?

New Hampshire Bookcase

For maximum impact, paint your walls white and your white furniture will attract the eye without taking over the whole room.

If your walls are white, a large white dresser or white bookcase will appear to blend into the walls, and a colourful rug on the floor will increase the illusion of floorspace. Give the room shape and warmth with the addition of accessories, such as a vibrant vase or selection of candles displayed on the shelves of your bookcase or dresser. Choose side tables rather than a coffee table to help keep your room open and uncluttered.

A white mirror placed opposite the window will bounce the fresh natural light around the room, helping each day to feel fresh and new.

Cakestands make a perfect way to display and store trinkets, jewellery pieces and perfume bottles. Display fresh flowers for heavenly scent and a burst of seasonal colour, contrasting bright pinks, purples and lush green against the radiant white.

No dressing table is complete without a mirror, whether a large ornate white mirror or a white mirror of simpler design.

When it comes to storage, pretty boxes that can be stacked underneath are always a stylish choice, or perhaps store your hairdryer and accessories in a pretty carry case so they are always ready packed for that surprise weekend away.

When designing your home, think seriously about using white – it liberates you from any fashion colour trends and makes your house feel like an eternal holiday home.

Speaking of which, why not make your home more stylish by choosing one of our newly designed products that are featured in our latest brochure and make your home a New England stylish and peaceful environment?

You can do this by simply choosing one of our exclusively designed pieces of white wooden furniture, or how about one of our new mirrors to help reflect light and beauty and brighten up any room. We have three new mirrors to add to our product range:-

• New England Portrait Mirror, is a white portrait mirror with beading detail
• New England Landscape Mirror, a white landscape mirror with beading detail
• New England Mirror, a white portrait mirror with curved top and beading detail.