Glass & Mirror Blog

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ab08397eee41d768180d3750de341641134There is no denying that 18th century French craftsmen were at the top of their games. During that time period, they produced amazing, ornate, gilded pieces of furniture and trumeau wall mirrors. Thus, it’s no wonder that so many people consider it to be the country’s Golden Age of Home Furnishings. There’s just one obstacle for those modern day Americans that want to surround themselves in antique furnishings and wall mirrors from 18th century France. Purchasing authentic pieces is cost prohibitive. Good thing buying customized replicas is not.

At Hutchinson Glass & Mirror, we appreciate the beauty and functionality of 18th century French designs. There is just no denying that they were stunning works of art. Plus, we have the skills needed to help create customized trumeau wall mirrors to suit. So the only difference between our trumeau wall mirror replicas and authentic ones will be the amount of flaws. After all, antique mirrors are known to have a lot of them and our replicas are flawless. Some of the most common flaws that you’ll find in existing antique mirrors from the 18th century are chipped frames and bubbles or dark spots on the glass.

If you are not quite sure how to choose or install trumeau wall mirrors, don’t worry. Our fabrication and installation experts are ready to provide complimentary consultations to those that need them. In our experience, many trumeau wall mirrors from the period were long, narrow and rectangular in shape. They characteristically featured great, hand-carved detailing at the top with additional flourishes added to the bottom and sides. Some of the elements often included in those carved sections were scallops, florets, flora, bows, ribbons and images of select fauna.

To learn more about trumeau wall mirrors and how to go about having one made for your home or business, please contact us at Hutchinson Glass & Mirror today. Oh, and by the way, in addition to creating replicas of 18th century wall mirrors, we can help create companion pieces too. Examples include, but don’t end with medicine cabinets, shower panels, glass railings and backpainted glass backsplashes.

ab08397eee41d768180d3750de3428ea.jpg 22Decorating the perimeter of wall mirrors with pine boughs, spray snow, flocking spray, spray glitter and spray frost is an age old tradition that we suspect many people will continue this December. Although there is no denying that it will give rooms a festive look, it could also really make the mirror’s surface hard to clean once January 2nd rolls around. Mercifully, there are products that will remove spray snow, pine sap and the like from glass.

Believe it or not, spray snow, frost and glitter tend to be harder to remove from wall mirrors that pine sap and other stains. That’s because most of the sprays are impacted by changes in temperature. So removing them from mirrors located near drafty areas or heat sources may take time and several different methods.

For the most part, using rubbing alcohol on the sprayed area will help cut through the muck. But it can also mark up other materials (e.g. wood frames). Thus, use a lint-free cloth that has been moistened with the alcohol to clean up the mess rather than a spray. If the cloth method doesn’t work, think about temporarily removing the mirror from the wall and attacking the mess aggressively with a plastic ice scraper and a quick dip in a basin filled with pure ammonia.

If sap from pine bough decorations is also present, you may need to use products like Cleanup Batter Pine Tar and Ball Mark Remover, mineral spirits, nail polish and Goo Gone. In a pinch, mayonnaise, and peanut butter may work too. However, they are apt to leave an oily residue behind, which can generally be removed with the rubbing alcohol.

Finally, there is the option of rewriting your family’s holiday tradition and investing in etched mirrors instead. Nowadays, upon special request, they may be permanently decorated with all sorts of holiday images. To make such requests and obtain festive wall mirrors for your home in time, please contact us today.