Zone Heating Featured Guest Post

Considering Switching to An Electric Fireplace?

With temperatures nearing zero and significant snowstorms in the forecast, the days of putting off winter preparations are long gone. Home heating needs to be a top priority to keep your family safe and warm, free from frozen pipes and chilled toes.  Does your winterization plan includes an electric fireplace? If not, we strongly urge you to consider it as a viable form of home heating. Is switching to electric something you’ve been thinking about?

If you answered yes….

Woohoo! Let us reaffirm your beliefs that electric fireplaces can save you significant money. Gas bills are no one’s friends, but they don’t have to be necessarily an evil. Electric fireplaces are a great way to increase your home’s energy efficiency by zone heating, turning down the central thermostat and only warming the rooms you use most. This action alone can save you up to 10% on your energy bill each month. Please consult your local energy company to see how much zone heating can save you.

In general, electric fireplaces cost much less to run. Gas fireplaces typically operate at 17 to 24¢ per hour (varies by location), but electric fireplaces provide warmth and LED technology that can save you up to 10% on your energy bill. With heating options that can warm rooms from 400 square feet to 1,000 square feet, electric fireplaces are a vibrant and affordable way to keep your family comfy and cozy this winter.

Worried they don’t look realistic enough? New technology including LED lights, glowing logs and ember beds ensure the effect is as convincing as possible. You have to see it to believe it.

If you answered no…

Isn’t it time to start? What are you waiting for?

Twin-Star manufactures a number of the leading brands of electric fireplaces including Duraflame, ClassicFlame and ChimneyFree. With many styles and designs to suit any décor, Twin-Star offers several options from mantels to media consoles and wall mounts. Let us find the perfect unit for your home.

 

For more information on electric fireplaces as an alternative to gas or wood, check out our resources center full of articles, videos and infographics from people who have made the switch.

Guest post provided by Lauren Monitz of ElectricFireplacesDirect.com, the #1 online source for electric fireplaces and a major distributor of Twin-Star products.

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Twin-Star International Posts Record Breaking Sales in August

Delray Beach, FL., Sept. XX, 2013 – Led by new product introductions and customer service initiatives, Twin-Star posted record sales in August 2013 by shipping more products in a single month than any other time in the company’s successful 17-year history.  The new record is 11% higher than the company’s previous best.

“Our strategy is pretty simple – we want to bring aspirational and innovative designs to affordable price points, delivered with a level of quality that is typically reserved for more expensive products,” stated Robert Cohen, Twin-Star International’s president and CEO. “This plan has resonated well with our retailer base as they tend to be the leaders who recognize and know the true meaning of quality and style.  Their sales efforts, along with the dedication and hard work of our employees to deliver exceptional customer service, continue to push us to new heights and motivate us to bring new, exciting products to market.”

Contributing to Twin-Star’s record breaking sales in August was the addition of the innovative home office line, the expansion of their premium speaker bar multi-function media centers, and the introduction of their latest infrared electric fireplace insert – proven to warm rooms up to 1,000 square feet.

“Clearly we are not just a fireplace company anymore,” added Cohen, referring to the company’s industry leading position in electric fireplaces.  “To that end we will be launching an exciting new brand this year called Twin-Star Home, helping to answer a common question we hear from our consumers – where can I find more Twin-Star products?”

Brian Brigham, Twin-Star’s director of marketing and public relations, went on to explain “the Twin-Star Home brand will be reserved for our more innovative and stylish products and will help our devoted customer base easily identify exciting new furnishings for their home.  No longer will they have to hunt for other Twin-Star products, they can now ask for them by name.”

Brigham added, “our goal of increasing visibility and positioning is not only on the shelf, but within the trade and consumer press which helped contribute to our record-breaking sales. In addition to the trades, we have also placed a larger focus on our consumer reach by tapping into the social media arena and having many of our products featured in internet blog reviews while building an audience on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Our editorial coverage has also grown substantially within national newspapers and consumer magazines and websites. The next step for Twin-Star Home Furnishings is to continue to expand our consumer exposure with our first-ever national television campaign and to be included on design oriented television shows starting this fall with Love it or List it.”

Cohen continued, “our success could not have been achieved without the help of a very talented team and the gracious loyalty of our customers. I would like to say thank you to all of them and I am looking forward to a bright future working together.”

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About Twin-Star

Founded in 1996, Twin-Star International, Inc. of Delray Beach, Fl., is changing the way people entertain. Twin-Star, an award-winning home furnishings manufacturer of quality furniture, combines the latest trends with function and style to create unique pieces that enhance the lives of their customers. They use the finest hardwoods, wood veneers and finishes available, chosen specifically to match the character and need of each individual piece. Known for their ClassicFlame® Fireplaces, the finest furniture in the electric fireplace industry, their line-up also includes Duraflame®, Chimney-free® and Pro Electric Fireplaces, Tresanti® Media Consoles; Tresanti® Refrigerated Wine Cabinets; Tresanti® Kitchen Islands and Beverage Curios; Black & Decker and Luxe™ Bathroom furniture. Find out more at www.twinstarhome.com.

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Autumn Mantel Decorating Tips

With Autumn just around the corner, we want to show how we like to decorate our mantels for this time of the year. All the items shown in this post were purchased at local stores such as HomeGoods and through an online bulk wholesaler, saveoncrafts.com

Our inspiration for this season is nature. Using items made from organic elements and pops of color in Autumn hues to brighten the room.

Here is how we accomplished the look, with a few shopping tips to help make your decorating fun and stress free.

* Shopping tip: Before you go shopping, search online for rooms, styles and decorating ideas that inspire you, on websites. Pinterest is one of our favorite sites  that can help you create a visual shopping list so you can design a similar look.

With nature, plants and vegetables, like pumpkins as our inspiration, we brought the outdoors in using animals, fall colors and natural branches to style this mantel.

** Layered Look Tip: To create our layered look, we used items of different shapes and sizes and simply leaned them on the wall against one another to create this desired effect. The most important difference is the height of the items because it is the key to creating the multi-dimensional look on top of the mantel.

Some key elements of Autumn are harvest, leaves changing colors and seasonal foods. We tied these into our fall decorating theme by using items that represent the colors and natural elements of the season. For instance, ceramic and natural reed pumpkins in fall colors, fall foliage and an owl made from pinecones.

  

We continued to build on our theme by adding décor made from natural materials. We incorporated pumpkins made from dried reeds, a grapevine wreath and a distressed wooden shutter, to add to the rustic feel.

The core color scheme that we went with focused mainly on earth tones. Using varying shades of brown, green, orange and beige, we were able to tie our decorations into the seasonal theme.

** Tip: Decorating the area around the mantel bottom helps to complete the look. The bundle of wheat, the pumpkin made from dried pinecones and reeds added the finishing touches to the Autumn style.

Casual and Comfortable

To show a slightly more casual look, we recycled some of the same accessories from the previous set to decorate our corner mantel. By adding a few new pieces of decor and changing the layout of the room we achieved a new look and feel. Decorate your mantel to reflect your style by incorporating pieces that you associate the season with.

   

An old metal tin, burlap-covered boxes and a wooden star helped us build on our casual theme. In addition we added an antique looking clock, a turkey to tie in Thanksgiving and a different candle to complete this look.

Start decorating your mantel today! Share photos of your finished look with us on our Facebook page and Twitter account @TwinStarHome

Did you know that all our products are designed and engineered in the USA?
Twin-Star International manufactures world-class brands such as ClassicFlame, ClassicFlame PRO, Tresanti, LUXE Bath Works, Duraflame heaters, Black & Decker heaters, Antiqua, Chimney Free and now Twin-Star Home.

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Twin-Star International Receives Seven Prestigious ADEX Design Awards for 2013

 

Delray Beach, FL., May 17, 2013 - Twin-Star International is once again acknowledged as an award-winning home furnishings manufacturer of fine quality furniture. This year they received seven highly esteemed ADEX Awards. Receiving top Platinum honors is the Astoria electric fireplace. Gold honors goes to the Baldwin Desk and the Lakeland home entertainment fireplace. The Millennium home entertainment console, Beverage Cooler, Dakota Desk Pier and Axel bathroom vanity all received Silver honors for 2013.

“It is a great privilege to be recognized with one ADEX Award, let alone seven,” stated Brian Brigham, Twin-Star director of marketing and public relations. “Our talented in-house designers and engineers combine their vast knowledge of furniture designs with the latest in consumer trends so we can continually offer an array of innovative and diversified home furnishings.”

ADEX, the Award for Design Excellence, is the largest and most prestigious award program for home, office, hospitality furnishings and building materials marketed to the design trade. ADEX entries are judged on usefulness of the application, originality and innovation, technical merit, their effect on the global environment, feasibility of the design, efficient use of energy, innovative use of components, cost optimization and clarity of supporting documentation. The top designs are given Platinum, Gold or Silver awards and are featured in the April issue of the international Design Journal.

Twin-Star is a seasoned veteran when it comes to receiving ADEX Awards with their first two, a Platinum and a Gold for electric fireplaces, received in 2006. They have earned a total of 26 ADEX Awards including nine Platinum, nine Gold and eight Silver Awards for not only electric fireplaces but also for bathroom vanities, home entertainment consoles, wine coolers and a kitchen island.

The Twin-Star ADEX Award winners for 2013 are:

Astoria – Platinum Award – The Astoria wall mantel combines luxurious, old world charm with expert craftsmanship. It has a solid dark emperador marble top with an Empire Cherry finish. Applied molding with decorative corbel center, carved column capitals, half round corners and the marble surround with decorative metal fire grate crown the Astoria with its unique, unforgettable character.

Baldwin Desk – Gold Award - The mahogany finish Baldwin Desk has a retractable table resting on furniture grade casters that rotate 180 degrees to create a flexible and expanded work space. The right side of the desk has two cabinet doors that open to reveal adjustable shelves for storage while the left side has two smaller drawers and a large file cabinet.

Lakeland – Gold Award - The traditional style Lakeland home entertainment fireplace console combines TV,  component and media storage with a 28" ClassicFlame Electric Fireplace Insert surrounded by engineered slate and a kick out hearth base. The hearth sits above a beveled molding base. Lakeland is available in a Roasted Cherry Finish.

Millenium – Silver Award - The Millenium brings in a new era of entertainment centers with is integrated audio and video capabilities. The integrated sound bar includes four speakers, two tweeters and rear facing passive bass ports to provide a rich audio experience. Built-in iPod dock allows for audio and video streaming from iPods and iPhones, and wireless Bluetooth technology allows audio streaming from a wide variety of mobile devices. Open center shelves, side storage cubbies, and wide center drawer provide abundant storage capacity. Millenium is available in a Caramel Birch finish.

Beverage Cooler – Silver Award - Made from the finest hardwoods, the beautiful cabinet features a built-in beverage cooler that is perfect for keeping drinks cold at bed side, home office or simply next to the sofa.  Its thermoelectric technology makes it quiet and vibration free and it’s environmentally friendly since it contains no toxic refrigerants or ozone depleting chemicals. The Beverage Cooler is available in three finish options: Premium Oak, White and Drifted Oak.

Dakota Desk – Silver Award - The Dakota Desk Pier is designed in the Arts and Crafts style and is highlighted by its distinct hammered metal door and drawer pulls. Other features include drop down work area with non-slip surface and a top storage area with windowpane glass front doors. The lift door storage area under the worktable is perfect for printer storage while the bottom drawer is set up for file storage. The Dakota has a stand for use with any tablet and a built-in charging station with a power strip and USB outlets.

Axel – Silver Award - The Axel vanity has a solid Carrara Marble countertop with integrated basin that is carved from a single block of marble. Shown in faux-alligator upholstery with chrome nail head trim, Axel adds drama to any bathroom. The self-closing drawer is perfect for storing toiletries. Complete the look with the available matching mirror.

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About Twin-Star

Founded in 1996, Twin-Star International, Inc. of Delray Beach, Fl., is changing the way people entertain. Twin-Star, an award-winning home furnishings manufacturer of quality furniture, combines the latest trends with function and style to create unique pieces that enhance the lives of their customers. They use the finest hardwoods, wood veneers and finishes available, chosen specifically to match the character and need of each individual piece. Known for their ClassicFlame® Fireplaces, the finest furniture in the electric fireplace industry, their line-up also includes Duraflame®, Chimney-free® and Pro Electric Fireplaces, Tresanti® Media Consoles; Tresanti® Refrigerated Wine Cabinets; Tresanti® Kitchen Islands and Beverage Curios; Black & Decker and Luxe™ Bathroom furniture. Find out more at www.twinstarhome.com.

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