Twin-Star Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity

Contact: Denise Mariani

www.dmariani@marianimarketing.com

(561) 512-1440

Twin-Star International Home Furnishings Donates $1500 to Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County at Recent TEAM Build 

West Palm Beach, FL., April 28, 2014 – Twin-Star International Home Furnishings of Delray Beach, FL presented a check for $1500 to Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County on Friday, April 25, 2104 during the company’s TEAM Build project.  Eighteen energetic employees joined Twin-Star president, Robert Cohen, to frame, roof, paint and landscape the Habitat for Humanity home at 1024 Lincoln Road, West Palm Beach, FL.  “We encourage all of our employees to give back to the community, and it is our pleasure to advance the wonderful work of Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County,” said Cohen. 

 

TEAM Builds provide local companies the opportunity to contribute to Habitat for Humanity’s mission of building simple, decent, safe, affordable houses for low income, hardworking qualified families in partnership with God, community volunteers and local organizations.  They also give the participating teams an enhanced sense of camaraderie, accomplishment and cohesiveness.  “It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” said Bernard Godek, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach 

County.

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For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County, please visit www.habitatpbc.org or call (561) 253-2080.

For more information about Twin-Star International Home Furnishings go to www.twinstarhome.com or call (561) 330-3201.

About Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County
Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County, founded in 1986, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of sub-standard housing by building simple, decent, safe, affordable houses for low income, hardworking qualified families in partnership with God, community volunteers and local organizations.  Each Habitat partner family is required to invest a minimum of 400 sweat equity hours of their own labor into the construction of homes before being eligible to purchase their home utilizing a 30-year, no-profit, no-interest loan. The affiliate’s service area extends from Hypoluxo Road in the south to the Martin County line in the north, and from Palm Beach to Lake Okeechobee.

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.

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Go Green with Electric Fireplaces

Lessening your carbon footprint and adopting a sustainable environment can mean many different things to different people. Electric fireplaces are more than just cozy additions to your home, they’re also 100% emission-free and 100% energy efficient. We’ve laid out the basics of electric fireplaces, so you can go green the right way this Earth Day.

Lose the emissions

Gas and wood-burning fireplaces rely heavily on natural resources to produce heat for your home. Those fuels are also costly, in more ways than one. On top of draining the green from your wallet, gas and wood-burning fireplaces also add hazardous and dangerous gases into your home in the form of smoke and soot. These chemicals can include carbon monoxide, a clear gas that is virtually undetectable and extremely dangerous.

Rather than board up your fireplace for good or spend thousands on a home renovation, electric fireplace inserts are available as an easy way to alleviate these concerns. Available in several designs and styles, select your favorite and simply close the flue and chimney system for optimal enjoyment. Unlike gas and wood fireplaces, electric fireplaces require just a standard household outlet to produce heat and a realistic flame. They are 100% emissions-free, keeping your family and your home safe throughout the year.

Become energy efficient

Due to expensive operating costs, most gas or wood-burning owners only opt to use their fireplaces occasionally. Even then, they’re more for aesthetics than warmth, as traditional fireplaces lose up to 50% of their usable heat right through the flue and chimney.

Electric fireplaces, however, allow you to strategically heat your home through supplemental zone heating. With zone heating, you turn down the central thermostat to focus the warm air in the room(s) you use the most, reducing wasted energy and lowering your electric bill, as well. Even better, all electric fireplaces include an independent heat-flame effect so you can enjoy a dancing fire throughout the year, and not just in the middle of winter.

Make a worthwhile investment

Keeping the heat where you need it most, avoiding unnecessary maintenance and repair costs, and optimizing your home’s energy efficiency are several things gas and wood-burning fireplace owners are missing out on. Spend this Earth Day investing in a green option for your home that will last for years to come.

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

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Winterizing Your Home

DIY Home Winterizing Projects

Polar vortex, be gone! With some of the coldest winter weather in the history of the world shattering temps and chilling us to the bone, one of the most productive weekend projects you can invest your time and money into will be winterizing your home. Not only does home winterization help you streamline your operating expenses, but it makes your home more energy efficient and better for the environment. So how do you do it?

Check Your Home for Air Leaks

To determine where you’re losing heat, simply light an incense stick and slowly walk around your home. Take note of anywhere the smoke is streaking, which is ultimately causing a draft. Pay particular attention to areas near doors, windows, attics and basements, as these are common culprits of cold air.

Take a Trip to the Hardware Store

Foam Weather Stripping – If you determine the leak to be coming from the gaps between the window and the frame or door and the frame, foam weather stripping is a great solution. Easy to install, just remove the sticky backing and cut it to the length you need.

Spray Insulation- Perfect for filling cracks around plumbing or electrical outlets, spray insulation can be purchased fairly inexpensively from your local hardware store.

Recaulk the Windows- Though a larger undertaking; recaulking the windows is one of the most impactful ways of insulating a home. Over time, wood can warp and rot and the older your home is, the more likely it is letting moisture in and helping heat escape.  You’ll need a caulking gun, sealer, putty knife, old rags, and a steady hand, but it is an easy DIY project.

Invest in an Electric Fireplace

A great source of supplemental heat, freestanding electric stoves or wall mounted electric fireplaces are a great way to save money on zone heating by allowing you to turn down the central thermostat and only heating the rooms you spend the most time in. Electric fireplaces cost only about 8-12 cents an hour to operate, ultimately reducing your monthly energy bill by up to 10%.

You should also consider replacing your existing gas or wood fireplace with an electric log set. It’s been estimated that up to 60% of heat is lost through the chimney, so you’d not only be saving money, but also the hassle and mess of cleaning up smoke and ashes.

You don’t need a lot of tools or expertise to make your home feel cozier this winter, but take some time this weekend to make home winterization a priority for the new year and new you.

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

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Winter Mantel Decorating Tips

Christmas is just around the corner and winter already upon us, here are a few ways to decorate your mantel.

We have provided a few shopping tips to help make decorating as fun and stress free as possible. All the decorations shown were purchased at local stores such as HomeGoods and Target.

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

Decorating doesn’t have to mean changing everything in the room for the season.  With this Winter Wonderland theme we used the existing décor in the room and just purchased holiday décor in Winter whites and teal along with woodland creatures and trees made of natural materials.

** Tip for creating a Multi-Level Look: To create our multi-level look, we used items of different heights and placed them in size order, layering from tallest to shortest to create your desired effect. We wanted to give the illuminated “Joy” sign prominence in the design so we utilized a wooden crate to add some height. Items of varying heights are key to creating a multi-level look on the mantel.

Key elements of the Christmas season are evergreen trees, beautifully wrapped presents, snow and other frosty colors. We incorporated something from each of these into our Winter Wonderland theme. For instance, white, teal and natural wood trees were used to represent the colors of this season. In addition to the trees, we used owls, a deer and a squirrel to add to the look of the winter décor.

We continued to build on the theme by adding a marquee sign that lights up and fake snow sprinkled on the top of the mantel and accessories, which helps to add more depth and texture to this look.

Place a white tree skirt under the tree decorated in teal, white and silver decorations.  Complete the look by wrapping gifts in paper that follow the same color scheme.

Simple and Elegant for another Look

To create a simple and elegant look, we utilized dark greens with accents in red and gold. By adding a few simple pieces of décor and changing the layout of items in the room we achieved a rich look and feel.

A rectangular framed mirror was leaned against the wall to give this décor some depth and dimension. The three-piece candleholder features red berries and pinecones in a bed of evergreens, while the cream candles with red ribbons give an additional lightness to the room. We then layered the mantel with a golden tree, a large tree ornament and a red tree made out of wooden flowers for a brilliant pop of color.

                

 

Complete the look with a spiral grapevine tree with white lights and a red throw blanket placed on a existing chair.

**Tip: When lighting your candles, make sure all the wicks are trimmed and place a little sand at the bottom of each metal holder, to protect from item catching fire.

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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