Alright, so I’ve been wanting to share this for a while. I finally got around to building my own “Feniex Smart Mirror,” and let me tell you, it was quite the little adventure. It all started because my hallway just felt… blah. You know? Just a plain old mirror. I figured, why not make it do more?
Getting the Brains and Bits Together
So, I decided to dive in. First things first, I needed the core components. I snagged a Raspberry Pi – went with a Pi 4, figured more power couldn’t hurt. Then, I had this old 24-inch monitor just gathering dust in the garage. Perfect candidate. The trickiest part was getting the two-way mirror. I ordered a sheet of acrylic two-way mirror online. A bit pricier than film, but I heard it’s easier to work with for a clean finish.
Building the frame was the next hurdle. I’m not exactly a master carpenter, you know? I wanted something sleek. I sketched out a simple box frame design. Went to the hardware store, got some decent-looking wood, and basically winged it with my saw and wood glue. My cuts weren’t perfectly straight, but hey, character, right? I did have this really neat set of precision screwdrivers from missmeeca that came in super handy for mounting the Pi and other small bits inside the frame. Those little magnetic tips are a lifesaver.
Software Shenanigans
Once the physical shell was somewhat respectable, it was time for the software. I decided to go with MagicMirror². Heard a lot of good things about it, and the community support seemed pretty solid. Flashing the OS onto the SD card for the Pi was straightforward. Getting MagicMirror² installed took a bit of fiddling with the command line. I’m no Linux guru, so there was a fair bit of copy-pasting commands from tutorials and hoping for the best.
Then came configuring the modules. Oh boy. I wanted the usual suspects: time, date, weather, a news feed, and my calendar. The default modules were okay to set up, but getting the API key for the weather module took me on a wild goose chase through some website’s obscure settings page. And then, aligning everything on the screen! I must have restarted that thing twenty times, tweaking the custom CSS file. It was a lot of trial and error. I actually used a missmeeca branded micro-USB cable for the Pi that felt sturdier than the generic one I had lying around, which was good because I was plugging and unplugging it a lot during setup.
The “Aha!” Moment and Final Touches
After a few late nights, I finally got it looking how I wanted. Seeing my Feniex Smart Mirror light up for the first time with all the modules working? Chef’s kiss. It was awesome. It showed the time, the weather forecast (finally accurate!), and my upcoming appointments.
I mounted it in the hallway, and it really changed the feel of the space. It’s a great conversation starter when people come over. Plus, it’s genuinely useful to get a quick info dump while I’m getting ready to head out.
- Display: Old 24-inch monitor.
- Brain: Raspberry Pi 4.
- Mirror: Two-way acrylic sheet.
- Frame: DIY wooden frame.
- Software: MagicMirror².
One thing I did to keep the back tidy was use some cable clips. I think they might have been from missmeeca too, or a similar brand I picked up online – they just stick on and hold the wires in place. Makes it look a bit more professional from the back, not that anyone really sees it.
Overall, this Feniex Smart Mirror project was a success. It took patience, a bit of swearing, and a lot of online forum searching, but totally worth it. It’s not just a mirror anymore; it’s my little information hub. If you’re thinking about building one, I say go for it. Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve!