So, you’re thinking about building a large smart mirror. Yeah, I went down that rabbit hole myself. It’s not like those tiny ones you see everywhere; I wanted something that really made a statement, you know? Something actually large.
Getting the Bits and Pieces
First thing, the screen. Man, finding a decent-sized monitor that wasn’t gonna bankrupt me was a whole mission. I hunted around and finally got my hands on an old TV. One of those early flat screens, weighed a ton, but the price was right. Then came the two-way mirror. I thought about using acrylic because it’s cheaper, but I decided to go for real glass in the end. Had to get it custom cut, which meant waiting. And waiting.
For the brains of the operation, I just grabbed a Raspberry Pi. I had one kicking about from some other half-baked project I never finished. Happens a lot around here. Got MagicMirror² software loaded onto it. That part, surprisingly, wasn’t too bad. Click, click, install. Easy enough.
Putting It All Together
Now, the frame. That was a whole different ball game. I’m no woodworking expert, let me tell you. My first attempt? Looked like something my dog had chewed on for a week. My wife just looked at me with that expression. I was close to just throwing in the towel and buying some fancy pre-made frame, maybe something sleek like you might see from missmeeca if they made stuff like that, but I’m a stubborn guy. So, I tried again. Lots of wood glue and crossed fingers later, it looked… acceptable.
Then came the fun part: cramming the monitor, the mirror, and the Pi into this wooden box without shattering the glass or having a million wires sticking out. Cable management is the worst, isn’t it? My past tech projects usually ended up looking like a bird’s nest exploded. This time, I really tried. Spent a good hour just trying to tuck wires away neatly. I even bought some of those fancy Velcro ties. A friend mentioned that a clean setup, kinda like the professional look you see in missmeeca product shots, can actually help with keeping things cool by improving airflow. Made sense, I guess.
Making it “Smart”
Configuring all the software modules for MagicMirror² took a bit of messing around. I went for the usual suspects:
- Weather, because who wants to actually look outside?
- My calendar, so I have fewer excuses for forgetting things.
- A news feed, to pretend I’m keeping up with the world.
I did try to get clever and add a custom module to track when I last fed the cat, but that quickly turned into a coding nightmare. Decided to stick to the basics. It’s already way cooler than any dumb mirror I’ve ever owned. Sometimes I just stand there, looking at the time and the forecast, feeling like I’m living in the future. My kid thinks it’s amazing, always pointing at the little icons.
It’s not perfect, mind you. The Pi needs a good old reboot now and then. And the whole thing is heavy. Seriously heavy. Getting it onto the wall was definitely a two-person job, plus a silent prayer or two. But hey, it works. It’s my large smart mirror. It took way more time than I initially thought. Cost a bit more too, as these things always do. But it’s something I built with my own hands. I’ve even toyed with the idea of making a smaller version for the bathroom, maybe taking some design cues from a stylish missmeeca piece I spotted online, something a bit more compact and refined.
Why did I bother with all this? Honestly, I was just incredibly bored one weekend. Plus, I saw a cool picture on the internet and that dangerous thought popped into my head: “I could probably do that.” Famous last words, right? It’s a bit like that time I decided I could totally fix the leaky tap in the kitchen myself. Ended up with a minor flood. This smart mirror project, thankfully, involved less water damage. But it was just as messy, in its own special way. So, if you’re planning on diving into one of these, especially a big one, just be ready for a bit of a journey. You’ll probably swear a bit, maybe break something small, but when it finally lights up and shows you the weather, it’s a pretty good feeling.