Gallery: Distinctive design features No comments yet

Today, we provide you with a picture gallery to view some of the most unique and distinctive features of Cliffside’s hardware line. Enjoy!

Holiday special: ABCs of Cliffside Industries 3 comments

The holiday season is a time for childlike wonder and joy, so without further ado, a blast from your past, the ABCs of Cliffside Industries, just in time for the holidays!

A is for Appliance Pull

Cliffside offers a full range of appliance pulls to suit any need, from T-shaped stainless bar pulls (T305 and D85) to 12″cc solid brass appliance handles that are the pride of our line. More styles, including a completely new pull, and 8″cc pulls to match our most popular styles, are coming early next year, and readers of this blog will get the scoop first, so keep reading, loyal viewers!

K4235-SS bin pull

B is for Bin Pull

We had a couple of options to pick through for B, but we chose to feature our popular bin pulls. Also known as cup pulls, these are a popular way to add a decorative accent to the face of any drawer. Some of our most popular cup pulls include the K341, K4235, and P-398, and we will be adding a cup pull to complement our rope-series pulls early next year.

C is for Customer Service

As our slogan says, Cliffside is respected throughout the kitchen and bath industry for our fast and courteous customer service representatives. We are available to assist you between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM Eastern time, and will strive to answer any hardware questions you may have, from hinges to knobs, from pulls to latches. You can also contact us any time via e-mail.

K-515 die cast knob

D is for Die Cast

Cliffside offers a wide selection of zinc die cast hardware, and we are offering special pricing on some of our die cast items on our inventory clearance special. This hardware is attractive and economical, as well as offering a variety of both traditional and contemporary styles.

E is for Elegance

Elegance is just one of the qualities that Cliffside hardware claims. Just look at the classic styling of our popular solid brass hardware lines, or the handmade craftsmanship of our iron “birdcage”-style hardware. Cliffside Industries is your destination for that artistic touch on your cabinets.

105 series "football"-styled knob

F is for Football

Some of you may wonder what the gridiron has to do with Cliffside, but take a close look at the 105 series knobs. Does that remind you of the shape of that peerless pigskin so prevalent around the holiday season? We offer several other oblong-shaped knobs, including the B711 series. We will be introducing the new B721 series oblong knob in early 2009 as well, a larger version to replace the B711 in the rope series.

G is for “Green”

In an attempt to be more environmentally conscious, Cliffside has undertaken some measures to “get green.” Every Cliffside catalog that is printed contains fiber from well-managed and responsibly harvested forests that meet strict environmental standards. We are proud to be among the first catalogers in the country to make this commitment, and are certified as such by the Forest Stewardship Council. In addition, Cliffside uses a paperless billing system that cuts down on waste, and reuses paper in house to reduce our usage even further. Read more »

Featured product line: Stainless steel hardware 3 comments

Stainless steel hardware line from Cliffside Industries

Once regarded as an expensive material for everyday home use, stainless steel has emerged in recent years as highly desirable and yet easily affordable. As the cost of metals has reduced progressively over the years, kitchen designers and manufacturers have exploited its attractive properties to provide many products for use in the kitchen.

Sinks, cutlery and tableware provided the introduction to stainless steel in the kitchen for many consumers, and these were followed more recently by ranges, ovens, mixing appliances, refrigerators and dishwashers. To compliment stainless steel cutlery and appliances in the kitchen, the trend in kitchen cabinet hardware is toward stainless steel knobs, pulls and appliance pulls. Stainless steel has become the material of choice for the kitchen and is no longer accessible only to the “high-end” consumer. To this end, Cliffside Industries provides a variety of different options for the stainless steel-oriented kitchen.

T305-128-BNA

T305 series bar pulls

Some of the most popular items that Cliffside Industries has offered in stainless steel, the “T-bars”, as many consumers know them, are functional and desirable for a contemporary kitchen environment. Many of Cliffside’s top customers employ the use of these pulls in their kitchens to great effect. They are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from 6¼” to over 57″ long! The center-to-center measurements (what’s this?) range from 96 millimeters to 1392 millimeters. If you need approximate measurements in inches, you can contact customer service for this information or check the catalog, but because these are metric conversions, we request that you do not predrill your drawers or cabinets for any of these items.

T366-96-BNA

T366 series bar pulls

This series of bar pulls is Cliffside’s second most popular stainless steel family. Rather than single T-style legs, the T366 features a metal “foot” that extends to the end of the bar, lending a flat and elegant look to the standard T-bar configuration. As with the T305 series, these pulls are available in a variety of sizes, from 4½” long to just over 3 feet. The center-to-center measurements on these pulls are also metric, so again, please do not predrill. The bar diameter for both the T366 and T305 series is ⅜”, but the T366 series stands slightly taller, with a grip height of 1″ as opposed to ⅞” for the T305.

D85D54-14-SS

D85 series appliance pulls

In response to customer demand for a larger version of the T305 for appliances, Cliffside Industries crafted the D85 series pulls. With a ⅞” diameter as opposed to ⅜”, these pulls can take a lot more punishment than the T305. Durable and strength-tested, the D85 ranges in size from 14″ to 64″ overall and is constructed from a hollow tube of real stainless steel, rather than aluminum or plated zinc. All of the center-to-center measurements are marked in inches for these particular pulls, which are available in six sizes. The stainless steel used for all Cliffside products is standard grade 304, and the D85 tube is 1.2 mm thick.

T565-30-BNA

Stainless steel knobs

Cliffside offers two types of stainless steel knobs. The T565-30-BNA is shaped like a standard knob, if a bit angular, and features a flat face centered in a slight slope. The T6312-25-BNA is unique, in that it is almost a perfect cylinder, featuring small ridges around the edge which provide traction for the fingers. Though the two knobs are unique in style, they are both solid stainless and feature the same quality found in all of the Cliffside stainless steel hardware.

T6312-25-BNA

Other options

If you are looking for a slightly more economical option, Cliffside still has limited quantities available on our economy steel hardware, but act quickly! These items are flying off the shelves.

If you have any other questions about the Cliffside stainless steel lines or about any of our products, please contact customer service, and we’ll be happy to help. That’s all for now; see you on Tuesday!

Ask the Expert: Hardware installation No comments yet

The Expert!

When do I use a cup, a pull and a knob ?

The traditional application is to use a cup or a pull for the cabinet drawers and a knob for the hinged cabinet doors. On wide drawers, it is also common to mount two knobs.

To open big refrigerator/appliance doors with fabricated cabinet panels, longer and larger pulls are being used to allow for greater leverage. These pulls range anywhere from 8″ to 24″ long and upwards.

Cliffside has an extensive line of knobs, cups, pulls and appliance pulls available in traditional, classic and designer styles, a variety of high quality materials including stainless steel and solid brass and in up to 10 popular finishes. Break-off screws are included with all Cliffside hardware.  

Professional installation is advised for all hardware.

Pulls can be used in a variety of locations on your doors and drawers.

Cups and Pulls

For cabinet drawers

The optimum placement of cups and pulls is to find the spot slightly above the center line (vertical) on the drawerand the spot that makes the pull look like it is centered when the cabinets are viewed from above (as if you were standing at the countertop looking down). The amount of offset is up to the installer, but starting with 1/16″ and up is a good place to start.

Using a Phillips head screw driver and the standard thread 8/32 x 1¾” break off screws included with your hardware, mount the drawer cup or pull on the face of the cabinet. Turn the screw into the socket clockwise.

For hinged doors

Avoid placing the pull in the corner of the door frame. We recommend placing the pull in the upper third, but with many traditional-style cabinets a pull in the center of the door stile (vertical) can be pleasing.

SP-12-OA, one of the most popular appliance pulls

Appliance Pulls

We recommend utilizing your appliance manufacturer’s installation/design guide for mounting instructions. Professional installation is especially advised for all appliance hardware.

The optimum placement of appliance pulls on hinged doors is when the center of the door hardware is at elbow height of the adult users in the home. This allows the lowest part of the handle to be used by children comfortably.

The optimum placement of pulls on appliances should be in the center of the appliance panel’s top rail, regardless of width.

For both hinged door and drawer panels, we recommend mounting our hardware slightly away from the panel edge. This allows a little more finger clearance on these larger pulls

Note the placement of knobs and pulls in this kitchen with Cliffside hardware installed.

Knobs

For wide cabinet drawers

Avoid mounting them too widely or narrowly. The optimum placement of two knobs on wide drawers is the center of the door below (if applicable) and align vertically with the outer third of each door. If there are only more drawers below, then measure the drawer into thirds to find the best spot.

For base cabinet drawers

The optimum placement of a knob on a base cabinet drawer is slightly above the center line (vertical) on the drawer. This helps make the knob look like it is centered when the cabinets are viewed from above (as if you were standing at the countertop looking down). As with any pull, the amount of offset is up to the installer, but 1/16″ and up is a good place to start.

For hinged doors

We recommend placing the knob on a hinged doors in the upper third of the door face. Both options provide more leverage. Using the corner of the door to install hardware can cause weakness in the hinges over repeated use, so as with a pull, we suggest avoiding that particular location.

Cabinet Creativity: A study in change No comments yet

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” -Mary Lou Cook

So many of our customers are looking for ways to improve their homes and save money at the same time. To make the investment in your kitchen cost-effective, you can replace the hardware that’s currently on your cabinets at a fraction of the price it costs to rip apart your entire kitchen and replace all of those doors, frames, and shelves. Your kitchen can look new and intriguing even if you don’t have the time or the funds to completely remodel that entire room. Here are five tips to help make your decision a little easier:

Old antique hardware is great for country-style homes.

1. Match your hardware to the decor of your home. Do you have a country-style home or another traditional style? Consider some of the hardware from our signature line; our top ten selling items are good examples to start with. Do you have a contemporary kitchen or bathroom? Consider some contemporary polished chrome or stainless steel hardware!

2. Change the color of your cabinet hardware to look best with your appliances and fixtures. Is that old polished chrome stove out of place and lonely in your kitchen? Consider one of the new polished chrome appliance pulls coming to our line in early 2009, or some stainless steel bar pulls to bring a little pop to that stainless steel sink.

A brushed finish may be better than polished for the bathroom environment.

3. Change the finish of your cabinet hardware. Some of those colors may have become faded or dulled over the years from so much use. Bathroom hardware can become especially dull to the constant exposure to heat, steam, and cleaning products (which we DON’T recommend). Consider updating your bathroom to a brushed finish or something using acrylic, glass, or crystal which can stand up to that demanding environment.

4. Change the style of hardware that you use on your cabinets. Perhaps you just moved into a new home that expands your living space with your expanding family. With small fingers around, maybe you should consider the safety of a secure latch on cabinet doors. If you’d rather have something just to grab onto, consider a high-quality solid brass pull, or a knob for that decorative accent.

This is the only kind of bug you want to see in YOUR kitchen!

5. Change the material of the hardware on your cabinets. Prefer a bit more rustic look? Our stone and marble hardware lines provide an outdoor feeling and natural material, bringing the countryside right inside (except for those pesky bugs!). These are great for outdoor kitchens or patios: natural materials are less susceptible to environmental conditions than other hardware. If you’ve been suffering with cheap hardware that’s not up to snuff, consider upgrading to solid brass or stainless steel.

So go out there and make some new design choices. Bring a little fun into your kitchen, break some rules, and above all, have fun!