Giving cabinets a facelift No comments yet

Changing cabinet hardware is an easy way to give a tired or outdated kitchen a fresh new look. Cliffside Industries offers a wide variety of products to give you the most options when trying to replace your hardware. According to Kitchen and Bath Design News‘ (KBDN) June 2011 issue, major remodeling projects are out. More and more consumers “are choosing to perform ‘room lifts’ — small upgrades to personalize a room” (p. 11); this is a perfect example of how just a small change like cabinet hardware can update an entire space.

Shaping your ideas

The octagonal shape of the 147 is one of Cliffside's most unique.

For the client looking for new and unique shapes, Cliffside offers a variety of round, square, oblong, and rectangular knobs with a traditional flair. For even more selection, we offer a wide range of novelty products, from nautical to natural and everything in between.

Finishing the job

With ten signature finishes to choose from, Cliffside has a color to suit any need. From a variety of brass-toned hues to a selection of chrome and nickel finishes and multiple oil-rubbed bronze selections, Cliffside captures the imagination with a large selection throughout our solid brass line. For a more rustic look, three finishes are available in our rustic Sedona series.

Compare and contrast

When choosing a color for hardware, consider the color of your cabinets. Many customers, when choosing hardware, will bring a wood sample along so they can evaluate how the colors will coordinate. With medium-toned woods, getting a close color match is sometimes preferred, while with dark or light stains, contrast makes a bold statement — consider, for example, the warm, shiny tones of polished nickel against an elegant dark walnut cabinet.

Sparkle and shine

The M30AB and M35AB crystals incorporate a distinctive prismatic effect.

KBDN indicates that a new focus in decorative hardware are pieces with “more sparkle than seen in recent years” (p. 60). Cliffside Industries accommodates everyone’s need to shine with our line of refined European lead crystal. Designed and shaped by Old World artisans and assembled in the U.S.A., these pieces are elegant and sophisticated, lending a classic new look to any kitchen or bath.

Cliffside’s going green No comments yet

In celebration of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday, Cliffside Industries is celebrating all of the green elements of our hardware line. From products to practices, Cliffside prides itself on everything green that we do.

Green crystal

M995-GREEN with a Silver Satin base

Cliffside offers two green-colored crystal knobs: the M995-GREEN and the M30-GREEN. Available with eight unique and attractive stem finishes, these knobs — one square and the other spherical — add an elegant touch of Ireland to any cabinet face.

Green marble

Cliffside now offers a wider selection of green marble knobs and pulls, with our two stock pieces (PM3-GR and PM5-GR) and a variety of special-order items, including P-3-GREEN, RB-1-GREEN, and many more. The darker shade conjures thoughts of the waving grasses of the Emerald Isle…

Green Athens series

113 in the light green is a subtle touch.

The polyester “Athens” series of knobs and pulls are actually available in two shades of green: a standard kelly green, and a more ocean-like light green (shown). The Athens series offers five unique knob styles and a pull that is adjustable between 3″ and 4″ on center.

Green catalog

Cliffside's newest catalog is certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council.

While Cliffside’s “Fine Hardware Collections” catalog is not literally the color green, it is “green” in the sense that it has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to be produced from paper harvested from “well-managed forests and other controlled sources”.

Green initiatives

In addition to our eco-friendly catalog, Cliffside’s staff has undertaken green initiatives in our office work, purchasing recycled paper and also recycling our own printing and scrap paper in-house. Our doubly-used paper is then shredded for use as packing material. We also recycle boxes, newspaper, bubble wrap, and other materials as packing elements in our warehouse.

Hardware au naturale No comments yet

In an age where many designers and homeowners are looking to “go green”, Cliffside Industries has a variety of different hardware pieces that are manufactured from natural materials. These items come from renewable resources that aren’t in danger of being depleted by overproduction.

Marble knobs and pulls

Having recently devoted an entire blog entry to our marble hardware, our readers will know that we have both stock and special-order marble hardware pieces available in five standard colors: white, beige, black, green, and brown/red.

Stone knobs

Going for a natural look? The Arizona series knobs provide a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, while the Bahia series pieces offer a more uniform shade of dark gray. Available with five base finishes (nickel, black, rust, satin nickel, and polished brass), the choice of the piece you get is truly up to you.

Wood knobs

Wooden knobs blend in perfectly when stained to match wooden cabinet doors or drawer fronts. Cliffside offers our K-519 wooden knob in two different species: maple and cherry (shown). The K-522 knob is available with three different center pin colors (sold separately) for your choice of accent within the wood.

Crystal hardware

Delicately cut by skilled European craftsmen and assembled here in the United States, Cliffside’s line of special-order crystal is timelessly elegant and always popular. Most crystal pieces are available with eight stem finishes (antique brass, old antique, polished brass, polished chrome, polished nickel, pewter, silver satin, and satin brass) and can ship to you in 7 to 10 business days.

A tip:

If you have in mind less “natural” and more “nature”… check out our new lines of novelty hardware!

Featured product line: Crystal No comments yet

Among special order products, one of the most popular is Cliffside’s line of lead crystal knobs.

M994 with a pewter stem finish

Crystal is actually “lead glass that has been hand- or machine-cut with facets. Lead oxide added to the molten glass gives lead crystal a much higher index of refraction than normal glass, and consequently much greater ’sparkle’…The presence of lead also makes the glass softer and easier to cut. Crystal can consist of up to 35% lead, at which point it has the most sparkle.” (from Wikipedia). In concurrence with our new product lines, Cliffside has added several new items that are now available for purchase.

All crystal knobs that Cliffside sells are special order and require approximately a one-week lead time, but the wait is well worth it for these elegant pieces. All knobs (unless otherwise specified) are available in any of the eight stem finishes: Antique Brass, Old Antique (oil-rubbed bronze), Pewter (new!), Polished Brass, Polished Chrome, Polished Nickel, Satin Brass, and Silver Satin. All crystal bases are made from solid brass, while the crystal itself is fashioned in Europe. The pieces themselves are assembled right here in the USA.

The square M995 in the new pink color (PC stem)

Some Cliffside pieces are available in a variety of colors, including the spherical M30 and the square M995. The M30 is available in clear, red, green, amber, alexandrite, amethyst, blue, and aqua, as is the M995, which is now additionally available in pink (new!). You can choose any stem finish to go with any of these colors as well!

One new item that we have added to our line that is currently a web-only special is the M994. This piece, which completes the M9 (M991-M995) line, features a concave face and is an elegant addition to any cabinet or vanity.

Top five design trends No comments yet

As you recover from your holiday indulgences, we’re presenting a lighter version of our earlier top ten lists. This list was compiled from research into our own products and other industry publications as a guide to what is driving kitchen and bath designers right now. No leftovers here! For your Thanksgiving pleasure, it’s Cliffside’s top five design trends!

Antique iron Sedona hardware

1. Antique colors/finishes

In examining our data, one of the most prevalent trends we noticed industry-wide was the use of antique colors, styles, and finishes. Cliffside provides ample opportunity to participate in this trend; some examples are the old antique, flat black, iron, oil-rubbed bronze, and old copper finishes, and the new Venetian bronze will be a new addition to this line in 2009. The Sedona line, pictured here and in the header image above, is also a prime example of this “distressing” fad. Out of Cliffside’s top ten finishes, five are associated with this trend, proving that some things just do get better with age!

Brushed nickel hardware

2. Brushed finishes

A second trend that is popular throughout the kitchen and bath design world is the use of satin and brushed finishes. Cliffside offers many products in our most popular finish, silver satin, as well as brushed nickel, which matches SS very closely, and the naturally brushed stainless steel. On our solid brass knobs and pulls, the antique brass finish also sports a brushed look. The new Venetian bronze, as mentioned above, is a hybrid of antique and brushed, showing copper details hidden underneath its dark facade. As our top-selling finish, silver satin proves that sometimes, being popular really is the way to go!

One of Cliffside's lead crystal knobs

3. Elegant hardware

Some of the most elegant pieces that Cliffside offers are genuine lead crystal knobs. Though the crystal is crafted in Europe, the pieces are proudly assembled in the United States and ship direct from our supplier to your front door. These classic pieces lend an elegant tone to any kitchen or bathroom! We also offer marble hardware to coordinate with stone countertops, both in stock items and special order. For a formal look, designers can also explore our lines of solid brass hardware, which will be expanding early next year.

Stainless steel hardware

4. Contemporary colors

The classic contemporary colors are a staple of our line and are popular throughout the industry, and we have recently added to these finishes. The brushed tones of silver satin, brushed nickel, brushed black nickel and stainless steel mingle with the silvery gloss of polished chrome, nickel chrome, and polished nickel to create modern stylings that are truly dazzling. In addition, we are adding ball tip hinges in early 2009 to coordinate with our contemporary hardware. Though Cliffside is a “distributor of traditional hardware,” no one can ever say that we don’t keep up with the times!

Got turtles?

5. Novelty hardware

Full of fun and whimsy? Maybe you are the right kind of person to try out our novelty hardware! We have hardware that is appropriate for certain regions of the country, such as maritime hardware for a beach house, or a moose knob for a house in the Upper Midwest or Alaska! We also have knobs and pulls to appeal to the hobbyist, including golf bags, music notes, and cacti.

That’s it for this holiday edition of the Cliffside Industries blog. Be sure to tune in next Tuesday for our next great entry, and visit our website this weekend!