What’s the difference: part 1 of 3 No comments yet

Cliffside’s customer service representatives field hundreds of questions a day. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most common, and an overwhelming majority related to comparisons of Cliffside’s finishes. In this three-part series, we’ll examine some of the finishes that Cliffside offers as part of its signature line and clarify the similarities and differences between them.

What’s the difference between…

…polished chrome and polished nickel?

Cliffside’s polished chrome, or PC, finish is similar to the color of chrome you would find on a car. It’s a classic finish with a variety of uses, from traditional to contemporary. It has a high-polish lacquer on it to maintain that timeless reflective shine.

Polished nickel (PN) is also a high-polish gray finish, like PC. However, the major difference comes from the color tone. Where polished chrome tends slightly more toward colder, bluer tones, polished nickel is more warm and yellow-hued. Designers who have compared the two say that the polished nickel is slightly darker.

Below, you can compare the finishes for yourself on a solid brass knob:

161 knob, shown in PC (left) and PN (right)

Polished chrome is also available on zinc die-cast hardware; with a different base material, PC looks nearly identical. Polished nickel is a premium finish only available on solid brass hardware.

…polished nickel and silver satin?

Above, you can see that polished nickel has a high-gloss lacquer. Silver satin, or SS, also has a lacquer, but it is a clear lacquer with much less sheen. The color of “silver satin” is actually a brushed nickel finish, and is comparable to much of the brushed stainless steel that you will find on the market today.

Silver satin and polished nickel (along with polished chrome, above) are part of Cliffside’s ten signature finishes, which means that they are available on all of the pieces shown in the Cliffside solid brass hardware suites. When viewed next to one another, you can see that SS is merely a brushed version of PN.

See the similarities below:

K341 cup pull, shown in PN (above) and SS (below)

…silver satin, brushed nickel, and stainless steel?

These three finishes are all very similar in the Cliffside line. Silver satin is available on both solid brass and zinc die-cast hardware. It is similar to brushed nickel, but items like K-514 will be slightly different due to their underlying material and finish process. All Cliffside stainless steel is brushed, not polished, so its color tone is also very like the SS.

Compare the three side-by-side:

At left: solid brass items #100 and #SP-3; center: zinc die-cast items #K-514 and #P-195; at right: stainless steel items #T565-30 and #T366-96

You’ve met your match! No comments yet

Trying to coordinate all of the fixtures in your kitchen? Having a tough time finding hardware to match? Tired of looking at sample after sample of hardware? Well, look no further! By popular demand, Cliffside is now offering a “finish guide” to coordinate our most popular colors with some of the biggest names in the kitchen and bath fixture industry.

Antique Brass

Antique Brass

To match Cliffside’s Antique Brass finish, we suggest Kohler’s “vibrant French gold,” which complements the warm golden tone of AB, or “vibrant brushed bronze,” which matches the detailing shown in an antique brass piece.

Black

Coordinating with FB is no difficult task; however, Cliffside offers some suggestions. Both Moen and Kohler offer a “matte black” finish, which is the closest to Cliffside’s black; Delta’s “black” and Grohe’s “black” finishes will also match well. Kohler also offers a “black black” finish, which is more of a gloss black. You can coordinate with FB or with Cliffside’s Nickel Chrome finish. For a contrast, try black hardware with stainless steel.

Iron

Unfortunately, our research team was unable to locate any faucets that matched Cliffside’s Iron finish; however, it adds a decorative accent to any room while maintaining the popular gray tones that you might find in a standard stainless or black faucet.

Old Antique

Old Antique

Matching the Old Antique was certainly not our easiest job. The best match that we have located is American Standard’s “blackened bronze” finish, which highlights the rich, dark color of Old Antique. If you are looking for a contrast with your OA instead, consider the “ivory” finish from Moen, or the  “biscuit” and “almond” finishes from Kohler.

Old Copper

None of the major manufacturers provide a copper finish to match Cliffside’s Old Copper at this time; however, there are plenty of antique copper faucets on the market from smaller manufacturers that would look smashing with this finish.

Polished Brass

The old hardware standby, Polished Brass, is not wildly popular in the world of faucets and plumbing. However, American Standard still manufactures a “polished brass” faucet, and Kohler has the “vibrant polished brass” finish available, if the lustrous gold of PB strikes your fancy.

Polished Chrome

Does it get any easier than this? All five of the top manufacturers in the plumbing industry (Grohe, Delta, Moen, Kohler, and American Standard) make a wide variety of polished chrome faucets and fixtures; you can find nearly any style you want in this finish, and Cliffside’s recently expanded Polished Chrome line complements it perfectly. Kohler also offers a “brushed chrome” for a more subdued look.

Polished Nickel

Polished Nickel

In contrast to the popular Polished Chrome above, only Kohler, with their “vibrant polished nickel,” has a finish in faucets to match the warmer color of Cliffside’s Polished Nickel. However, for designers looking to utilize polished nickel hardware, a stainless or brushed nickel faucet should match the warm color tone very well.

Stainless Steel

 The juggernaut of the plumbing industry, Cliffside’s Stainless Steel hardware (BNA finish) matches perfectly with any stainless steel fixture, which is offered by all of the top five manufacturers in a variety of styles. With this finish, you can match nearly any fixture style you prefer.

Silver Satin 

The Silver Satin will match any of the above stainless products and more! American Standard also offers a “satin nickel” finish, and Kohler offers a variety of gray-toned brushed finishes, including “vibrant stainless” and “vibrant brushed nickel.”

Venetian Bronze

Venetian Bronze

Cliffside’s VB finish takes its name from Delta’s “Venetian bronze;” however, it also shares a color tone with the “oil-rubbed bronzes” of Kohler and Grohe. The copper showing through on the details and edges matches well with all of these finishes, but if you want the hardware to be slightly more subdued, you can easily match all of these faucets with the Old Antique as well.

The beauty in nature No comments yet

M13-32-SS, lead crystal with a silver satin stem

Natural materials, such as brass, crystal, stainless steel, bronze, iron, pewter, stone and marble are very popular. These are being integrated in all areas of the home, especially kitchens and baths. In fact, they are often mixed and matched throughout so that it remains interesting to the eye.

There are many brass and stainless steel materials in the kitchen and we are seeing a lot of crystal in master suites. Natural brass, stainless steel and crystal are the most popular and tend to be the main materials that are used.

T565-30-BNA, a contemporary knob made from stainless steel

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is found throughout the housing industry: on dishwashers, refrigerators, sinks, ovens, microwaves, coffee makers, blenders, towel bars, and even plumbing and electrical fixtures. Crystal has really made a comeback, as well, and it has become a focal point of the master bath.

Neutral finishes

Many designers find that it’s best to stay neutral when it comes to finish. Color palettes today lean toward neutral elements to create a timeless appeal and a high-end environment. We’re seeing an increased desire for silver and gray finishes and natural earth tones.

BH3NA-OA; the old antique finish is a rich brown color

Soothing, cool colors and rich materials are in demand often highlighted by mixtures of color and texture, such as stainless steel appliances with gray hardware, or darker cabinets mixed with dark chocolate brown hardware. The gray and natural materials and the very clean, simple classic lines are more enduring.

Overall, it is definitely more of a natural look, with grays, tans, and browns, and with hardware accessories giving an accented flair to the design.

Cabinet jewelry

For the finishing touches of kitchen and master bath remodels, designers should strive to find the ideal hardware finish. Full suites of products, particularly in cabinet hardware, are offered, which should give designers confidence that those finishes and styles are going to be compatible and consistent.

IBCL-PN shows the polished nickel finish

Nickel is a very popular finish throughout the home-building and design industries, both brushed and polished; oil-rubbed bronze is a popular look, as are bright or brushed chrome finishes. We see similar trends in hardware; the most popular finish is satin silver followed by oil-rubbed bronze, but antique finishes are still very popular. Typically, these finishes are chosen from the same color family, and blend with the appliances and cabinetry.

There are now hand-forged hardware pieces, as well as ones adorned with real crystal. The appearance of these items supports the fact that consumers want unique details that will set their space apart from others. It all comes down to details.

Cliffside offers several different marble options, including this S-3-BEIGE.

Hardware is also a key component to giving any space a completed look. There are a variety of hardware options available to enhance a  kitchen and master bath remodel. Hardware is extremely important. The hardware is meant to look like jewelry on the cabinetry, not match it. It’s key that the hardware be beautiful; and everything else has to follow suit. People also prefer natural materials, such as solid brass and stainless steel, and natural looks, like marble, crystal, and stone, whenever possible.

Overall, consumers and dealers are looking for their kitchen and master bath designs to mimic the look and feel of the spa retreat, and these traditional or contemporary spaces are taking on a cleaner, uncluttered, more elegant look.

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!

The bitter taste of poor quality lingers far longer than the initial sweetness of a cheap price. No comments yet

Raw brass on the new ball-tip hinges, coming soon

High quality hardware has a reputation for fine workmanship and how well it maintains a finish. These materials, used in making many of our products, have a natural finish that often forms its own natural protective coating that prevents tarnish, oxidation and corrosion and is up to 3 times as durable as plated economy hardware. High quality hardware is strong and flexible, very versatile, has a significantly longer lifespan than products made of economy materials and has lower maintenance costs. Often double the weight of comparably sized economy hardware, high quality hardware is solid, quite dense, and sturdy. The average retail sales price premium for all of these advantages averages only 20%.

Brass is a metal alloy used in making many of our high-quality products. Many of our pieces are classified as solid brass, meaning that they are not hollow and are composed entirely of brass, making them quite dense, and very durable. The brass used to manufacture Cliffside’s solid brass hardware consists of approximately 60% copper, 37% zinc, and 3% other trace metals. (See also “What’s the difference between solid brass and die cast?”)

A bronze cup pull

Bronze is a metal alloy produced by blending copper and tin. It can contain between 2% and 20% tin. It is a sturdy, durable metal and is much harder than brass. The resonance of bronze makes it ideal. Bronze has a natural patina that forms on it turning the bronze a dark, dull color and provides a protective layer preventing oxidation below the surface of the bronze. Most bronze is coated with a thin layer of lacquer to protect the metal and the patina. Bronze looks its best when it is minimally treated. Read more »