Posts filed under 'Brass Elegans'
There are many alloys of copper. Bronze is comprised of copper (60%) and tin (40%). If you add about 10% zinc to copper, though, you get something rather unique called brass. 
What makes it unique, among other characteristics, is its resistence to salt water corrosion. This, in addition to its strength, is why most faucets in the home have brass underneath. (If you don’t believe me, take a discarded faucet to the grinding wheel and see what’s underneath, even if it is silver in color.) 
In fact, taking a silver-colored faucet to a wire wheel will remove any electroplating and reveal, often, a beautiful brass underneath. We did this to a piece we obtained from an antique house and found ourselves a gem that now adorns our bathroom.
Isn’t it interesting that many fixtures aboard old wind-blown vessels were made of brass? Now we know the reason. We can also be grateful for its beautiful color, reminiscent of the sun that makes it glow brighter than surrounding objects because it reflects strongly in the sun’s spectrum of colors.
For this latter reason, raw or polished brass is a good choice in a home or room that does not use fluorescent lights. So called “natural” lighting, or incandescent lighting, gives off a spectrum of color that more closely matches what brass naturally reflects.
If you’re thinking along these lines, be sure to browse the brass options available at Knobs, Hinges and More, where you’ll find brass fixtures from Avante, Bellwith Keeler, Brass Accents, Brass Elegans, Colonial Bronze, Colony Mailboxes, Deltana, Perrin & Rowe, Rohl and Schaub.
May 11th, 2007
In a non-elective course I took at the university, I was taught that glass is a fluid! Huh?! Yup. That stuff that’s made into windshields and windows is actually a “supercooled fluid,” according to the professor. “It just takes a while for it to flow,” he said. Yet, in almost the same breath, he said that glass has a very high hardness, measured in millions of pounds per square inch. Well, I finally believed him when I saw an antique car in the junk yard. 
This car was at least a generation old and its windows looked entirely like they were just melting down, not at all retaining their shape. I can imagine that the heat inside the car with closed windows, aged over decades, brought it to its abnormally early demise, because we don’t see glass doing this normally. 
OK, professor - I’m a believer now. But, even though some cabinet hardware is beautifully made out of glass, we don’t have to worry about it because cabinet knobs are not usually subjected to the same harsh treatment seen in a junk yard. Even coke bottles buried for decades retain their original shape.
It’s no wonder, then, that some hardware manufacturers, such as Te-Ma, have made cabinet knobs out of, yes seriously, bottle glass! See the samples on this page. The beauty, ease of cleaning, hardness that remains for years and many shapes and colors of glass offer a unique stylistic approach to living space hardware. Browse and dream to your heart’s content at Knobs, Hinges and More. See particularly some of the offerings from All That Glass, Brass Elegans, Colombo Design, Lew’s Hardware, Megna Hot Glass and Te-Ma Cabinet Hardware.
May 7th, 2007
For several years, we lived above a crawl space - not a good idea for us! We were accustomed to developing bad sinus infections in the springtime, when the weather would bring in moisture to be picked up by our forced air central air conditioning system. Who knows what cultures we were growing unknowingly underfoot! The solution?
The answer is twofold. First, have the system cleaned professionally. This was difficult for us because of the type of wall registers designed into the home. The next part of the solution is to replace those registers and the branch ductwork with fixtures that are more accessible. Floor registers just inside the perimeter of the home are best. 
This location generally avoids foot traffic where debris can tumble into the path of the air we breathe. It also is recommended by architects to promote an even indoor temperature.
Since registers are part of the living space statement of who you are, be sure to choose carefully. 
The registers will be there a long time!
See some of the tasteful selections you can have shown on this page. They’re all available at Knobs, Hinges and More.
April 30th, 2007
When a radio signal goes through an antenna and launches into the air, it’s the characteristics of the antenna (length, size and shape) that make it possible. Without careful attention to its shape and construction, it won’t work. In the same way, how do you terminate a long piece of architectural hardware so that its presence is tasteful and meaningful? 
If, after paying so much attention to developing a piece of architectural hardware you come to the realization that it must come to an end somewhere, how do you abbreviate it? The answer is . . .
Wrapped up in the word, “finial.” A finial is “an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed to decoratively emphasise the apex of a gable, or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure.” (Wikipedia)
Inside the home, finials are used at the ends of curtain rods and stair rods and on the tops of door hinges. Their beauty launches an aesthetic ”radio signal” throughout the home, bringing a tasteful and meaningful end to long pieces of architecture.
April 27th, 2007
I have a sinus infection. I used to think that the infections I’ve had come from dry, heated air. But I don’t anymore. Our home is heated by forced hot water. Oh, well.
The point is that it’s OK to heat and cool with forced hot air, as many homes are so outfitted. While you’re doing it, why not let visitors see how attractively that refreshing air can be delivered with wall and floor registers.
Most of the registers I’ve found are for the floor, and for good reason. They’re designed to withstand the weight of people walking on them and furniture being placed over them. So, the floor registers can be used in the floor or on the wall. In both places, the ones I’ve found make stylistic statements. See samples on this page from Atlanta Supply, Brass Elegans, Brass Accents and Wood Ventures. 
Their offerings include rich brass, oil-rubbed bronze, antiqued brass, copper, polished chrome, pewter, cast iron, maple and oak wood and satin nickel register plates. Some have louvers to direct the air and dampers to permit balancing your system throughout your home. See the wide collection from these manufacturers at Knobs, Hinges and More.
March 30th, 2007
Many cabinet knob manufacturers pour brass or pewter into molds of varying shapes and put them on distributors’ shelves as the Classic Collection or some other catchy line moniker. While many beautiful and stylish cabinet pulls can be prepared this way, there is yet another level of beauty that will not be reached using this limited approach to manufacturing.
Consider the beauty of juxtaposing two dissimilar materials - such as brass and colored glass, or nickel and ceramic. Fortunately, there are some manufacturers out there who have undertaken the rigors of handling two or more material types to offer eye-catching artistic solutions. A few I’ve found include Colombo Design, Topex, Allied Brass, Te Ma Cabinet Hardware, Brass Elegans (Finials), Lew’s Hardware, Cal Crystal, Megna Hot Glass and Carol Beach. The colorful and rugged contrasts that can be 
presented using more than one material type demonstrate a cooperation of physical characteristics that is unrivaled and noteworthy. Be sure to see some of these matings at www.knobshingesandmore.com. 
February 28th, 2007