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Add comment May 12th, 2008
Posts filed under 'Miscellaneous'
Cabinet Hardware Decisions When Building A House
One of the last decisions you will make as you build a house is the cabinet hardware that you will place throughout. When making this decision, you will end up looking back on all of your previous decisions like carpet color, cabinet colors, etc. in order to make the best decision. When choosing your cabinet hardware, it is important to choose the right types of knobs and handles that will add to the cabinets and doors, rather than stand out and take away from them. It is important to choose the cabinet hardware that makes your cabinets look unique and stylish.
Cabinet hardware is sometimes hard to choose because you have to base the decision on everything else that you have already planned out. One thing to be careful of, however, is that you do not start changing all of your other cabinet choices and flooring options because of a certain cabinet hardware design that you like. There are plenty of options that you can choose from, so if one will not work out with what you already have chosen, you are sure to find another type of cabinet hardware that will look good.
1 comment February 6th, 2008
Decorating our new Sunshine State Home
Having recently moved to the “Sunshine State”, I now faced the undaunting job of personalizing my new home and infusing a little bit of “Florida” into my decor. Although overwhelmed, I thought it easiest to start with the outside first. I was thrilled to locate at knobs, Hinges & More a spectacular looking door bell and door knockers that were “Palm Trees”!!! Can’t get a better find than this and what a terrific way to embrace Florida…its sunshine and palm trees!
I was so pleased with the quality, color and originality of the hardware. I was so surprised also with the large selection of decorative hardware available that it took me sometime to finally make a decision. Whether you are an avid golfer, fisherman, or into aquatics or insects, trust me, there’s a door knocker and doorbell for you. The ease and convenience in shopping at knobs, Hinges & More is surely worth mentioning and their vast inventory made it quite easy to purchase multiple items, including a mailbox. The Colony Metalsmith Roof Top Pineapple Mailbox in the antique gold was a great compliment to my outdoor theme and at a reasonable price too. As I perused the knobs, Hinges & More website, I was pleased to find a wide selection of outdoor house numbers. I especially liked the Atlas Homewares Twig and Vine House Numbers. They were very unique looking and substantial in appearance…and my husband agreed!!! As a newcomer, it has been a great shopping experience not having to deal with the big retail warehouses, let alone trying to locate them. The personalized service I received was surely a bonus.
Four stars to Knobs Hinges & More!! I can’t wait to decorate further…..
Add comment November 1st, 2007
Stainless Steal
Several years back, when contemplating how to outfit a $400,000 building, we came across a hurdle we almost couldn’t jump over. It seems that when you want a commercial kitchen, your only option is stainless steel. This requirement, alone, seeming like theft, almost blew our budget out of the water - it was so expensive.
Why do you suppose that the authorities require stainless steel? The answer is that it lends itself well to sanitation, important for a public kitchen area. Stainless steel resists corrosion that could harbor unfriendly bacteria. It achieves this by being an alloy of iron and carbon (making it steel) and chromium (making it stainless).
Well, when it comes to little things, like cabinet knobs and even hand rails, you needn’t be concerned about expense, because there’s not a lot of stainless steel material in these objects. The great advantage of stainless steel is in its strength and durability over long periods, especially in the absence of moisture.
Examine some of the samples on this page. The natural color of stainless steel lends well to darker woods, paints and stains, making a beautiful and natural contrast. See several styles in the collections found at Knobs, Hinges and More.
Add comment June 13th, 2007
Marble Caste
Ginger Bathroom Accessories elevates the bathroom experience to the level of the aristocracy.
These fixtures would appear in their element if the walls and floors were covered with marble. How do you complement marble and do it justice? The answer is with style.
See the variations in style on this page. All are available in polished chrome, polished brass, oil-rubbed bronze and brushed satin nickel.
Other manufacturers’ wares at Knobs, Hinges and More also offer more variety to spruce up your bathroom, even for the lowly toilet brush! What’s more, they often do it in such a way that it’s easy to keep 
the fixtures sanitary because there are few hiding places for contamination.
Add comment June 11th, 2007
Pewter Revealed
A metal alloy in common use in cabinet hardware, pewter has a luster similar to silver. It is comprised of mostly tin with some copper thrown in to harden the alloy. Pewter, itself, is a relatively soft metal and can easily be hammered to shape. 
Because it has a melting temperature of about 450 degrees (depending upon the mix), it doesn’t lend itself very well to culinary uses where the temperatures can exceed 500 degrees. (Imagine a puddle of pewter at the bottom of your oven!)
For cabinet hardware, pewter does very well. It pours well into molds and faithfully reproduces detailed contours. It can be polished and/or finished in another metal, such as copper or bronze. Beware of pewter alloys that contain lead (up to 15%!). Fortunately, when it comes to cabinet hardware, lead is rarely used and most people don’t eat cabinet knobs! At Knobs, Hinges and More, you will find cabinet hardware manufacturers who ensure there is no lead. 
Using their wares, you can safely decorate a child’s room with the luster of silver without concern.
Add comment June 6th, 2007
Communicable Diseases
In these days of TB scares, it’s important to know similar dangers that can be lurking in common hardware. This came to a head when we visited an antique supply house a few years back.
We happened upon an old clawfoot tub and outfitted it with era hardware, including the crossed-knobbed, two-handled valves pouring out the one spigot and an external tube that controls how you drain the tub. I seem to remember that we almost had to get the external tube because of the sizes of the holes and fittings.
Well, the rub comes in that external tube. See the accompanying diagrams to understand what I’m talking about. 
The tube has a cylinder that you lift up or put down. When the cylinder is down, it blocks the drain, so the tub can fill - including the drain tube that has remained moist since the last bath. To empty the tub, you simply raise the cylinder in the tube and most of the water flows past the cylinder and out the drain.
The problem is that the stopper effect takes place deep in the bowels of the contraption, at the seal. Moisture can linger for days in the drain tube, setting up an environment for ugly cultures to grow. If they do and you then fill the tube, you can get … well, I won’t go into the gory details. Suffice it to say you could be sitting in some ugly and unhealthy stuff.
The solution for us was simply to use a rubber stopper instead of seating the cylinder in the tube. The solution for you is simply not to buy such an arrangement but rather to purchase modern hardware that is by law designed to be sanitary. (Such laws didn’t exist when the antiques were manufactured.)
Find a good collection of reputable items at Knobs, Hinges and More.
Add comment June 1st, 2007
The Land of the (Hardware) Gods
Imagine, if you would, that you could memorialize in metal whatever you liked. Perhaps it’s a dog or cat or other pet from your past. Or, maybe, you’d like to remember that old hat you lost at the beach, or the first car you ever owned.
Well, I’m not suggesting that a harware manufacturer suddenly begin accepting pictures from customers and rendering them in metal. (BTW, manufacturers, here’s an idea that you CAN do with the right 3D modeling software and wax apparatus - any takers? I understand it’s expensive, but you may be able to make a killing!) 
But, you will find objects that resemble memorabilia from your past from current offerings.
Well, all this goes to say that we mere mortals don’t usually have the means to melt and pour metal into molds to commemorate things from our past. Instead, we have to look to manufacturers like Dalka Designs to decorate our living spaces - our cabinets and drawers.
Find these and more at Knobs, Hinges and More.
Add comment May 30th, 2007
Pulling for the Team!
It’s that time of year again. Games are well underway. It’s too early in the season to tell who’s going to be in the playoffs. So, there’s still plenty of room for excitement. Well, there’s a rather unconventional way you can do your part.
While cabinet knobs are usually intended for use in the interior of the home, consider what an impact you could have placing these Topperscot inexpensive mementos: a) As a handle to the cooler you take to the game, b) As a handle on the storage area in your vehicle you drive to the game, c) 
As a hood ornament on your vehicle (?!), d) As the handle on the clipboard you take to the game. All these applications are supported simply by a screw that fastens the sports logo knob to whatever you’re using. That it’s attached by a screw gives you other options for places that may be more difficult to fasten to. At $5 apiece, you can really go nuts with these, if you want to make a lasting impression!
DISCLAIMER: This website is based on Long Island, so I had to favor New York teams. Please don’t belittle or beat up on me. Rest assured that all the other teams are also represented at Knobs, Hinges and More. Check them out!
Add comment May 21st, 2007
Animal Handles, Hangups and Humor
All you veterinarians and animal lovers - this one’s for you! Populate your pet care drawers with these friendly and even amusing animal knobs, hooks and pulls. 
Rosalie Sherman has captured the essence of many fine animals in these cabinet knobs, drawer pulls and robe hooks. (I don’t remember seeing this collection before in Knobs, Hinges and More, but it’s there now!)
African animals, dogs, cats, birds, farm animals and even people can catch attention as your visitors pass by. 
When I mentioned veterinarians, you can see the immediate application in a busy practice - giving visual cues to drawer and cabinet contents. Pet owners will know that your practice is someplace special when they see these renderings of dogs and cats. 
Consider the shorthair, terrier, labrador retriever, weiner and, yes, even the mutt. Just look at the samples here and have a good time imagining where they might humorously appear! Some of them are just simply adorable!
Add comment May 18th, 2007