Not Just for Closet Doors - Step Inside

A growing trend in our modern lifestyle is the evolution of the closet turned dressing room, a place for convenience, orderliness, and ambiance. Many years ago I had a visit from a representative from California Closets.

A piece of the conversation that stands out in my mind is his  remark about a whole new attitude toward the humble space to organize your wardrobe.

He told me that when people do a fabulous closet renovation, they want to show it off and will invite their house guests in for a viewing. At the time, I thought it sounded like a sales pitch, but I knew he was making a significant point. 

I guess it's easy to see where I'm going with this. Yes, our knobs and pulls put the extra dazzle on built-in closet drawers, where  boasting rights are well deserved. Imaginative uses of our drapery hardware is also a sweet addition to the well appointed closet.

You can always turn a finial into a robe hook or a tieback into a jewelry hanger.  In any case, I like this modern closet trend... you don't have to be a star to have a dressing room! 

The Wow Factor in a Box

Getting into a gift mode headset, it's that time of year when I take a look at our knobs from a different perspective.

In many ways, this is how our knobs and finials have metamorphosed into Genie jars and bottle stoppers. I always like to say they make a great gift or treat for yourself. But since this is the holiday season, I throw my focus on expanding and embellishing our table top collections.

Particularly the bottle stoppers have got some new looks and there's  plenty of bling, color and architecture for those who love our designs.

Of course we like to be in keeping with the cyber holiday shopping spirit. So we tossed in some bargains that can be found on our web specials. 

 

For those who want some help making a decision, I always suggest choosing the jeweled stoppers for the girls.

Makeover Marvels

I was talking to a customer yesterday who told me she used our knobs to spruce up a dresser that she bought from Target. It's no surprise that people use our hardware to revamp ordinary furniture.

I was reminded of one of my first customers, back in 1993. He owned a hip furniture store in Palo Alto stocked with contemporary imports; a lot of smooth black veneers and clean lines. The cabinet knobs were merely a simple 1" cylinder in a matte silver finish.

I was amazed at how he used our knobs to create his own edgy style. He paired each one of the cylinders with one of our large Showstopper knobs to create an asymmetrical design scheme on cabinet doors and drawers. Got the picture? I wish I had one. It was pretty risky but I loved the originality.

Then there are the artists that make magic with old furniture pieces. Restoration projects can be quite industrious very often requiring stripping, sanding, patching and you name it - all the preparation that's needed to get the surface "paint ready".

Granted it's a lot of work. But you can see the results are undeniably rewarding. Here I thought I would share some of the makeovers from some of our professional customers. Love their knob picks!

 

It's hard to imagine what this bedroom dresser looked like in a previous life. Tennessee artist Suzanne Fitch takes a fanciful direction, showing her passion for pattern and detail. Our periwinkle Iris knobs, 1 1/2" and 2" diameter are a perfect choice for this beauty.

 

 

I can really appreciate the thought that goes into mapping color placement and pattern.  Suzanne did a spectacular job on this console table.

Cara and Anne Marie from Twice Lovely in Arizona chose to focus on metallic patinas for this cabinet. Even the hinges have a nice paint finish. They selected our Nu Duo knobs (1 1/2" diameter) from our web specials. The colors are right in sync with the flowers and vines.

For the Love of a Bargain

Bargain shopping on the web has been around as long as the internet itself. Discount shopping sites, auction sites, budget shopping blogs, the digital universe is teeming with lures for the thrifty shopper.

I used to think of a coupon as an ad to clip from the Sunday paper, something to be used at the grocery or drug store. But web shopping has given the word "coupon" a much broader scope associated with a whole new cache of goods and goodies.  Merchandise, events, services... just about anything can be had on the web for a discount.

So I figured it's time to jump on the band wagon. The newest addition to our site is a mere little box at the check out that asks for a coupon code. Now that we have this capability to extend timely offers with attractive discounts, there's no doubt our next newsletter will have a surprise coupon code in the contents. You never know, we may even want to throw in a contest. This stuff can be fun!

Switch Plate Color Switch

As a designer, one of the joys about working with color combinations is that the possibilities are infinite. I'm not just referring to paint. Changing a metal or crystal color can also dramatically affect the look of the piece whether it be a knob, a finial or a switch plate. Since all of our products are made right here on our premises, custom color requests are easy to oblige.

It's always a nice surprise to see our designs wearing new color schemes. So I thought I would use this post to share some of the combos we've done with our switchplates.

Black is a popular "color" in a designer's world and we like to use it for extra drama. The architecture of the switch cover really pops when you put it with black.

Stepping outside of the rainbow for a moment, silver is a big decorating color and there are all different hues from pewter to platinum. This blank bloomer wall plate is stunning with both silver paint and metal details.

Finail? Finial? Is that your final answer?

Like a dowel screw, or an elbow bracket, a finial is one of those seldom used words that belongs to the decorating or hardware genre. You probably don't  know the meaning or sometimes even the pronunciation unless you've had the occasion to use it. Many people think of a finial as something that sits on top of a lamp (this is true) and few realize it's also a "drapery knob". When it comes to decorative window hardware, the vocabulary is rich with layman terms that can baffle the average person. So I thought I would address some of the basics to help our customers understand the terminology and to help them make good decorating decisions.

The finial is the piece that attaches to the end of the drapery rod. Ours have an inserted wood threaded screw that works with wooden rods. However you can easily remove the screw and replace it with one that is threaded for a metal pole.  When choosing the finial, there are a few things to consider. Think about the size and how it will fit the space.  Is it a large wall? Tight corner? You also want to think about the drape. Heavy materials may work best with a  large finial while light sheers may call for something smaller or more delicate. And finally think about  how the light hits the space.  Many of our finial designs have crystals or crystal cabochons that refract light and create a very pretty effect.

Pictured clockwise from bottom left: Sunflower finial, J finial Isabella, J tieback Birdie, and small Tiki knob.

Our finials range from 4-8" in projection. If you prefer something smaller, many of our 2" diameter knobs measure 1 3/4" at the base and can be converted to a finial by adding a dowel screw. If you're scratching your head about the dowel screw, here's a picture that shows it with one end threaded for metal (to go into the knob) and the other end threaded for wood (to go into the rod).

Now let's examine how the finial fits the rod. (Right image). We list the diameter of the finial at the widest part to give our customers a feeling for the size of the piece. However the measurement at the base of the finial is smaller, and designed to extend or flare a little beyond our rods 1 3/4" and 1 3/8" diameters.

Replacing your Switch Plates? Do a Double Take!

Oh, once there was a time, when switch plates were easy to understand; small openings for toggle switches, roundish openings for outlet covers and the fancy thingamagig was a round dimmer knob.

But that was a while ago. Now we're all wired for contemporary lifestyles and choosing switch plates requires some thought. Fortunately the electrical industry has made it a little less complicated because all switch plate designs have to comply with industry stardards. But you still have to take a good look at what's on your wall. Especially take note of your outlet covers.

There's more than one kind of receptacle for plugs and you want to be sure you're ordering the right configuration. I mention this only because it seems to be a common mistake that we notice with our customers.

Bloomer Ivy single duplex outlet cover

We use the terms decora or rocker to define our wall plates with wide openings. Although typically it may be a push switch, this wide size also fits all kinds of outlets, lighting controls, telephone devices and you name it. It's definitely the most popular configuration of today.

Coral glass single decora switch cover