Hey September, What's New?

I can't believe it's September already! This month at the Hut we've added a couple of new items, but mostly rounded out collections that already exist. We've made additions to cabinet hardware collections like Lewis Dolin's glass series. Lewis Dolin offers glass knobs and cup pulls with metal bases, and he's come out with a clear glass and polished chrome base. A classic look.

We've also added a number of finishes to the Cliffside cabinet latches. These little gems are quite popular, and with pretty much every finish available you're bound to find one that matches your hardware. This month we added the Venetian Bronze, Iron, and Antique Brass to the IBCL model and for the SBCL model we've added Venetian Bronze, Antique Copper, Iron, Antique Brass, and Polished Nickel.




We do sell quite a few of the closet rods in both round an oval but there aren't very many center support options. Engineered Products Company (EPCO) has come out with a center support/shelf bracket combination in both stainless steel and oil rubbed bronze.


The last thing I want to talk about today is a pull from First Impressions They call this the "Germ Free" pull, I like the sound of that. This pull is perfect for a public restroom application. Whenever I have to touch a door handle after washing my hands, I have to use a paper towel or try to get the door open without actually gripping the handle. What a pain! The nice thing about the hands free pull from First Impressions is that you can fit your arm behind the handle so that your hands are still germ free. An added bonus, this pull is ADA compliant.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Cabinet Locks

Cabinet or drawer locks come in all different sizes and applications. Some are used on filing cabinets, gun cabinets, liquor cabinets, or desk drawers. The most common questions that I get asked are; "What size do I need for my application, and Can I get them keyed alike?" I will go over all the basic points of cabinet locks in this post. First, what types are there? Cabinet locks come in either a disc tumbler or a pin tumbler. The term tumbler is interchangeable with the term cylinder. See the anatomy listed below:


A disc tumbler works by discs inside the cylinder that rotate back and fourth to lock and unlock. A pin tumbler has spring loaded pins that drop down into place when it's locked and unlocked. A pin tumbler works the same way a door lock that would be on your front door works.



Next would be the types of application, we carry the disc tumblers which is by far the most popular. These would go on doors or drawers for filing cabinets, liquor cabinets, built-ins, etc.. the "everyday use" cabinet. The pin tumblers would be used in similar applications but with a little more security. Another type would be a plunger lock, these come in both disc and pin options. The plunger locks are used on sliding doors or on the side of a filing cabinet. You can press the front of the lock in and it will push a small "button" into the strike. When someone tries to pull the drawer out or slide the door over the "button" will not allow the door or drawer to move. When you unlock it with a key, the "button" retracts into the lock and allows clearance for the door or drawer to move.


A drawer lock comes in either a dead latching (works just like a deadbolt on your front door) or spring latch (works just like a door knob on your bedroom or bathroom.) A drawer lock is specifically made to latch up into the frame of the cabinetry when the drawer is closed.


And, the last application that we have is a combination lock. You can either use the combination or the key override for locking and unlocking the cabinets. These would be great in a school, church, gym, or any other public setting where you have multiple people using common areas.


So, can you get the locks keyed alike? Yes, all of the cabinet and drawer locks that we carry either come keyed alike or keyed different right from the manufacturer. If you want six locks keyed alike then all you have to do is order the one that has the KA in the part number and when you get them they will all use the same key. If there is a KD in the part number then all of the locks will use different keys. We stock two different key numbers from National Cabinet Lock, our numbers are 413A and 415A. National Cabinet Lock's part numbers look like this C8053-14A-KA413A. The first set of five digits are the specific model of lock, the second set of digits is the color of the lock. 14A is Nickel, 3 is bright brass, and 4G is antique brass. The last set of digits will be the keying of the lock. KA413A will be keyed alike with the number 413A, KA415A will be keyed alike with the number 415A, KD will be keyed different, and KDMK will be keyed different and master keyed.

Last would be the dimensions. On our site we list the overall length of the lock in the first line of the description, in the product specifications it will tell you the maximum material thickness. For example: The NCL-C8060 is 1 3/4" long but will only accommodate a material thickness of 1-7/16". This can work in a number of ways, if you have a door that is 3/4" thick and sits on a frame that is 3/4" thick this lock will work with the straight cam that comes with. If you have a door that is flush with your frame and your door is 1-3/4" thick, you will need this lock plus you will use the offset cam (the bent one.) The bend in the cam that comes with the locks is 1/4" so when you add the 1-7/16" thick and the extra 1/4" you're right at 1-3/4".

For the most part, the National Cabinet Locks that we carry will come with the straight and the bent cam inside the package. We do also carry additional cams to accommodate different applications.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Ironing Center Sale!

Ironing centers are another item that have become popular. If you ask me, I don't really see why. But, this is coming from the girl who's ironed about a whole five times in her life. If I did iron, I'd definiately want one of these. On some of the models you can store your iron and starch (do you even use that anymore?) and the best feature is that you don't have to store a big ole ironing board under your bed or in your closet or wherever you typically hide that thing. These are always in the same spot and easily hidden.

Most of the models have to be recessed into the wall, which is a great feature because they don't stick out very far at all. And, for the less construction savy person there's even a surface mounted model.
The ironing centers come with an array of features, sort of like a car. You've got the base model let's say a Dodge Neon which is basically an ironing board, and a built in hanger. At the top of the line there's a model that has a built in light, an electrical outlet, a larger board that swivels, all the bells & whistles sort of like a Cadiallac Escalade.


All of the ironing centers that we carry in stock are hinged on the right side, but we can special order them left handed or the hinge is easy to change on site. The doors are made out of an unfinished birch veneer so you can stain it or paint it the same color as your wall. I know, they're starting to sound pretty appealing aren't they? Heck, I might even get one and take up ironing. But, the best part about these is that right now through the end of September they're on Sale. Yep, it just doesn't get any better than that. Who doesn't love a sale?!

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

What's In Your Closet?

Have any of you watched "MTV Cribs?" No. How about "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous?" Probably. These types of shows always intrigue me, because you get a peek into all the wonderful, crazy gadgets that are available in the world that one might not own unless they've got money to spend and nothing to spend it on. Aside from the 17 different cars in the garage, all of the houses shown have a common feature. They've usually got a humongous closet (or two.) Not only are the closets about the size of my entire house, but they've got "mad features," as they say. There's all kinds of organized storage; pull out shelves, shoe racks, pull down closet rods, jewelry drawers, towel warmers.... you name it. Of course we can't all have a closet like this, but for there's a lot a really neat items to make your closet feel like it's fit for "Cribs."

There are two color choices for most closet hardware that's available now, Chrome and Oil Rubbed Bronze. The oil rubbed bronze is a newer finish in these items, but because it has become so popular in homes today it's been added to most product lines. The one word of caution I'll make to anyone interested in Oil Rubbed Bronze closet rods is that metal hangers tend to sratch the surface of the rod. On a Chrome rod the scratching is barely noticable, but on an Oil Rubbed Bronze rod it will be something that you'll notice.

The run-of-the-mill items such as closet rods and ends come in both Chrome and Oil Rubbed Bronze, and they come in round or oval. As far as I can tell the only advantage to having the oval over the round is that there is less friction from the hangers on the oval rod. Other than that, it's mostly aesthetic.








Now for the fun stuff, we carry a company called Rev-A-Shelf and they specialize in home organization. Some of the items I'm going to talk about are new for them, so they're not uploaded to our site yet but I think they're worth mentioning.

Rev-A-Shelf makes a number of items that are extendable or pull out's, these come in various baskets, tie & belt holders, extendable hangers, and pants racks. The beauty of these is that they can be used for storage and then, pull out for easy access of the items you need.
Here are a couple of tie/belt organizers. These are universal, you can hang either ties, belts, or scarves from any of these.




They also make valet rods, or extendable hangers. They take up very little space inside the cabinet, but if you need to hang your clothes while your getting ready, or packing, the rod can be "whipped out" and voila you've got a ready made closet rod.





Pull out pants racks have been pretty big sellers for us as well, to me this is a little crazy but in all fairness this is coming from the girl who has used an iron a whole five times in her life. The pants racks can be used for dress slacks, jeans, or even skirts. The first type below is simply a pull out model for easy access. The second is a pivoting pants rack. It mounts to either the left or the right cabinet wall and then pivots front to back for access.





And, you've got items like pull out hampers that can be stored inside the cabinets, and wall mounted ironing centers, and also towel warmers if your closet is big enough to change in.

The last cool thing I want to talk about is a pull down closet rod. These are really cool for those of us with limited closet space. You can mount these up high where you normally wouldn't be able to reach and then pull down with the provided bar, it brings the entire closet rod down to about shoulder height. That way you can have two tiers of closet rods as opposed to one.



Regardless, whether your closet is small or huge there are some really neat space saving products to help organize and customize your space. You can turn your space into something that's envied. Think, Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous!

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

"Maggio ho un bicchiere di vino?"

Studies have shown that a glass of wine here and there is actually good for you. Maybe that's why so many people are putting bars and wine cellars in their houses these days. No, you don't think so? Ok, well let's just say that's the reason.

It seems pretty common lately to look in any home oriented magazine and see at least one wine cellar, a section of the kitchen or a small bar area featured. New homes in particular are being built with an extra space for wine storage. Homes that are being built now seem to focus more around entertaining family and friends. Kitchens are larger,more open and more functional. Mostly for the purpose of entertaining our guests. I've even seen a few magazines that show wine cellars with a kitchenette and seating in them.

All this talk about wine...it's got you thirsty doesn't it? Well it's not even noon! So you might want to wait, but in the meantime here's some really cute wine themed cabinet hardware to spruce up your bar area. Many manufacturers make knobs and pulls with either grapes or actual wine bottles, but some of these are really spectacular. There are a few with actual mother of pearl inlay, and hand painted enamel.





If you're not into the themed hardware and want a more subtle touch, there's always hand carved corbels and rosettes with a grape theme that can be incorporated right into your cabinetry or as decorative accents under your counter top.



And, don't forget the most important part...storage. Where are you going to store all of those beautiful bottles and glasses? We carry a couple of manufacturers that have open storage racks that can be installed in what is basically a cabinet without a door. These come in styles that look like a big letter X, and squares that hold individual bottles, they also have pull out racks that are installed in the cabinetry if you don't want to display your bottles. There is also an alternative to having your glasses put away in a cupboard, there are small racks that can be installed under the cabinets for easy access. Oh yeah!


If you're remodeling or building a new home, odds are pretty good that you could use a glass of wine. Cheers to a new beautiful room!

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”