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All About Closet Hardware

The walk-in closet is a dream to many people, because it means having all the space in the world to organize AND stylize their apparel. You can enjoy ultimate closet style without having the big closet if you find the right closet hardware. Here we breakdown the pieces you can buy to make the most of your closet space – no matter how much or how little you have to work with.

Pull Down Rods

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For those who can’t reach the top of tall closets, pull down rods allow for making use of all the closet space you have. Closet rods are a unique installation, and they are side-mounted. The pull-down rods are a full system with two side rods and a center rod that can be used for lowering the closet rod. The rods come with a telescoping handle and rod that can accommodate custom lengths and widths. Note that a minimum of 14″ closet depth is needed to install.

Shoe and Pant Storage

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Shoe and pant storage usually come in the form of hardware that can be added to a closet system or installed in a closet separately. Utilizing shoe storage is a way to consolidate shoes without sacrificing space. Easy shoe storage systems involve door hang racks and plastic hanging pockets as a stand-alone solution. However you can also choose railing that can be installed on a section of your closet system to keep shoes in place.

Pant racks typically are rods combined on a rack that extends on a drawer slide style track. You can usually install it within a closet that fits the proper width.  The application can also apply to dish rags and similar hanging fabric.

Storage Pullouts

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Easy pullout storage can be used for towels, jewelry, and other small items that can be installed in conjunction with a closet space. These kinds of pullouts often run on drawer slides and can be installed in the upper half of a tall closet, thus making use of otherwise empty space. Pullout baskets, pullout rods, and jewelry drawer pullouts can all be used in closet organization.

 

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CSH Steps Up with a Library Ladder for the Room to Dream Foundation

Last fall CS Hardware answered the call for a rolling library ladder needed to help outfit rooms for a family and their daughter who is living with a chronic illness. The Room to Dream Foundation was getting started on a new project for a child in need, and they contacted CS Hardware to get involved. Sydni, a young girl tackling a chronic illness, and her family, received a great home makeover with three re-vamped bedrooms. The bedroom CS Hardware worked on is a room with bunk beds for two children, which needing a rolling library ladder for easy access. Kids love having bunk beds and sharing a room with their siblings when they’re growing up. (Then of course, we all reach that age where “space” becomes paramount.)

 

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CSH at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas

What happened in Vegas did not stay in Vegas with last week’s International Builders’ Show as thousands of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and dealers gathered to showcase, learn and explore what’s new in the residential construction industry. From Feburary 4 -6, CSH had a booth at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show on the exhibition floor, which covered nearly 440,000 square feet of space in the convention center.

CS Hardware has gone to IBS for eight years now, and they always brings some of their best products to showcase on the floor. They set up shop at booth C4516 for the three-day event with their ready-to-assemble cabinets, rolling door, bi-fold InvisiDoor hidden bookcase door, and rolling library ladder on display. The CSH team agrees that IBS is by far the best show and they love returning year after year. The popular products they show let attendees see the wood finishes and functionality at work first-hand. See below for a video of the bi-fold InvisiDoor at this show.

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4 Ways to Reuse Old Drawers

Repurposing old home items for new uses is a great way to give new life to something worn down that you’d normally toss. Cabinet or dresser drawers that are in need of replacing can find a new use in other parts of your home. Whether it’s your old furniture or you want to pick up old furniture at a garage sale, there are ways to make the most of what seems like junk. For cabinets, remove the drawer slides and you’re all set! On the other hand, side mount drawer slides and other non-bottom mount styles could be left on for added character. Consider using the slides as an accent to paint or to attach other pieces to. From there, you can stain the drawer to cover wear and tear, or paint a brand new color. Start by deciding how you’d like to reuse the drawer and then the color as well as styling decisions will follow!

From Drawer to… Wall Mounted Mirror

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Home Improvement Tips to Start the New Year Right

Every new year sparks the urge in most people to think about what they’d like to accomplish in the year. Some resolutions can be difficult to keep up with, and some are longer term goals that lose momentum over time. That doesn’t stop us from making them! When it comes to home projects and repair, there are many lofty goals you can strive for, as well as small accomplishments. We put together a list of ideas, big and small, of potential New Year’s goals for the home. Get started with your planning early and be ready to start the year off right. Let us know what your goals are in the comments!

Install a library ladder

Rolling library ladders are no longer strictly for rooms of books. If you have a home with high shelves, especially in the kitchen, a rolling ladder can be a great aesthetic and functional addition. Take advantage of a lofted space with a ladder, and use it for storage or another access point to a room. Rolling ladders can be set up with curved railing so that it can function throughout an entire room. From tall, walk-in closets to high shelves in the kitchen, rolling library ladders can be useful just about anywhere.

Update decorative hardware in kitchen and bath

Changing hardware is a great way to make a room look fresh. Crystal knobs will reflect the light in the kitchen. Antique bronze drawer pulls give a bit of a different look, and enhance the rustic appearance, especially if your cabinets are worn down. The bathroom and the kitchen are the two main rooms to update with new hardware given the cabinet doors and drawers. This can tie in with the next item below as well, if you have the time and money to update the cabinets or vanity further.

Newly made kitchen cabinets: refinish / paint

Depending on your budget, updating your kitchen through the cabinetry is a great way to do it. Pick out a new color or stain, and it’ll only take a few days to paint the cabinets, including preparation. The prep work for the cabinets will take the most time, including cleaning and taking apart the pieces to paint. Another choice is to reface the cabinet doors with new veneer panels. Cooking and heavy use can wear out cabinets, and choosing veneer panels to reface the cabinet doors cleans it up without too much cost or labor time.

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How to Match Furniture to Your Kitchen

Choosing your kitchen cabinets and appliances requires a great deal of research and rumination. Finding pieces that go well together and colors that fit the rest of your home is important. Add in the fact that the kitchen is a major focal point in most homes, either simply for food prep or also for entertaining, and that means putting together the right aesthetic is key. Furniture that complements your kitchen cabinets and overall theme can be chosen in a variety of ways. We take a look at the kind of furniture you can pair with three of our attractive, unique ready to assemble kitchen cabinet designs.

Complement Color and Wood Finish

Choosing the wood finish on your kitchen cabinets is a big decision. The wood finish creates a huge influence on the room and you want to be happy with a wood species you’ll be seeing a great deal of for a long time. One important point is that you don’t need to have an exact match on the wood of your cabinets and the wood or coloring of your furniture. In most cases, you can start by matching the undertones to avoid having too much of a monochromatic look. If the kitchen cabinets contain a hint of red undertones, light coloring, or a richer color, pull from that for choosing your chairs, tables, and other kitchen or dining room furniture.

Complement Color and Appliances

Choose a dominant or aesthetic color from your kitchen to highlight with your furniture. For example, if you have black countertops and appliances in your kitchen, choose furniture with a black or dark color to complement it. Black or dark grey top for a dining room table as well as chairs will look great with your kitchen. Matching your appliances and kitchen cabinet accents with the rest of the furniture in the room allows the small details to pop.

Contrast Furniture and Wood Finish

Instead of streamlining the look, go for something different by contrasting the colors in the room. When it comes to furniture selection, this mostly means choosing between lighter and darker coloring. However, if you’re feeling extremely creative and desire more color, use the color wheel when choosing furniture. For example, dark blues contrast with orange or rust colors, while olive and greens contrast with maroon and red. Otherwise, contrast bright white cabinets with dark, richly colored or wood for the tables, chairs, and other furniture pieces in your kitchen.

Furniture doesn’t need to match to look great in your home, and whatever road you go down you’ll create a unique theme. As long as the styling pleases you and your family, you’ve made the right choice.

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5 Steps to Prepare Your Home for Cold Weather

This is a guest post provided by Rianne Hunter.

Winter can be a wonderland for those living in the north. However, that wonderland is often accompanied by less than wonderful conditions. A home is especially vulnerable to damage throughout the frigid months of winter, but there are plenty of ways to prepare for potential disaster.

Furnace Maintenance

The furnace is one appliance that no one in colder climes can live without. This is not just a luxury. Residents must keep their homes heated as a matter of survival. That is exactly why furnace maintenance is so important. Autumn is a great time to begin your preparations for winter. It is also the perfect time to schedule a routine furnace inspection to ensure that no malfunctions occur when a constant supply of heat is needed most.

Seal All Windows And Doors

When it comes to getting ready for winter, from Anchorage to Boston home improvement is no joke. This is especially true when winter rears its ugly head. Cold air can get into your home through many sources. Windows and doors must be sealed properly to keep your home warm and reduce your electric bill. Leaky windows and doors cause drafts that force your furnace to work overtime in an attempt to maintain a specific temperature.

Protect Your Plumbing

Just like the doors and windows, the plumbing of your home must also be inspected to prevent winter damage. If water pipes are not insulated properly, then they can burst. A burst pipe can cause serious damage to a home at a time when home repairs are the most difficult to perform.

Prune Overhanging Trees

Defending your home from the dangers of winter can extend beyond the walls of the home itself. The property outside must also be prepped. Winter weather will often cause damage to trees. A falling branch can puncture the roof, damage the walls and even break windows. It is important to prune any trees that stand close to the structure of your home.

Prepare Your Tools

Now that most of the major maintenance tasks have been performed, it is time to arm yourself. Check all winter tools, such as snow blowers, shovels and axes. You should replace any worn or broken tools so that you are better prepared to deal with any heavy snow storms. It is also a good idea to drain the gasoline from your lawnmower and any other appliances that will remain unused throughout the winter months.

These five maintenance tips will help the winter months to pass without a hitch. The key to surviving a winter is to be prepared. Stock up on canned food and emergency supplies before a major snow storm before a major snow storm has a chance to sneak up on you.

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8 Elusive Things To Discover Behind A Secret Bookcase Door

Every kid wants to discover a secret passage or hidden room in an old home, right? Let's play the “what-if” game on what you'd find behind a hidden bookcase door. Imagine what you might find…

1. Narnia

As you walk through the bookcase door there's a shift in the atmosphere and you find yourself in a whole new world. What is this magical place? Well, there are some unusual creatures about. Is that animal talking? You have just found Narnia, young adventurer.

2. Carmen Sandiego

Where in the world is… oh hey! She's right there! How did people have such a hard time locating this woman for years? You notice the bright red coat and hat right away of Carmen and capture her easily. Great job, gumshoe!

3. Waldo

You see red and white stripes, a bespectacled face and a knit cap: it’s that guy who keeps slipping through your fingers all the time! Well, not any more. You discovered Waldo's secret spot when he's not out in a big crowd trying to hide in plain sight for the heck of it. Secret doors make sense for one of the most wanted men in the cartoon-universe.

4. Santa's Workshop

You enter through the bookcase door and smack into a pile of toys that continues for miles. What is this place? Is there snow outside the window? You see a few people skitter past below your line of vision, pointy ears and green caps passing in a blur. It seems that you discovered Santa's workshop. Grab some toys and run!

5. Nemo

This poor lost clown fish went on quite the adventure back in 2003. And now here's Nemo once again, hiding back here like he has something to prove. It turns out he wanted to go on more adventures and see the world, and ended up stuck back in this room. You should probably help send him home again, as his dad is probably freaking out.

6. Illuminati Hangout

If you don't notice the logo on the carpet right away, it sure just looks like a bunch of dudes hanging out and watching football. Behind this hidden door there's a pool table in the middle of the room and a few cases of beer on the floor. Upon closer inspection, you realize you're looking at a gathering of the Illuminati, one of the more infamous secret societies. They need a place to kick back and relax too when they’re not trying to change the world in secret.

7. Al Capone's Vault

You feel a surge of anticipation as you walk through this bookcase door… only to find nothing. And for some reason, Geraldo Rivera is still there with his camera crew, hoping to break this story. Unfortunately, Al Capone's vault remains empty aside from some dirt and bottles, even in your imagination.

8. Amelia Earhart

She went missing decades ago after an ill-fated transatlantic flight, but wonder no longer. Amelia Earhart wound up behind this hidden door! She just didn't think anyone would be looking for her and preferred to spend her days thinking about flying around the world in the safety of her own hideout.

Imagine what you could do with your own hidden door!

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Rolling Library Ladders: Past and Present

Library ladders are making a comeback, and not in their traditional use. In the ever-evolving home decor trends, library ladders can be part function and part character for your home. But what is the story behind these tall, rolling ladders? Here we look at the history of the rolling library ladder and all the different ways it can and has been used over time.

Flashback

The library ladder has origins in the Victorian era, around the mid 1800s. At that time, they were exclusively used in libraries, most likely by the extremely wealthy and powerful people of the time. Whereas today a rolling “library” ladder may be implemented in any room of your home for other functions or style, the library ladder initially was for reaching heights of expansive libraries.

Antique library ladders often were shorter than most you see today. They ranged from 5 feet to 8 feet, often times smaller and appearing more like a step ladder. These Victorian rolling ladders had intricate hand carvings on the railings and had larger surface area at the base for support. Compared to the svelte and strong ladders of today, they look bulky. However the style is of skill and effort indicative of the era.

Present Day

In more recent years, rolling library ladders serve a purpose more in general than specifically related to reaching books. Whether you have high kitchen shelving or just high ceilings, a library ladder can help you reach whatever it is that you need. Additionally, there are many custom and unique styles of ladders you can choose from to get something that fits in your home's decor year round.

Most rolling ladders you'll find for your home today range from 8 feet to 10 feet in height. They come with wheels for easy rolling and they'll help you reach high shelves in your closet, pantry, or elsewhere. You can choose from rich wood finishes and even get custom designs or accents. When you order from CS Hardware you can choose from our ready-to-ship ladders or go custom with only a 3-4 week lead time, and you'll be able to install the rolling door where you need to with ease.

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All About Murphy Beds

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One of the most underrated ways to save space in your home is to install a Murphy Bed. These beds, also commonly referred to as fold-down beds or wall bed, are a great way to save space in your home.

Murphy Beds are built into the wall and fold down when in use. When you are done sleeping, you simply lift them up and they hide in the wall, providing you with a few extra feet of space. The beds are easy enough to fold up by yourself, although fancier versions may include a remote-control device to lift the bed up and down.

Murphy Beds are typically seen in small apartments (usually lofts or studio apartments in urban areas) where space is limited. They are versatile enough to be used in any room in your home, since they instantly turn any space into a bedroom. If you have an extra room in your house but can't decide whether to use it as an office, storage room or a bedroom, why not install a Murphy bed? When guests come over, pull the bed down for them to use. When guests aren't over, the bed is hidden in the wall and you can use the space for whatever purpose you would like.

You can customize the look of your wall beds in a variety of ways. If you hate the plain, boring look of the bed when it is hidden in the wall, you can paint it, move a bookshelf in front of it to hide it, or even conceal it with a rolling door or hidden door. Guests will be surprised to know that a fold-down bed is actually hidden behind there. In addition to this, you can find Murphy Bed kits that work with any size bed. More modern versions now include add-ons such as lighting, cabinets and nightstands.

A variety of retailers offer Murphy Bed hardware kits that allow you to easily install them yourself. This saves money you would typically spend hiring a contractor to install the bed. Due to their inexpensive cost and easy, DIY installation, these wall beds have become increasingly popular over the past few years.