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Hardware Renaissance's Grande Manhattan pulls are sand cast and then hand finished. Fashioned from solid bronze, the pieces have a hand-textured bronze inlay, with optional dual patinas for a large range of finish options. A minimum of 90% recycled material is used for the solid bronze hardware. Circle No. 184 on Product Card Federal Brace has added the Ashbury Corner Bracket, which can support both the standard kitchen countertop over- hang and the overhang created at the junction of an L-shaped counter or island. Specifically built for difficult support sit- uations, the Ashbury is a fit for L-shaped islands, bars or countertops. Circle No. 185 on Product Card North River Mint's library of decorative hardware pieces includes approximately 300 designs in nine categories. The collections include cabinet knobs, pulls and hooks handmade in the U.S. of lead- free jeweler's metal, offered in antique pewter or antique bronze. Shown is one of the firm's larger-scaled knobs. Circle No. 186 on Product Card Grass America's Tiomos M0 has a screw connection between the hinge and the cabinet door without requiring a cup hole, making it possible to use door ma- terials between 6mm and 10mm thick. It offers a 125° opening angle, and includes 3-D adjustment, soft-close action, and frame and frameless applications. Circle No. 187 on Product Card Häfele's Beaulieu collection features a sleek and elegant transitional design. Available in a variety of sizes and pull applications, the line includes a range of knobs, handles and appliance pulls in a number of sizes. Finishes include oil-rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, polished nickel and brushed bronze. Circle No. 188 on Product Card The EuroButt II Butt Hinge for cabinets allows cabinetmakers to use concealed hinges to achieve a traditional butt hinge look. The patented design has the advantages of high-tech hinges while providing a specific design element and ease of installation, according to the company. Circle No. 189 on Product Card Hettich's new Actro 5D runner system allows for adjust reveal alignment accu- rate to ¹ ⁄ 10 of a millimeter. The firm fit on the runner, and the high level of vertical and horizontal stability permit a narrow reveal, notes the company. The integrat- ed Silent System closes drawers gently. It is designed for loads of up to 80 kg. Circle No. 190 on Product Card Serene is a collection of decorative hard- ware styles in six contemporary finishes from Top Knobs. Available in 35 shapes in five series, the Serene Collection showcases elegant, transitional shapes and includes 12" pulls, a first from the company. Products include Lydia, Juliet, Lily, Eden and Kara (shown). Circle No. 191 on Product Card Indeed, sometimes the most understated pieces are the most impact- ful. As Billy Peele, marketing manager at Doug Mockett & Company Inc. in Torrance, CA, notes, "As much as we love to have our hardware on dis- play, sometimes it's more about what you don't see. Custom continuous drawer or cabinet pulls and clean line contemporary hardware can really define a distinct design without demanding high visibility." "Decorative hardware is like the perfect accessory you pair with your little black dress – the right knob or pull can really complement and complete the design of a kitchen or bath," says Christine Zimmer, product manager/deco- rative products for Top Knobs in Hillsborough, NJ. Mihai Subran, product manager at Richelieu in Montreal, Canada, says decorative hardware can change the entire perception of value and design orientation of the furniture it adorns. "It can achieve several roles," he says. These roles include blending, as with a back door edge pull, or attracting all the attention, such as the addition of a crystal knob. Hardware can create a variety of looks – classy, elegant, unique, distinctive, extravagant or daring, Subran adds. Greg Sheets, decorative hardware product manager for Häfele in Archdale, NC, has another perspective. He says, "The way in which decora- tive hardware is currently being used in kitchens and baths has transitioned from an accessory – like jewelry for your cabinets and drawers – to a more subtle and functional addition within the greater design." HIDDEN HARDWARE In contrast to decorative pieces used to make a personal statement, the trend in functional hardware leans more toward hardly knowing it's there at all. More and more, says Shawn Pressley, marketing manager for Salice America Inc. in Charlotte, NC, the move is toward concealed hardware. Though hinges from Salice have always been considered concealed, he adds, customers are asking to see even less of the hardware than before. Häfele's functional hardware product manager Karen Armour cites Salice's new AIR hinge as exciting in a number of ways: "It's a fully concealed hinge, meaning when the door is closed, the hinge is completely concealed as it is routed into both the horizontal panel of the frameless cabinet box, as well as back of the door. If designing with glass doors, this will become your favorite hinge. No mounting plate is visible. It is an 'invisible' hinge, which plays right into the open look and feel so favored by designers," she says. The desire for concealment holds true for slides as well, but performance can't suffer. "Concealed undermount slides are still a big trend. Only now, functionality is even more important," says Fitzpatrick. "With so many under- mount choices, the movement action is primary." ENHANCED FUNCTION The kitchen is where much of the entertaining takes place – and this makes the functional aspects of the cabinets and drawers essential. 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