Jaye Design

Jaye Design lost-wax cast bronze cabinet hardware

Jaye Design lost-wax casts bronze cabinet hardware as small sculptures rather than production parts. Founder Cari Jaye Sokoloff is a San Francisco sculptor who started the line in 1997. Every piece is cast using the lost-wax method, the same one-piece-at-a-time technique used for fine-art bronze casting, rather than the production die-cast process most cabinet hardware uses. Rapid Ship items typically ship within 5-10 business days; full made-to-order pieces run longer. The catalog is sold through galleries and design showrooms, and the brand sits at the premium end of artisan cabinet hardware.

Signature collections worth knowing

The Hearst Castle collection is the brand's most-recognized line, an award-winning collection commissioned for and inspired by the Hearst estate. The Manhandles collection covers heavier sculptural pulls with figurative form. The Accents collection covers smaller knobs and decorative pieces that pair with the larger sculptural lines. Linea Oliva, Motif, Flutterbye, Babyface, and Lychee Nut round out the catalog with botanical and figurative references.

What lost-wax casting buys you

Each piece is built from a wax original, encased in ceramic, and the bronze is poured into the cavity left when the wax is melted out. Detail resolution is significantly higher than what production die-casting can hold. That is why sculptors use this method for fine-art work. The bronze finishes are mostly living, so they patina over time with handling and humidity, and the change is part of the design intent.

When Jaye Design fits a project

Choose Jaye Design when the cabinet hardware is a deliberate art commission rather than a hardware purchase. The kitchen, bath, or library is usually being built around a few focal sculptural details and the buyer values one-of-something. The brand is a poor fit for spec builds, tight construction schedules, or kitchens where every pull has to match exactly. It is the right answer when the hardware itself is meant to be looked at.