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caligirl555

Kitchen is so plain, please help me with hardware

caligirl5
6 years ago

Hey everyone! Kitchen in my 1915 bungalow is crawling towards completion, and I'm not in love with my drawers. I thought it would be cool and period-appropriate to do slab partial overlay drawers and inset doors, but the drawers look very plain and now I know why people don't do this.


For hardware, I was planning to do pulls for lowers and high-use cabinets and latches on less-used cabinets ("high" uppers, above the range hood, etc.).

Now I'm wondering if I should do something different to help dress it up? All the drawer bases are 24" and these drawer pulls come in either 3 5/8" or 4 1/8".

  • Should I find something longer? I know people here recommend 1/3 of the drawer length, but 8" pulls seem too modern
  • Would bin pulls be better?
  • What about 2 pulls or 2 knobs per drawer? 24" drawer seems a bit small for that
  • A different color? I have a chrome faucet, stainless appliances, antique brass door/window hardware, combo of antique copper and ORB light fixtures. I tend towards ORB to contrast with the lighter wood, but not sure if something shiny would be better.
  • Other ideas I haven't considered?

Thanks in advance!


Comments (20)

  • ericakn
    6 years ago

    What are your countertops? We have white cabinets, stainless appliances, soapstone, 1940's brass doorknobs, antique brass light fixtures and went with jeffery alexander gun metal hardware. I was also thinking 2 knobs on drawers but our cabinet guy mentioned many tend to pull on one knob more than the other and the uneveness will mess up the drawer.

    caligirl5 thanked ericakn
  • cpartist
    6 years ago

    I would do bin pulls for the drawers and knobs for the uppers and the latches for the less used cabinets

    caligirl5 thanked cpartist
  • caligirl5
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    The counters are honed black mist granite.

    The drawers only went in today, so I'm probably rushing this thought--I'm wondering if it's possible to switch to inset, 5 piece drawers and I should do that? They're Conestoga RTA cabinets. Probably $800 in materials (new drawer fronts and inset drawer slides) + labor $.

  • Fori
    6 years ago

    Can the drawer fronts be moved over a bit? The ones next to the range look like they're closer to the range than to the other drawer set.

    I'd do brass or chrome instead of the ORB.

    And yes, it's too soon to want to replace your drawers!! If you do replace them, just replace the fronts and don't try to retrofit inset. But i think these will grow on you. Will they be painted or are they already finished?

    caligirl5 thanked Fori
  • caligirl5
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    I think that's the angle and that the range isn't flush with the wall right now (it's getting fixed). I just measured and they're centered in the cabinet box.

    They're a light stained cherry. The boxes were put in a few weeks ago and the drawers just today. The frames have darkened a bit, so the fronts look a bit...fresh?

    I guess I'm worried that with the color and overlay, it looks like 90s golden oak! If I did decide to reorder the drawer fronts, why not retrofit inset?

    Here are some of the hardware samples I've gotten on a sample board I've had a few months (so it's darker):

    Top left: Unlacquered brass that fell victim to some experimentation with brass ager

    Top right: Aged brass from 2 different brands

    Bottom right: Polished nickel

    Bottom Left: ORB

  • caligirl5
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Although if I just changed the drawer fronts, maybe a better edge profile would help get the look I want. This is the buffet in my dining room, with overlay drawers and inset doors.

  • Fori
    6 years ago

    Ahhh I tried to get doors like that once. I think the best description was "lipped", where they are actually kinda half inset, right? I love that they give a flatter profile than an overlay drawer. I've never seen them mixed with inset doors before. My cabinet guy thought I was nuts, alas. I looked into trying to recreate that edge that's on your built-in by putting on a radius, but
    modern cabinet drawers/doors are too fat--if you ease the edge it looks
    goofy and not at all retro in a good way.

    I think your drawers AND your sample are gonna get even a bit darker. You won't be doing golden oak for long. I do like that brass with it. (Disclaimer: I just redid a bunch of windows and doors in natural cherry with brass hardware. I might be biased.)

    I guess retrofitting inset just seems like an expensive pain in the butt, if it's even possible. At least give these time. No hurry, right? I think it's a shock right now because they're SO blond (hence the "hey are you gonna paint that" comment).

    caligirl5 thanked Fori
  • PRO
    MDLN
    6 years ago

    Agree w/ cpartist, would do bin pulls on the drawers.

    caligirl5 thanked MDLN
  • annac54
    6 years ago

    Although I like the look of bin pulls, I chose not to have them. Reaching down an putting my hand through the top of a regular pull seemed easier than having to reach under a bin pull on the lower drawers. You may not have any physical problems, but you might think about it if you do. I have occasional back issues and the bending over is sometimes a problem.

    Use the 4 1/8" pull if you go with those. The 24" drawers seem too narrow for 2 pulls on them.

    caligirl5 thanked annac54
  • ravencajun Zone 8b TX
    6 years ago

    Because of my RA and other hand problems is exactly what deterred me from getting the bin pulls which I really liked. Instead I got matte black pulls one per drawer in 2 different lengths. I did not want 2 per drawer because of uneven pulling.

    caligirl5 thanked ravencajun Zone 8b TX
  • barncatz
    6 years ago

    I think your drawers are really a darling look and I like that they're not run of the mill.

    I agree with the pull comments after using my bin pulls.

    caligirl5 thanked barncatz
  • salex
    6 years ago

    There are some nice periodic-appropriate pulls posted above. If you pick one you like and live with it, maybe you'll be happy with the look.

    If not, you might be able to convert the existing drawers to inset ones just by having the fronts cut to inset size and by moving the internal slides (mounted in the cabinet) back. Most drawers do not occupy the full space - but whether they do will determine whether you can easily switch to inset, vs. needing all new drawers made. Inset slabs look totally different than overlay slabs.

    caligirl5 thanked salex
  • cpartist
    6 years ago

    I think the drawers as you have them are period appropriate and match your dining room drawers. I wouldn't change them. Finish the kitchen. Put the bin pulls on. Wait for that gorgeous cherry wood to age a bit and my guess is you'll be very happy.

    BTW: What is the wood under your dining room built in? Would it be worth stripping sometime in the future?

    caligirl5 thanked cpartist
  • caligirl5
    Original Author
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Thanks everyone!

    Glad that some people think it's look OK. I don't think it's heinous, just I didn't get the "oooo! ahhh!" feeling like I did with my bathroom (this is a different stain). Although I agree will look better when the inset sink doors are in and with hardware.

    ETA: I like the look in the pics from mdlin, does mine look like that?

    The inset drawer boxes in the 21" vanity cabinets are exactly 3" shorter than the overlay drawers in the 24" kitchen cabinets, so I'm hoping if I wanted to change the fronts, I could reuse the boxes.

    Thanks for the feedback on bin pulls, I'm going to get some samples. A lot of my inspiration pics have bin pulls, and I think beefier hardware will look better.

    Any other thoughts on the hardware color?

    I'd love to strip the paint in the dining room one day. Maybe if the kitchen and bath ever get finished! The contents of kitchen, bath, and 1 bedroom are in the dining and living room, so looks like Hoarders right now.

  • palimpsest
    6 years ago

    Fori that style of door/drawer is called 3/8" inch partial overlay and they were usually made with the drawer face and the from piece of the drawer box as one piece. Of course now the drawer box and drawer face are separate. I am doing 3/8" partial overlay style and it's custom, it's rarely done right now.

    I would not change the OPs drawers for 5 piece, I think they are fine.

    caligirl5 thanked palimpsest
  • caligirl5
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    mayflowers, yes that's the vanity! Thanks for your help, I love how it turned out!

    I'm actually happy with the color. I matched the kitchen floor with the dining room, which is oak with a very red stain. Then for the cabinets, I kept them light to have more contrast. The stain doesn't add a lot of color just mutes the grain a bit (if I did it over, I wouldn't have bothered with the stain, but it's very similar to natural cherry).

  • aprilneverends
    6 years ago

    I kinda like them. Wouldn't change them, that's for sure

    I'm not a fan of these bin pulls..I like the ones Mayflowers posted..and yes, my choice would be ORB too

    caligirl5 thanked aprilneverends
  • aprilneverends
    6 years ago

    and-it's shaping as a very pretty kitchen..I like the concept. Cherry is wonderful wood.

    some new things-you just need to adjust

  • Amy J
    6 years ago

    I like original plan with the ORB. Agree that maybe you just need to get used to them.

    caligirl5 thanked Amy J