Soooo happy to be in the sunny desert loveliness
of Arizona at the fixer upper once again since a gloomy
It's a labor of love, guys, and weJanuary in Chicagoland can be brutal on an artist's tender sunshine lovin' soul. 
and since we bought a little desert bungalow
in Arizona last spring, it has become our mini fixer upper to work on as time permits.
are happily putting our stamp on the house, adding little details which live big as well as experimenting with new materials.  Wanna see the kitchen we're working on?
that aren't working and need to go, but today I'm going to touch on a design detail I needed to add straight away: hardware for the cabinets in the kitchen and baths.  | ||||
| Cup pulls from Top Knobs |
I began my search for cabinet hardware
online, and though I have indeed
traveled to the ends of the internet (!),
I found myself pleasantly sucked into a story on
handcrafted knobs and pulls from a new to me
hardware company with the most endearing name:
online, and though I have indeed
traveled to the ends of the internet (!),
I found myself pleasantly sucked into a story on
handcrafted knobs and pulls from a new to me
hardware company with the most endearing name:
Here's a charming kitchen in Traditional Home
with Top Knobs hardware:
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| Napa Valley 1880's bungalow kitchen by Lori Gilder and Rebecca Reynolds features cabinets with flat-sided pulls in a Light Bronze finish from Top Knobs Aspen collection...photo: Dustin Peck, Matt Sartain
When I dug deeper into the company's
Aspen Collection of hardware, I learned it is created from 90% recycled bronze and is hand-finished. If rustic elegance is your jam, Aspen's patina just may tingle your jingles.
Let's get our hand forged blacksmithing
ON like Donkey Kong, yes?
(I've GOT to stop with the dated Donkey Kong
references and have no excuse except that the men
in my household have been gaming like cray crayso these ridiculous references dance in my consciousness and just refuse to leave.)
Isn't this cool?
Raw bronze begins life like this before
the handcrafting commences.
Intricate copper formulas and traditional casting
techniques are infused into each handcrafted design.
Every piece is hand-cast and hand-finished,
which accentuates the one-of-a kind look and feel. Solid castings of artisan grade bronze can be felt in the palm of your hand. 
Beautiful!
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| Aspen Collection |
but there are a bunch of options...
any guess which shape I chose
for the Arizona fixer upper kitchen?
Hint: we're going for a timeless and tranquil,
European, serene and cozy design style,
and I chose two shapes...
Hint: we're going for a timeless and tranquil,
European, serene and cozy design style,
and I chose two shapes...
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| Arizona Fixer Upper Kitchen - BEFORE |
We chose Aspen cup pulls and egg knobs.
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| Arizona Fixer Upper Kitchen Elements: Top Knobs Aspen Collection Bin Pulls |
fixer upper refinished and with its new bin pull...
you can also see the small potato knob
and the Calacatta Gold marble mosaic we plan
to incorporate.
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| M11410 ASPEN CUP PULL 3 INCH (C-C) |
Material: Cast Bronze
Collection: Aspen
Finish: Silicon Bronze Light
Finish: Silicon Bronze Light
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| M1535 ASPEN SMALL POTATO KNOB 1 9/16 INCH |
Material: Cast Bronze
Collection: Aspen
Finish: Silicon Bronze Light
Choosing a finish (which is bliss for designfreaks)
revealed a ton of Top Knob options:
Let's tour a few pretty spaces accented with hardware
from Top Knobs...this first one is pretty in pink.
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| Top Knob Chalet Appliance Pulls from the Chateau collection in a remodeled Virginia kitchen with a cheerfully pink statement wall. |
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| Notice how the addition of Top Knobs hardware personalizes the paneled appliances in this kitchen? Photo by Case Design/Remodeling, Inc. |
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| Top Knobs Apsen and Europa pulls in an award-winning KBDN bathroom by Nar Bustamante Fine Carpentry |
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| A kitchen by designers Sarah Robertson and Suzanne McGrath is enhanced with Ascendra knobs and pulls from the Top Knobs Transcend collection. |
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| via |
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| Pulls from the Top Knobs Somerset Finial collection in the Pewter Antique finish. |
A few more favs from Top Knobs...
Don't you love this traditional latch!?!
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| 2" cabinet latch from Top Knobs |
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| Top Knobs Pennington Bar Pulls |
we chose smart modern stainless steel bar pulls
...here's a sneak peek
of the before:
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| Arizona Fixer Upper bathroom - BEFORE |
adventures with you
of redesigning the next fixer upper with help from
sponsors like Top Knobs.
Get ready for new fixer upper stories
to begin rolling out, and I'll dish about
the highs and lows every step of the way.
(Disclosure: Top Knobs provided the hardware for
the kitchen and baths...they're awesome like that,
but all of the opinions I share are mine, all mine.)
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| In the backyard of the Arizona Fixer Upper |
What do you think of the cabinet hardware
we chose for the kitchen?
(I'll share more "afters" soon including
how the stainless bar pulls look on
the bathroom cabinetry!)
Peace to you right where you are.
