Choosing Cabinet Hardware & A Fixer Upper Update!

January 31, 2017

Michele of Hello Lovely reading book in white kitchen

Soooo happy to be in the sunny desert loveliness
of Arizona at the fixer upper once again since a gloomy
January in Chicagoland can be brutal
on an artist's tender sunshine lovin' soul.




You may recall we are nearly done with
the Chicagoland fixer upper's DIY whole house reno,
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.


Fixer Upper Number Two in Arizona

It's a labor of love, guys, and we
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?


Before kitchen in Hello Lovely Studio Arizona fixer upper
Arizona Fixer Upper Kitchen - BEFORE

I will eventually deconstruct the elements in here
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.


Polished nickel cup pulls cabinet hardware Top Knobs kitchen
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:



Here's a charming kitchen in Traditional Home
with Top Knobs hardware:

image result for Aspen collection Top Knobs kitchen cabinet hardware cup pulls
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.


image result for Aspen collection Top Knobs kitchen cabinet hardware cup pulls
Aspen collection from Top Knobs is made
with solid castings of artisan grade bronze.
How is that patina born?

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 cray
so these ridiculous references dance in my
consciousness and just refuse to leave.)

image result for raw bronze for Top Knobs Aspen collection
Raw bronze, the beginnings of the hardware.

Isn't this cool?
Raw bronze begins life like this before
the handcrafting commences.

image result for bronze for Aspen Collection Top Knobs cabinet hardware
Molds are filled with hot liquid bronze to create the Aspen Collection
 Intricate copper formulas and traditional casting
techniques are infused into each handcrafted design.

image result for bronze fabrication for Aspen collection Top Knobs
Hand forged
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.

image result for bronze fabrication for Aspen Collection Top Knobs

Beautiful!

image result for knobs pulls of Aspen Collection Top Knobs
Aspen Collection
I was sold on Aspen for our Arizona fixer upper,
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...


Arizona Fixer Upper Before Kitchen of Hello Lovely Studio
Arizona Fixer Upper Kitchen - BEFORE
Tada!
We chose Aspen cup pulls and egg knobs.


Arizona Fixer Upper kitchen design elements Hello Lovely Studio
Arizona Fixer Upper Kitchen Elements: Top Knobs Aspen Collection Bin Pulls
Above is a kitchen cabinet drawer in the Arizona
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.

image result for bronze Aspen cup pull Top Knobs silicon bronze light
M11410 ASPEN CUP PULL 3 INCH (C-C)


Material: Cast Bronze
Collection: Aspen
Finish: Silicon Bronze Light

image result for Aspen small potato knob Top Knobs silicon bronze light
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:

image result for finishes for knobs pulls Top Knobs

Let's tour a few pretty spaces accented with hardware
from Top Knobs...this first one is pretty in pink.

image result for pink and white kitchen with Top Knobs cabinet hardware
Top Knob Chalet Appliance Pulls from the Chateau collection in a
remodeled Virginia kitchen with a cheerfully pink statement wall.
image result for pink and white kitchen with Top Knobs cabinet hardware
Notice how the addition of Top Knobs hardware personalizes the paneled
appliances in this kitchen?   
Photo by Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.

image result for luxury bathroom with Aspen and Europa pulls cabinet hardware Top Knobs
Top Knobs Apsen and Europa pulls in an award-winning KBDN bathroom by Nar Bustamante Fine Carpentry
image result for white kitchen with Ascendra knobs and pulls Top Knobs Transcend
 A kitchen by designers Sarah Robertson and Suzanne McGrath is enhanced with
Ascendra knobs and pulls from the Top Knobs Transcend collection.

image result for white kitchen with Ascendra knobs and pulls Top Knobs
via
image result for white kitchen with Somerset cabinet hardware Top Knobs
 Pulls from the Top Knobs Somerset Finial collection in the Pewter Antique finish.
A few more favs from Top Knobs...


image result for traditional latch Top Knobs cabinet hardware

Don't you love this traditional latch!?!

image result for traditional latch Top Knobs cabinet hardware
2" cabinet latch from Top Knobs

image result for Pennington Bar Pulls Top Knobs beautiful kitchen cabinet hardware
Top Knobs Pennington Bar Pulls
For the bathrooms (which have no hardware to speak of),
we chose smart modern stainless steel bar pulls
...here's a sneak peek
of the before:

Arizona Fixer Upper bathroom - BEFORE
I'm so excited to share before and after
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.)


Hot pink cactus flower blooming in Arizona
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.



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10 comments

  1. Hardware is such and important decision and there are so many choices--looks like you are doin g a fab job picking!! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i was sold as soon as i saw the applications of this aspen collection, and i have always wanted to use bin pulls like this! i am in arizona enjoying the best weather and having a blast putting this place together! xox

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  2. Wow what a post!~ Everything one needs to know about hardware and soooo much inspiration!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for stopping, beautiful blogger. i can't wait to show you more of this sweet little euro serene sanctuary as its right up your alley! xox

      Delete
  3. Love what you chose and how you wrote about them, they do already have a wonderful patina, good choice!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. don't they!?! thanks, lovely. if you were here, you could do all the choosing for me! xox

      Delete
  4. That hardware selection is fabulous. Each artistically made. I can't wait to see more of your projects. Hugs, L

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for visiting, friend. i think you'd approve of how the serene nordic vibe is building in the kitchen here. xox

      Delete
  5. I like this hardware! - especially the latch . . . thank you!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments add to the beauty...thanks in advance for your kindness.

blogher

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