Friday, August 20, 2010

Hardware

Hardware. I've had a heck of a time with hardware. This is what happens when you get all cutesy and buy vintage library pulls. Next to all that authentic, patinated goodness, most modern hardware looked too glossy, too perfect. Plus, I was trying my darndest to keep to a restrained budget.

This is where Horton Brasses came in. Founded in the early 30s, Horton Brasses is a family-owned company in Connecticut. Their foundry produces beautiful reproduction hardware of all sorts from hinges, casters, furniture trim to house numbers.

Online, their Antique finish looked like a match for my pulls. The pull shape was simple, and the finish looked muted. Perfect. The hardware arrived yesterday. When they said it would come quickly, they weren't kidding.

In person, their hardware was even better. The metal was ever-so-slightly distressed. Nothing gaudy, but a lovely, barely discernible texture to the metal. The shape and heft were perfect. Comfortable in the hand. The only downer was that their 8-3/4" appliance pull that I'd been hoping to use for my 36" pot drawers was too massive. Just far too beefy for the quiet, delicately colored apple green cabinets. So I'll exchange them for the AD-4010 4-7/8" pulls and just use two per drawer.*

So here are my hardware pieces. Forgive the dusty background. My theme song lately is "Sawdust Gets in Your Eyes." Much less romantic somehow than "Smoke."




*Am I the only person who footnotes their blog posts? Too much academia at an impressionable age? Anyway, Horton Brasses will finish Restoration Hardware pulls in their Antique color. A fellow blogger and cool cook/kitchen chick had them do exactly this in her new kitchen. So I dallied briefly with buying 8" Ephraim pulls from Restoration Hardware, and having Horton Brasses finish them in Antique. But I still worried about scale. So I decided to be lazy and go with the smaller pulls. I know those will look good, and I'll get over not having one center pull.

4 comments:

  1. That bar pull looks like it is going to feel so nice to grip! I had HB put the same finish on RH cup pulls. It is so nice because (I think) the HB finish is unlaquered and the oils from your fingers add to the patina. Beauties!

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  2. The pull feels wonderful to grip, and you know how I love patina! Thanks so much for sharing this company. Love them!

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  3. That's not rust on my car, it's patina.

    -Orion

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  4. Now that's a great way to look at things! Maybe I can say, "These aren't wrinkles on my face. It's patina!" :^)

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