Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Kitchen Knobs and Pulls

Thanks for the nice comments on my recent posts.  I haven't made it to everyone's blogs to return the visits, like I normally do.  Some have asked how the kitchen plans are going, so I decided to let you know what has been consuming my thoughts and time.

I've mentioned we are going with a company called "Three Day Kitchen and Bath", who will need 4 days to do all the work that needs to be done in our kitchen.  We have 3 weekends left to get everything out of the kitchen.  They are also repairing some water damage on the ceiling in the dining room, so we need to move a lot of things out of there, too.

When we chose the knobs offered by the company, I didn't see any I loved, but we picked some out that were OK.  When I found out we didn't have to get our pendant light from the company he had given us the internet address for, I also asked if we could pick knobs out from somewhere else.  He said we could, and the budget for each is $5.00.  I saw some I liked where we got the light, and found they give a contractor's discount.  I then set about looking at other sites on the internet and went to about every other place in town that has knobs.  I've driven Larry nuts, because he thought we had chosen the knobs, and now, I was obsessing over finding different ones.  

I couldn't even remember the knobs we chose, but the contractor emailed me these photos of them.  I can't tell from them whether they are the rough textured ones I decided I don't want.  I called to see if I can go see the knobs they have again, now that I've seen a bunch, and I may be able to choose one of them, or even a different color of the ones we first picked.  I do like the shape of the knob, and it's similar to one I found that I like.








I fell in love with these floral knobs at a local hardware store, but am wondering if they would be hard to keep clean.  I also wonder if they would call too much attention to themselves, and if we would get tired of them.






If we got these, I thought about using the above pull on the drawers in the u shaped area, and the bottom right ones on the drawers in the south cupboards.




I'd want to find a spot for a couple each of these, too.




After one of the times I talked myself out of the previous knobs, I decided the next ones were my favorites.  The problem with these, are that the pulls are way more expensive than the others.  This knob is a couple dollars more than the $5.00 budget, so they are doable.  It looks like I put the black one in here.  Larry doesn't like that color.





This pull is $15.16.  I don't know if the contractor can get a discount or not.  I don't think this is the color we both liked, either, but I do like it.


This next pull is also part of the series.  It's in the $7.00 range, so we could use these in the u shaped part, and the above ones in the south part.  This is the oiled rubbed bronze.  We both like it.


Here are a few that I had found at the design center where I found the light, and thought about using on the south cupboards, until I decided it would be too hard to match them with everything else.  There were also peas, and some cool watering cans and other blooms.  











I would welcome any opinions on which ones you like, and what you know about the different materials that knobs and pulls are made from.  If you know of a brand of knobs that are good ones at reasonable prices, please let me know.  I will rest much better after this decision is made, and be happy to get back into my blog reading.  

I forgot to mention that the contractor is also willing to put up a gridwall panel on the wall above the table.  I emailed the following photo to him after seeing it somewhere.  I can't remember the blog it was on, but I also found it doing a search of gridwall panels.  I found it at this site.




I wouldn't be able to put large things on it, but could dry flowers and herbs on it, as well as hang some of my collections on it.  Now,  I have to decide what color to get.  The chrome ones are more expensive than the black or white ones.

I hope we get some seasonal weather soon.  It was below zero this morning.  I don't think I'm getting any seeds planted inside this year.  I hope yours are doing well if you have them.  If you're in zone 6, I hope you're getting out there to plant some lettuce and such. 

(I hope the credit I gave was OK.  If anyone knows whose kitchen this is, please let me know.   I'd love to give them credit.)




16 comments:

  1. Sue,
    Most people figure out the knobs after the kitchen is installed that way you get a better feel for the entire area.

    We bought our knobs at Habitat For Humanity for 25 - 50 cents each, in fact we spent more on the metric screws for the knobs than the knobs. We used mostly 3 inch pulls made out of rainbow colored plywood varnished smooth. On or maple shaker cabinets they work great. And we had a blast digging into 2 55 gallon drums of every kind of knob and pull you could think of the find all we needed.

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  2. Sue, you showed some nice candidates for your kitchen. I trust you will choose pretty ones!You probably won't want my input: I have "Adam" and "Eve" door pulls in one of the bathrooms. My husband asked me to get a second set of pulls in case if his Mom visits us.

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  3. Sue, if you cook or can a lot, I would choose the plainest, smoothest possible for cleaning ease. I have a farmhouse and chose a simple style ash cabinet and wanted similar type knobs. I chose what is more like the top photo ones in antiqued pewter. I have had them 6 years and still am very happy with them.

    As plain as they are, I have to periodically use a toothbrush to scrub the small groove on the half shell pulls. I may be a messier cook than you!

    I think the fancier ones are charming they just wouldn't suit me in my kitchen. I like that grid; wish I had a spare wall.

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  4. Randy has a good idea of waiting until you get your cabinets installed. Glenda has a point with the plainer knobs. I have different knobs on pieces, because we do not have matching cabinets. I'm sure whatever you come up with will be lovely. I like that grid piece too. I can see some of your collections hanging from it already.

    Tatyana ~ Your Adam and Eve pulls sound great for a bathroom. I've never seen or heard of them.

    Hang in there Sue. Pretty soon this will all be over with and you will be enjoying your new kitchen.
    FlowerLady

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  5. Sometimes it feels as if we have to many choices and that leaves me feeling confused at times. I know you will choose something very nice and that compliments your kitchen. Now, I want one of those walls for drying flowers and herbs!

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  6. I have the bronze knobs and bin pulls (like the $15) that you show. I know ours were not that expensive! We got ours through the cabinet maker locally (well, 1 1/2 hours away).

    Any crevice, raised or recessed, will need more cleaning. We have the same bin pulls in our bathroom and I can tell you it's easy to see toothpaste on the very slight bottom rim!

    Cameron

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  7. love that last pic... great use of hanging pots!

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  8. I think waiting sounds good too...I do love that gridwall hanging...that would be great for a lot of things....
    Prayers, Bo

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  9. Randy, How you selected your knobs sounds like fun to me. Since we aren't handy, we plan to have the people doing the remodel put our knobs on.

    Tatyana, Your Adam and Eve pulls sound like fun, too. I have some naked lady flower frogs made in Germany in my living room. (I have a post on them in the "Things I Collect")

    Glenda, Thanks for your advice. I'm probably best off getting easy to clean knobs. I imagine I'm as messy a cook as you. I am realizing that I don't use my cookbooks and try new things as much as I used to. I'm looking forward to trying new things again. I want to get back into bread making, too.

    Thanks, FlowerLady. I love your kitchen. I hope mine turns out homey. I just spent several hours looking for a place to find a 4 by 4 foot grid, first, locally, then online. I finally found a place a little over 3 hours from here, and spent a long time picking out shelves and baskets and such for it. When I got to the checkout, a thing popped up telling me there are no shipping options available for our area, and they would have to contact me. I hope it works out. If we have to, we can drive there a week from Saturday, but we really need the day to get some cleaning done.

    Hi Darla, Dirty Girl Gardening, and Bo, I'll keep you posted on the saga of the grids and knobs.

    Cameron, the contractor gave me a link to the site where the knobs we picked out are, and they are made of zinc. I have decided I don't like them, because they have a rough texture. I found some very similar to the ones I like, which are brass. The only thing I could find out about brass, are that they don't rust. I don't know if the price difference is as much as the difference in quality. Also, it sounds like the contractor can get them for less.

    Thanks for the comments!

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  10. I think this part is fun, so many choices. We have pulls similar to the bronze ones only ours are brushed nickel. We didn't pay that much either for them and got them at Restoration Hardware, they have an online store too. Anyway, have fun. I'm anxious to see how it turns out.

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  11. I like the floral knobs and all the pieces that match myself.

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  12. So many good looking knobs and great advice....I just can't believe all the decisions we have to make in a remodel! I do urge you to go with simply pulls and knobs that are classic. They are the jewelry on your cabinets...and add to the over all look....not distracting from it. You won't tire of them as quickly as you might a knob that is a motif. gail

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  13. Sounds like you've spent as much time obsessing over knobs and pulls as I have over shutter colors and light fixtures! Good luck to us both to finally decide and hopefully live happily with the result!

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  14. Hi Sue, I do like the floral knobs you found for 2.29, but to your point, they look like they might be difficult to clean. I have always found that simplicity is always best for me. I too would defer to Randy's advice and wait to see the kitchen complete, then match the color knobs with the wood and entire scope of the kitchen. I'm so anxious to see how it all works out. Have a great weekend.

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  15. Hi new commenters.

    Catherine, I checked out the site where you got your knobs. There were some cool ones there. Then, I noticed they have vent, light and switch covers. Oh, well, I better just leave them up to the contractor. I can always replace them later. I did ask him to reuse my herb one.

    HQbyGranny, I went back and forth between the floral knobs and the others, but in the end, decided to go with the ones that would be easier to keep clean and blend in more with the kitchen. I have plenty of decorative items to put on my open shelves.

    You're right, Gail, I was afraid I might get tired of the decorative knobs. I'm just relieved that the decision has been made. It has been a bit overwhelming making the decisions on the pendant light and such. The appliances took awhile to choose, too.

    VW, you are totally right about obsessing. My husband refused to go with me to look at the knobs this afternoon, because he felt he had seen too many, and didn't care anymore what I got. I forgot what he said I could get, something like pink rabbits or something, and he wouldn't care. I forgot to show him the ones I picked. I don't know if he looked at them on my last post, but he didn't even ask to see them. I hope you get yours chosen and we are both happy with our results, too.

    Di, one of the teachers I work with told Larry and me (he works at the school I do, and was working on her computer) that she has a relative who gets inexpensive knobs and changes them for the seasons. I don't know if I'll want to do that, but I still could put the veggies up on the south cupboards after the work is all done, and I think they will look OK. We just are not willing or able to put the knobs and pulls up on our own after the work is done. I was able to see the wood color next to the oiled bronze color knobs I picked out this afternoon. I have been drawn to that color whenever I looked at knobs.

    Wow, I feel like I'm 8 months pregnant, and waiting to deliver!

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  16. You are really doing some wonderful things in your home this winter. I like how you present the knobs. I am in love with the carrot theme knobs. We are doing some major work in an addition we added last year. I can't wait to dig into that project. NOT SURE I will share it on my blog - you did a wonderful job!

    I miss my friends on blogger... I don't see anyone any more now that I moved to Wordpress. I had to move because my domain wouldn't connect to the BLogger account.

    SO happy I stopped by to get my Sue FIX! Happy almost Spring!

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I welcome comments and questions from anyone, including those who do it anonymously. Some people find my posts by doing searches, and I like hearing from them. I guess spammers won't even read this message, but I will delete spam as soon as I see it.