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In the Details: How-To Revamp Your Hardware

By Abe Manion Published On
Kitchen countertop with brass faucet and brass cabinet pulls, hanging fruit baskets, cutting boards, and fresh vegetables on a white quartz counter

Hardware, opens in a new tab is a detail that’s easy to overlook when redecorating. While big box retailers make it easy to compromise with poorly designed hardware of lesser quality, finding excellent hardware will truly elevate the space. Think about hardware as if it was a fine watch. Yes, it serves a practical purpose, but the sense of sophistication and refinement a well-crafted piece brings is irreplaceable. And if you are willing to make the investment, you’ll be rewarded every time you open a cabinet, close a drawer, or lock your door.


We source our hardware from traditional manufacturers, nearly all of which comes from companies based in the United States, because their skill and craftsmanship are the best way to achieve the quality we demand. Our hardware is also made from quality materials, like solid brass, quartz, and aluminum, and flawlessly finished to customer specifications.

Three-bulb vanity wall sconce mounted on mirror above a modern bathroom vanity with wood cabinets and gray countertop


Kitchen


In many homes, the kitchen is a room that hums with activity throughout the day. That’s the reason many modern homes prominently feature the kitchen in an open format living space. It’s also why the kitchen is a great place to invest in beautiful hardware.


Kitchen hardware should be beautiful, but also highly functional, as it gets used on a daily basis. Our Pacific Collection , opens in a new tabis well suited for this application thanks to its solid brass construction, eye catching hexagonal profile, and refined finish options. The luxurious weight of the design comes through in your hand.


Bright kitchen featuring white cabinets and glass-front uppers with brass cabinet pulls, marble backsplash, and styled countertop accessories

Close-up of Pacific Collection natural brass hexagonal cabinet pulls showcasing faceted bar profile on white recessed-panel cabinetry


For a more minimalist appearance, we offer the Edgecliff Collection, opens in a new tab. Able to fit into and elevate a wide variety of decors, the Edgecliff series is our most popular hardware family. The sleek bar profile includes a rounded back face which is comfortable in the hand and easy to grasp. Edgecliff isn’t just limited to cabinet and drawer pulls, though. Hefty yet precise, the appliance pull , opens in a new taboption allows you to match your integrated appliance hardware with the rest of the kitchen. Available in our largest selection of finishes (polished nickel, matte bronze, natural brass, satin copper, satin nickel, and true black) the Edgecliff collection can be resplendent or demure depending on the application.


kitchen with blue cabinets and plants

Angled view of Edgecliff cabinet pulls in natural brass showcasing slim rectangular profile on white cabinet


Bath


Durability and ease of cleaning are important factors in bathroom hardware, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice refined design. With un-concealed mounting hardware and a bent flat bar profile, the Nicolai Collection, opens in a new tab adds a playful and unexpected industrial look to a bathroom. Made from high quality, solid brass, the collection will hold up through the decades.


The unadorned geometric shapes of the Maxwell Collection, opens in a new tab are distinctly modern in their appeal. Thanks to a fine lacquer coating, the hardware won’t corrode in the humid bathroom environment, and is easy to clean with some mild detergent soap and a wet rag.


Bathroom vanity and sink featuring polished nickel faucet and round wall sconce beside a striped shower curtain and wood framed mirror

Front view of matte brass bathroom hardware — towel bar, shelf, and toilet-paper holder — mounted on pale patterned wallpaper with a gray linen towel

Flat lay of matte black cabinet knobs and pulls showcasing varied shapes and knurled and bar profiles on travertine background

bathroom sink on blue cabinets below mirror


Furniture


We’ve discussed in the past how updating the hardware on an old piece, opens in a new tab of furniture can give it new life. Whether the old hardware is missing, broken, or just doesn’t fit with your design sensibility, replacing it provides one of the biggest payoffs for the least amount of labor.


The Fairview, opens in a new tab and Vista knobs, opens in a new tab can both bring a clean, modern silhouette to any wardrobe, dresser, or armoire. But what makes them truly special is the juxtaposition of materials: rich brass supporting pure crystal that catches every glint of light.


Both the Hive Knob , opens in a new taband the Radcliffe Knob , opens in a new tabcan add a sculptural element to your furniture. Considering the broad range of finish options - from matte bronze to true black to satin nickel - these knobs pair with almost any construction material. One of our most popular pieces of hardware is the Alberta Pull, opens in a new tab. These clean, linear-format pulls infuse any credenza with a sharp, mid-century appeal.


Close-up of cream cabinet drawers showcasing fluted matte-black round knobs with a marble countertop and small bottles on top

Front view of white mid-century dresser showcasing brass drawer pulls and wood top with a lit navy wall sconce on a pale wall

Corner with olive green dresser with brass knobs under a mirror, tall brass floor lamp, patterned wallpaper, and gray upholstered armchair with ottoman and straw hat

Overhead view of brass ribbed drawer knob showcasing fluted texture with cream painted drawers and marble countertop

Close-up of green shaker cabinets showcasing brass cabinet pulls and slim brass bar drawer pulls beneath a marble countertop


Door


Door hardware, opens in a new tab is incredibly important in more ways than one. It’s one of the first thing guests see when entering your home and it provides an opportunity to signal the design of the rest of the home right at the beginning. But it also needs to be sturdy, well-made, and durable through generations because it’s part of your home’s most basic security.


Wooden front door on a porch with a black mailbox numbered 537, potted plants, and light gray clapboard siding

Close-up of front door handle set showing matte black rectangular pull and lever on a wood-paneled door with porch and folding chair visible outside


For these reasons and more, we trusted the longtime door hardware specialists at Emtek to create all of our door hardware. Every door hardware set they create is hand-crafted to exacting specifications using only the highest quality materials.


The Melrose Entrance Handleset with Abbott Lever , opens in a new tabfeels as high quality in the hand as any original antique hardware you’ll find. The sturdy Abbott Lever and front handle design gives a strong grip for opening even the heaviest front doors, while subtle fluting around the edges adds depth of character to traditional homes.


Inside, the Tate Door Set with Cylinder Knob, opens in a new tab has an institutional quality, as if it came from a mid-century office building or school. Available in passage, dummy, keyed, privacy, and other functions, this set has flexible application.


Wall Hooks and Shelves


Finding attractive organizational solutions can be difficult. Luckily, our collection of wall hooks and shelving , opens in a new tabare created with the same care and attention to detail as all of our products. The Bureau Rack, opens in a new tab features a solid maple back board with black anodized aluminum hooks providing utility and visual contrast. When you need an honest but attractive wall hook for everyday use, the J Hook, opens in a new tab is popular for a reason. Meanwhile, the Judy knob offers a triple threat of utility: it can serve as a dummy door handle, a cabinet pull, or even a substantial wall hook. The Brake Angle Shelf, opens in a new tab, named for the machine which folds the metal, is as minimalist as it gets. It’s durable, heavy-gauge metal construction holds strong against warping and deflection.


Stacked navy ottoman in a bright entryway beneath brass wall hooks holding a denim coat and camera, with a patterned bag and potted plant

Partially open interior doors with black round knobs revealing clothes in a closet, sunlit hallway with slippers on a wooden floor

Kitchen wall displaying two brass floating shelves with jars, a teapot, and decor, a brass wall sconce, and a perpetual calendar showing JAN 26


While it can be tempting to cut corners and costs when buying hardware, we always recommend making an investment in carefully designed and well-crafted pieces. An investment now will pay off with timeless beauty and excellent performance for generations to come.

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