A Handle on Hardware
Tips for choosing cabinet hardware for the kitchen, if you’re into authenticity.
The kitchen is the last project in my yearslong makeover of a transitional cottage in Seattle. Most rooms are done in Late Victorian finery, but the kitchen renovation “dates to” the more modern 1920s period, for obvious reasons. I’ve studied and studied, and I’ve purchased a 1920s jadeite-green sink and an Arts & Crafts-era sideboard. I plan on custom cabinets in oak, but I haven’t zoomed in on the hardware yet. Time to consult some experts.
Architectural historian Bo Sullivan of Arcalus Period Design (arcalus.com) specializes in period restoration—and, coincidentally, he working on a kitchen renovation for his own 1894 house. Bo agrees that choosing the right handles, latches, and pulls is crucial to tying together the components of a period kitchen. He also concurs that it’s more complicated than one would think. Style is important, but so is material and finish— even whether to use pulls or knobs, and where to position them.
1. GET THE STYLE RIGHT
Bo points out that kitchen hardware was functional and almost never fancy in the 19th century: the kitchen was a workroom never viewed by guests. Choices were few; cabinets typically had cast-iron, pot-metal or dull brass handles, like those found on flour bins. Occasionally decorative detailing is found: Eastlake flowers or a geometric fret design, though these often went to the butler’s pantry. Sturdy, unadorned brass and bronze hardware was favored, too, on straightforward cabinets in Arts & Crafts-era kitchens. Colonial Revival hardware often borrowed motifs from classic architecture; think of egg-and-dart or rope detailing.
By the 1920s–30s, kitchens were often eat-in for the family, so hardware became more decorative: shiny, nickel-plated handles complemented cabinets painted in ivory or soft green. Glass handles and pulls (clear, green, amber, maybe ivory or red) and Bakelite knobs added a bit of storybook charm,
often on the Hooser cabinet. Art Deco kitchens of the 1940s were sleek and streamlined, sparkling with shiny chrome or aluminum pulls and knobs, often accented with a band of red or black. Atomic Age, mid-century kitchens of the 1950s–60s had solid, brushed-brass or bronze handles and pulls; hammered copper was popular.
2. BIN PULLS, HANDLES, OR KNOBS?
Handles sit fully out from the face of the drawer or cabinet door, allowing the fingers to approach from any angle. Bin or cup pulls allow the fingers to grasp only from underneath; the wrist rotates, which some might find awkward or uncomfortable. One advantage of a handle over a bin pull is that a handle may be installed vertically, not only horizontally.
Knobs often were found on drawers but don’t give the leverage of a pull. Knobs work on cabinets only when there is a latch mechanism for holding the door closed: a magnet, a bayonet or ball catch. These didn’t appear until the
’teens or ’twenties. Custom furniture maker Nancy Hiller (nrhillerdesign.com) has a second specialty in period kitchen design and installation; she’s written two related books. She reminds us that placement of knobs is important for looks and function. Avoid putting them at the top corner of a lower door, or the lower corner of an upper cabinet. Knobs typically were ½ to ¾ of the way from the top or bottom of a door.
3. CHOOSING A FINISH
In the 19th and early-20th centuries, hardware was cast iron, brass, or bronze, with a dull finish. When cheap metal was used, it was finished and patinated to look like brass or bronze. The rise of the automobile industry in the 1930s ushered in chrome and die-cast zinc handles and knobs; shiny metal hardware remained popular through the
1940s. The 1950s–60s saw a comeback of brass and bronze, shiny or brushed, as well as black-coated steel hardware imitating Colonial forged pieces.
4. INSTALLATION TIPS
It takes planning. Start by applying low-tack painter’s tape to the drawer or door front and make your layout marks on that. If drawer heights vary, you can either install all of the pulls at the center of each panel, or place them at the same height from the top of the drawer for consistency. Avoid using one pull as a template, assuming all of the pulls will have screw holes in the same place. They may vary, especially on imported reproduction hardware. It’s safer to mark screw holes using each pull in the individual location where it will be used. Be sure to predrill screw holes at the right size so the screws can get a grip but without too much force, as they make break of if torqued too strongly. Use only slotted screws for a proper period look.
A good rule of thumb: If the drawer is 24" wide or smaller, a single knob or pull in the center is sufficient. Pairs may be installed on longer drawers. When you have knobs in multiple positions, Nancy Hiller suggests using a True Position jig (truepositiontools.com), which allows multiple adjustments depending on the dimensions of the doors and drawer fronts.