Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Trying to get a handle on things

Our bathroom cabinets are in and I thought we had decided on handles.
Actually, I had looked at the big orange box hardware store and the blue box hardware store (both stores stocks are up...isn't that interesting???? )
Neither of those stores had handles that made my heart sing.
We got a tip: Try a little independent hardware store down the way a bit.
Hoo boy.
Cabinet pulls and knobs as far as the eye could see.

This was just one wall.
There were six aisles.
Keeping knobs and pulls straight in my head was challenging. I'd see one I liked, headed over to the aisle Bernie was looking in, and then we would try to find the one I liked again, and then he would try to find the one he liked again.
Sticking together would have been a good plan.


I knew I didn't want a "theme" in our bathroom, but if I ever DID decide on a theme, this would be the place to indulge myself.
Pricey...but worth it!

My friend Sue would love the hippo handle. She probably already has a set or two in her hippo themed house. She is my hat friend with two cars in the shape of hippos, a red hippo car and a purple hippo car...because, as everybody knows, two whisting and winking hippo cars are better than one...

Moose antler drawer pulls. What a hoot.

These beaded drawer knobs were pretty...but I wonder how they would hold up. Probably just great.

My mom has silver toned clam shells and sea horse shaped pulls in her master bathroom. Those pulls went on the cabinets in 1958 and they still look great! I like the idea of glass pulls too...no need to worry about corrosion that way.

Skinny folks climbing up your cabinets.
Hilarious....Isn't this fun? Did you ever think of having these kinds of pulls in your kitchen or bath? (Update: Commenter asked how much they cost. Take a guess, then read my answer in the comments!)

Since our bath is black, white and depression glass pink, I was convinced the pink glass knob would look great on the black painted cabinets. The little knob was about the size of a quarter, the big knob was silver dollar sized.
Bernie saw the prices and decided the smaller one would be just fine.
What I really liked about this hardware store was this:
If you were to discover you somehow had forgotten to have rusty stuff in your garage, the typical junk that tends to congregate in drawers and shelves over the years, well, not to worry.
You can BUY rusty stuff from this store!
And just like the rusty junk that typically is found in garages, you won't have any idea what these things were for either.
(Knob & Handle update: B. rediscovered the brushed nickle handles that were on the original red kitchen cabinets that came with our house. They were new...and somewhat pricey... so we hung on to them when the old kitchen was demolished. He asked me to take a look at them, and think about using them in the bathroom. I liked them. He liked them too.
Then he had to make another trip to the Orange box hardware store and saw another handle that he thinks he would like even better. He's going to bring one of them home for me to see.
At this point I have been opening all the drawers and cabinet doors in the bathroom by bending down and using my fingers to pry them open from the bottom, and them opening the door or drawer above that one etc etc. for three weeks.
It is either going to be the handles we have or the next sample.
I'm done.
I just want to get a handle on things around here ASAP.)

10 comments:

L&D said...

You just want to get a handle on things there........very cute.

Whew knew there were so many choices? I'd be having chest pain from too many decisions. Yeesh.
Can't wait to see the finished project.

Vicki said...

I like those beach-themed knobs. Wonder how they'd look in the guest bath? I ended up going with all polished chrome in there - from the big blue hardware store.

The kitchen has oil-rubbed bronze pulls and knobs.

No clue as to what's going in the master bath yet!

Dolores said...

And how much were the people handles? I clicked on the picture but the price was fuzzy. I don't think I would have fared too well in that place. Indecision is a major fault of mine and I tend to get two of, if I can't make up my mind.

Islandsparrow said...

I can remember when we did our kitchen over. So many choices. I can't imagine trying to do a whole house!

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Delores: Sit down before you read this...

The climbing people knobs are $210 each.
Yes, you read that right, two HUNDRED and ten dollars each. How many are you thinking you will need?

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

A few years ago I changed all the hardware in our kitchen and bathroom and the storage cupboards in the back entry...it made a nice change!

Love those skinny people, but the price is a little steep for my budget...

Anonymous said...

So, uh, no mermaid knobs?

Lovella ♥ said...

OH I was excited about the pink depression glass .. but the originals I'm sure will be perfect.
I love that store. . how amazing.

Judy said...

Oh my goodness...too many choices! We went through all that a few years ago...with knobs and handles keeping me awake at night. It seems like such a big decision at the time...but once it is made, you never think about it again.

Cabinet Pulls Guide said...

the stick people are what caught my eye too but I wouldn't spend that much - probably try making my own. All other knobs and things you showed here are really unique and interesting.