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What color handles for dark cabinets?...please help

16 years ago

Have dark kitchen cabinets and drawers that are ok but wanted to replace my old 1970s hardware (17 cabinet handles and 9 drawers) to help lighten the look a little. When I started looking at places to buy here, got overwhelmed with choices. Have SS appliances and brushed nickel faucet.My countertop has some brown and tan, some gray and so does my tile. But my hinges are all brass. Would you go with matching the SS? And, do I have to replace my brass hinges too? The existing holes are 3" apart on both cabinets and drawers so that, plus expense, is my constraint. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Comments (6)

luvnola
16 years ago
I think I would go with brushed nickel knobs and pulls. As for your hinges if they are on the outside and are shiny brass I would probably replace those as well. If they are on the inside or are dark in color I would probably leave as is as once you replace the hinges the doors never seem to line up the same. You can purchase inexpensive knobs and pulls online that look and feel great! And, it's a lot of fun to go through all the different choices!
ccoombs1
16 years ago
It's a hard call. Brass would match the hinges....but stainless would match everything else. You could go with a glazed ceramic pull to match the countertops, then the brass hinges would be oK. Or you could paint the hinges a dark color to blend in with the cabs and then use stainless pulls. You'd need to take the hinges off to do this job right though, but it would save money.
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As a home shopper, there are some things I am so tired of. Grey. Just do not. I love the white cabinets instead of wood, but never, never vessel sinks. Medium brown floors, I've had the darker shades and it doesn't work with dogs. I have other things to do with my life than Swiffering twice a day. I like the new ribbed wall-to-wall carpets with a high ceiling, I'm tired of hearing echoes. I despise wall tile in the kitchen that runs horizontally, that reads 10 years old to me. I'm not liking the oversized subway tile with the dark grout, too trendy. For the same reason I won't even tour houses with the grey bleached wood floors. I like the white marble tile look in bathrooms, I think it's timeless. I prefer a subtle granite to quartz. I like light and bright. I'm actually incredibly picky about the flooring. I like tile that looks like medium wood, or engineered wood that has some texture. But I'll take a high quality carpet over a bad engineered wood floor any day. And any time I see a free standing Tub like the one you used, I pass. Too hard to clean behind and dangerous to climb in and out of, and I know that from experience.
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lynninnewmexico
16 years ago
I'd go with brushed nickel. I have dark cabs myself and did mine in the antiqued nickel, which has some black in it. I love my choices, but for a more Contemporary look, I think brushed nickel would have looked wonderful, too.
igloochic
16 years ago
I like brass with dark cabinets, but given the other items in your kitchen, I'd go with a silver tone (pewter is also gorgeous and not so shiny). And as to those hinges...something has to be done. Changing them isn't always easy, but if you can, do, and if you can't...spray paint them to match your finish on the knobs :) It's easy...I've done it several times! First prime, then spray with a metalic found at a craft store in the finish of your choice. For a little more protection I always clear coat spray on top of that.
diytrying
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks all for your good suggestions. I've been looking and my first choice is primarily brushed nickel but have a little brass on them. If I can't do that, brushed nickel. So little of the hinge shows that first I'm going to try (as igloochic suggested) to cover it with a little metallic. If that looks bad, then I'll replace them.
jejvtr
16 years ago
soaking shiny brass in amonia removes the laquer that makes them shiny - will dull the finish - & make them darker - soak for days - see if you like the outcome - if you do you could get knobs/handles to match that - if not it will make painting them easier as the paint will adhere better
gl

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