Pantry door handle opinions please

10 years ago

Greetings! I took a small break from finishing the details on my kitchen over the summer to have fun with the kids and through the fall to concentrate on my new job as PTSO president at my son's school. I'm getting itchy now to complete the last little projects in the kitchen and around the rest of the house reno.

As I impatiently wait for my tile sample, my thoughts turned to the pantry door. I've been without a handle on the door for two years. Initially with my design, I thought the corner pantry door handle would smash into the stainless fridge so I researched softer, alternative door handles. I had the door installed with a ball catch instead of the traditional latch so my options are wide open. I settled on a leather strap similar to this:

Now that the kitchen is built, I see that the pantry door handle wouldn't impact the fridge so my options are open. My kitchen:

OPTIONS:

1. I could use the same polished chrome door handle levers I installed in the rest of the house. The con here is that it might look strange mixing metals with the polished nickel RH Aubrey pulls in the kitchen.

Seen here in the background:

2. I could use the 8" spare RH Aubrey pull I saved as a backup. The upside to this is that it would match the kitchen. The down side is that it would be the only vertically placed pull in the entire kitchen. It would, however, be right next to the fridge which obviously has a vertically oriented handle.

3. I could go with the leather strap anyway. It would be an interesting twist, but would it be too kitschy/fun? I seem to walk with one foot in the "let's have a little fun" side of the design spectrum with the other foot in the "I like clean, tight lines and don't want to fail at trying trying to use some whimsy so let's stay inside the box" side. Consequently, I don't always trust my judgement.

4. Something totally different.

5. And there's always the option of continuing to wait until the backsplash goes in.

Thoughts please! Thank you.

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Comments (14)

localeater
10 years ago
So nice to see you posting again, I was wondering where you were.
I have an off beat suggestion. I think the door would look nice with a simple rectangular door plate. Just a place to rest your hand, give a push and trigger the ball catch. The flat, clean lines would play nice in your kitchen and would not detract from all the other beautiful lines. I think it could be fun too. If it were me I would have it engraved with a family favorite quote, probably Ã¢ÂÂYou have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." Ã¢ÂÂ Dr. Seuss, Oh the Places You'll Go.
bookworm4321
10 years ago
Well, I really like the Aubrey pulls, so I would use that, and not worry about vertical placement. Everything about your kitchen is so nice, I don't think you will make a wrong move.

Selfishly, I would love to know about your light fixtures. Can you share the make?
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Dandylandy, I'm so sorry to hear about this mess. You unfortunately do need to talk to a lawyer now. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to file a lawsuit--sometimes a stern letter or three from a lawyer is all it takes. Also, depending on the value of this (what's the total cost of the cabinets?) you might find yourself in small claims court or in mandatory arbitration, which is a lot easier and cheaper than a full-on lawsuit. Where I live any dispute worth $25,000 or less goes into arbitration, which just means you and the contractor show up (with or without your lawyers, but obviously I'm going to recommend WITH, absolutely) and say your piece to a group of three local lawyers who volunteer as mediators, and that group of three lawyers decides how to resolve it. It's much cheaper and easier than an actual lawsuit. If you're in NY, perhaps the cap is higher than $25k. Anyway, what I'm saying is that you may not be looking at a lawsuit at all; that's not the only way the legal system has for resolving disputes like this. So, put plywood on your counters or some other temporary fix, DO NOT pay the guy another dime, talk to a few local lawyers who specialize in real estate or construction law (ask friends and your architect for recommendations) and pick the lawyer who seems best to you. The first step will probably be for him or her to write a mean letter to the contractor, and then you go from there. Oh, about this: **"Some of the things that really bother me could have been avoided with better communication - e.g. if they couldn't go to the ceiling with the cabinets b/c my ceiling isn't totally level (or something, I am just speculating), and they warned me about it, that would have been a lot better than telling me "Yes" and then not delivering."** I don't even see how that would be possible; if your ceiling's not totally level, then the cabinets would stop somewhere below the ceiling and it would be up to you to decide whether to build up the ceiling a little bit or put some moulding on to hide the gap. In other words I can't think of a legitimate reason that your ceiling would prevent you from having ceiling-height cabinets. I just mention this to cut through any BS you may have heard from the cabinet guy. Anyway, gather together everything you have in writing (including any drawings or mock-ups) and write down everything you remember saying to or hearing from the contractor. Have your architect forward you any emails she sent to or received from the contractor. Also go through your voicemail and see if he left you any voicemails that could be relevant. Then try and write up in one or two pages exactly what you understood he was supposed to build for you, in every detail (dimensions, materials, etc.), and then what he actually did build, and what problems that caused or will cause (e.g. plumbing messed up, plates won't fit, layout changed so cost increased). Also note any scheduling screwups that occurred. Go over it with your architect and your hubby (if any) in case they remember things you don't. Then send this write-up to the lawyer, along with a copy of your contract with the cabinet guy and any other really critical documents like emails where the contractor committed to something that wasn't clear in the original contract or where he said X but it later turned out he did Y. It will take less time (and thus cost you less money) for the lawyer to read this than for the lawyer to "interview" you to figure out what happened. Best of luck.
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We also put ours at 36" high, even though the knob doesn't line up with anything in particular on the door (they are a few inches higher than the paneling that intersects the middle of the pantry door). At first I worried they would seem as if they were placed there at random, but then I read on this forum that if you follow a rule, let's say 36" high on all pantry doors, then it will look right. As long as there is a rule or pattern, even if you've made it up yourself. Does that make sense? And actually I stressed over the placement, then had the contractor install the hardware when we were out of town. When we came back I didn't even notice that there was anything unusual about it. I agree that they should be where it's natural for you to reach.
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Growing up we had 3 swinging doors leading from the butlers pantry, kitchen, and dining room and even though my mother loved the doors, they didn't have the stops, were heavy to "bum push" open, and were "kid killers"! Every one of us 5 children have a story to relate to being sideswiped by being on the wrong side of the door as it swung in/out. I still have the crooked finger from having the door swing shut with my hand pinched between the frame and door. My wheelchair bound grandmother could never get through the door before it swung back on her. If we'd had the stops that are pictured in your original picture, we surely would have kept the doors installed. When our house was sold, the new owners reinstalled the doors, and were more than happy with the look/effect, but they had no children or wheelchair bound seniors. In my opinion the stops are mandatory to installing the doors.
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Bunches of thoughts: - Pantries are THE BEST. - Hate barn doors. They require a large amount of space "to park", and they're a trend. - Yes, pocket doors are the hardest to open, but are you really going to close the pantry door often? I personally would leave it open except when I had visitors. - Do these double doors have "swing away hinges" so they'll lay flat against the wall? If not, they should. - I think a pantry is a good place for a swing door (not the same thing as swing-away hinges) because you can push the door /enter without using your hands. - Best question on this thread: What do you need in terms of function? Do you need to be able to keep pets or children out of the pantry? .... I'd add to it, do you plan to store (or use) small appliances in the pantry? Do you plan to have a second fridge or a freezer in the pantry? What do you personally store in your pantry? Do you need deep storage for 24-packs of soda? Do you can? Do you have a lot of linens? - Pay attention to your corners -- none of your inspiration pix particularly do a good job with this. Consider simple /strong Lazy Susans, which you can buy at Bed, Bath & Beyond for your corners. Perfect for your jars. I currently have THE LARGEST Lazy Susans in my pantry ... and I wish they were medium-sized. Jars get lost in the middle. - Things to include in your pantry: A couple outlets, motion-sensored lights, and a hook to hang your broom. - Pointing out the obvious: Those three pantry inspiration pix you shared are absolutely lovely, but they're also STAGED. Everything's perfectly laid out, balanced, so nice ... gthigpen's pantry is more realistic: It's a very nice, large space ... but clearly no one spent hours arranging it for a photo shoot. (That's no insult -- it's a real space.) All of us know that our actual pantries contain those half-loaves of bread, a mismatch of soup cans, etc. Don't fall for staging. - I like these doors best ... but only if they're on swing hinges ...and if you're going with the glass, be sure it's a bit opaque ... light is the enemy of food storage.
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function_first
10 years ago
I agree with using the Aubrey pull-- it is right next to the fridge which has a vertical pull on it, I really don't think it will seem awkward at all. Your kitchens gorgeous, nice to see it again.
deedles
10 years ago
I like local's idea... esp. the saying!
Micheline Smith
10 years ago
Maybe a glass door knob to echo the knobs in your kitchen?
a2gemini
10 years ago
Hi Breezy
Having seen your kitchen, I am thinking the Aubrey pull as well.
You could go with a lever - but not sure I like the one that matches everything in the house - just doesn't look right.
I am on the road again - so limited access.
Can't wait to see your tile as well.
A2Gemini
nycbluedevil
10 years ago
I think the Aubrey would look great on that door.
romy718
10 years ago
I like the Aubrey pull also. I love those light fixtures & two of them in that location looks great.
Glad your back!
mpagmom (SW Ohio)
10 years ago
When I saw the subject of your post, I immediately thought of a crystal knob, although I usually don't think about crystal anything. Then when I saw the crystal knobs in your kitchen, I thought it again. It's worth considering. You already have a lot of pulls in that area.
palimpsest
10 years ago
I think I would use the extra pull that you have.
thepeppermintleaf
10 years ago
I like the Aubrey pull the best. Beautiful kitchen!
breezygirl
Original Author
10 years ago
Localeater--thanks! It's nice to be back. Feels comfortable. As far as the door, the hinges are standard so the door only opens out. It's just that it has a ball catch for a latch instead of the usual door knob latch configuration. I do like your idea if the door was a swinging one.

Bookworm--the pendants were discontinued almost two years ago. Unfortunately, one had some flaws in the cord and the glass that I didn't notice when they first arrived. At install I saw the damage and tried to get a replacement, only to find out I couldn't. I installed them anyway as the damage wasn't too bad. In the first couple of weeks, the shade on the damaged one began to crack. It's noticeable if you look, and I'm afraid that one day the glass will come crashing apart. So they will ultimately need to be replaced. I'm ticked because I love the perfect, curvy bell shape so much.

FFH and Mpagmom--Now I remember that I had considered that option also. I'm not sure why I didn't pursue that more.

A2--Hope your ankle has healed. I appreciate you weighing in as someone whose been in the kitchen has a better sense of the space.

And thanks to everyone else for the Aubrey votes. You convinced me. DH jumped at the chance to grab his drill last night (and he doesn't jump at much once he's settled down on the couch at 9pm) when I gave him the green light.

I like it. Not sure I'm head over heels, but it's done. Thank you all! It's nice to get input from other TKOs.
a2gemini
10 years ago
Breezy- it looks nice and should work great. Love that DH pulled out the drill and just did it!
Ankle keeps improving and back on track for my Boston training.
amykath
10 years ago
Perfection!

Pantry door handle opinions please

Comments (14)

localeater

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Pantry door handle opinions please

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