You might remember that we had a little bit of trouble with our walnut cabinetry in the bathroom. There was a long scratch on a drawer front so a replacement set was ordered - but there was a nearly identical scratch on the second set as well. We think that it happened in the manufacturing, like maybe a machine grabbing the veneer on an assembly line was scuffing it. It's difficult to get irritated because it's Canadian made and purchased from a local shop - I'm always much more patient with manufacturing problems when jobs are kept in Canada or the States. With weeks stretching on between the delivery of each set of drawer fronts, I was getting a little antsy because I was so excited to affix the hardware! The cabinetry place was so helpful, though, and they tried to fix the second set to save us the hassle ordering a third, but the scuff was beneath the finish, so a third set was ordered anyway. They recently arrived, scratch-free, although the manufacturer didn't drill the holes exactly right so they are misaligned by a few millimeters. Oy vey! We're not the gambling type, so we're sticking with these! They're also a smidge lighter than the rest of the cabinetry but I think they will darken up once they've been exposed to the same light. But really, I only notice these things when I'm zoomed in taking blog photos. Day to day, these minor imperfections are nearly imperceptible.
Despite these teeny, tiny concerns there was major cause for celebration in the lakehouse because the replacement drawer fronts meant that we could finally install the hardware!
We found the perfect pulls with a mid-century modern feel and a brushed finish that matches the Kohler vibrant brushed nickel perfectly.
I first spotted the "Contemporary Antimicrobial Edge Pulls" from Richelieu in a showroom and although I spent a few months pouring over various hardware options, I couldn't find anything I loved as much as these. You know how it is, when you keep comparing everything you find to that first, perfect thing? These pulls became the yardstick and I decided to just get them. Hubby's Dad is a woodworker so I asked him to order them from because he gets a trade discount. I couldn't see prices online and I nearly fainted when I realized they would still be about $250 (for 11 pulls), but I was committed! It seemed silly to buy cheap hardware when the other finishes in our bathroom are high quality.
The pulls didn't disappoint! They are so pretty and coordinate so well with everything else. I know metal mixing is on-trend, but I find it distracting - especially in small rooms like our bathroom. There is already so much to take in, like the cheery aqua sinks, stunning quartzite stone and busy walnut grain. These pulls are simple and un-fussy, but make the whole vanity area look pulled together and polished.
Before installing them, we taped them in place and experimented a little, finding the most comfortable and natural way (for us) to open everything. After living with awkward pulls in the townhouse kitchen (smack dab in the middle of the cabinets!), we're super careful with hardware! We walked with our eyes closed around Lee Valley when we bought the lakehouse kitchen pulls, trying to find the comfiest pulls. We spent two days pondering placement here, but finally decided to put them in the middle of the drawers and cabinets on the vanity for uniformity, and then place them vertically on the linen tower because that felt the most convenient.
For the linen tower, we tried putting them staggered in the same orientation as the vanity, but it was awkward opening a door when the handle was toward the hinge. Unfortunately we had to stagger them because otherwise the doors wouldn't close (unless we widened the gap between them, but then we could see inside). So this was the most aesthetically pleasing, but still perfectly practical, placement. They affixed from the back, meaning there are no holes on the front of the drawers or cabinets, which was a major plus! I don't know why, but I could not bring myself to drill into the front of this gorgeous walnut grain...
It's truly amazing how much time figuring out these little details takes.
I'm also seriously impressed with how long I've been able to ramble on about these cabinet pulls. You could literally put me in front of a room full of people right now, assign me a topic at random, and I could entertain the crowd for however long you need. An hour? An afternoon? I can talk forever on any subject, so whenever you read a short post around here, know that I exercised considerable restraint composing it.
Not today, though, not today.
If you like the look of these contemporary pulls (but not the price), I did find a similar, less expensive Richelieu pull on Amazon. This Contemporary Edge Pull is about $11 for two, and it comes in stainless or aluminum.
