For many designers and homeowners
decorative hardware is the “eye candy” of the kitchen. Before we talk about
decorative hardware let’s review a “loose” history of hardware in
general.
Hardware, mainly in houses and barns
for agricultural purposes, were hand forged for centuries. Hand forging dates
back to the 12th century. It was all about function and durability.
Style and finish were not a consideration. Hardware started being mass produced
during the industrial revolution in the 1870’s. With the improvements in mass
manufacturing of that era, style and finish came into play as it related to door
hardware. Decorative and functional hardware for the kitchen became more common
in the 1930’s, as noted on Amerock’s
website. Most likely there were other innovators back in the
day but Amerock is the only modern survivor we know of. At the same time
kitchen cabinets went from being free standing to built in fixtures in the
home. Decorative hardware didn’t enter the modern era until the mid 1970’s when
wholesale distribution to the kitchen and cabinet industry
expanded.
CabinetWare is one of those
wholesale distributors, beginning in 1980. For many years the decorative
hardware choices we could offer our customers was pretty narrow. If you’re an
“experienced” kitchen & bath industry professional you will recall that
white plastic along with venerable polished brass knobs and pulls were the
mainstay for at least a decade. Today there are literally 10,000+ decorative
hardware options to choose from. This is the result of the explosion of designs
and finishes since the mid 1990’s. The internet also helped fuel this change.
CabinetWare was one of the earliest to sell decorative hardware on the internet
beginning in 1997. We feel that we have some experience when it comes to
decorative hardware.
The option of styles and finishes
for “eye candy” can overwhelm some people. They tend to pick a common mushroom
knob in a finish they like, and there is nothing wrong with that. Simplicity
and function over style. At the other end of the spectrum the plethora of
choices send other people on a quest to find that special piece. Style and
finish take precedent versus function, and there is nothing wrong with that
either. Good designers and savvy homeowners find a good blend of function,
style and finish in their decorative hardware selection.
Anything goes. That pretty well
sums up the new normal. The major decorative hardware companies have from 50 to
100 finishes. Just as polished brass dominated the market in the past we have
seen brushed nickel, stainless steel, weathered nickel and oil rubbed bronze as
the current popular flavors. Anything goes and what was once old is now new
again. Polished chrome is slowly making a come back along with smooth and sleek
contemporary styles. Other recent trends are coordinated hardware for the
home. Now you have the option of matching bath hardware to the decorative
hardware on your cabinets. Oversized knobs for bi-fold doors in bathrooms and
large kitchen doors are also available. Other options include larger pulls to
go on today’s larger cabinet doors and drawers. Massive sized appliance pulls
in matching styles and finishes are also available for the
refrigerator.
As you can see, there are many
options when it comes to “eye candy”. From traditional styles and finishes, to
contemporary and eclectic hardware, there is something for everyone’s taste.
Function, style and finish. Most importantly, choose something that YOU
like!