There is finally, finally some proof our kitchen might actually be useable some day, as opposed to never.
Maybe it was an overreaction to all those annoying couples on House Hunters who sniff at anything not “stainless steel” or “granite.” But the biggest design risk we took was on brass. I’d seen it on Remodelista and Pinterest here and there. Our designer LOVED the idea.
Interestingly, almost no one stocks brass fixtures or hardware anymore. We wanted something in brushed brass, not the super shiny kind. Finding our preferred option was not easy, and our order took weeks. Luckily, Newport Brass exists.
The hardware finally came in, and the contractor installed the handles on our kitchen cabinets. No turning back now.
So…tada!
Sorry for the crappy photos. I find myself hovering between thrill and a “what did I just do” sensation. I remember one time we bought a painting we loved, and a friend who had majored in art history came over and crushed us with his two word analysis: “It’s vaginal.” The painting was of an abstract tulip, and as soon as he said it, his observation became horrifyingly obvious.
Still missing – appliances, countertops and a faucet. But a girl can dream…
Have you ever made an out there decision? Did you embrace it or was it a huge mistake?
Too Many Fish to Fry 
Love it! The brass looks really good. Definitely not vaginal at all 😉
That means a lot coming from you 🙂 Thanks!
I like it! It’s frustrating to me that design trends seem to value everybody’s kitchen looking exactly the same. Yours is cool.
Thank you! I totally agree about the “same” thing. It’s nice for kitchens to have some personality 🙂
I like the brass! And once we bought an art print that someone online told me looked like a placenta – she was a midwife so it was a compliment – but I could never look at it the same again.
Thanks! Heh – it’s weird how art can be seen so differently by people, right? I guess that’s why that play “Art” was so popular…
I like it. When we replaced the handles on my mother’s credenza we didn’t have the luxury of choice; the necessary size is unusual, and after looking through hundreds of handles at several stores and websites, only found four the right size. And three were horribly ugly.
And so what if it’s vaginal? Own it!! 🙂 I know you can do that. Ian and I have art disagreements regularly. It’s a rare painting that we both adore.
I think my ‘out there’ decisions could make a book. I usually try to embrace them anyway.
Haha! It’s funny – my husband and I almost always love the same art. Decor, no. Art, yes.
I like it! As Deborah said above, it’s kind of depressing to see one kitchen after another looking exactly the same. :p As for “vaginal” — did you ever watch “Everybody Loves Raymond” — there’s a great episode where Marie (the mom/grandma) takes up sculpture & wants to donate her latest creation to the church bazaar. 😉
Thanks! Never saw that episode, but now I will have to hunt it down…
I hate, hate, hate brass. But those handles look FANTASTIC on those cabinets. That cabinet color would not work with nickel at all, and oiled bronze would not do the color justice. It’s a perfect match.
I am curious though…. What color are your appliances?
Thanks! Good question. The appliances will mostly be covered in cabinetry – so will match what the picture above shows, mostly. Our ovens are black, to kind of match a countertop (which is soapstone). The cooktop is black.
Looks great! I can relate…We chose soapstone instead of granite for our kitchen and that was a little outside the norm. I love love love it, and I felt the same way about it that you do about the brass. 🙂
We chose soapstone too! I love it also 🙂
I love these. They are awesome. I’m just back to reading some blogs on my phone after an eternity away. I’m so glad to read something from you. I’m excited to see what your entire kitchen will look like. I love the idea of remodeling as personal expression rather than trying to follow the trends… That can be so difficult though. Our house was a 1947 rambler (sold by the original owner to the person who sold it to us ) flipped for selling. They did the prerequisite granite kitchen island and stainless steel appliances. I remember loving it when we walked in in 2006 and now I kind of hate it.
Thank you! You are right, and it’s a good point, that it is really difficult to NOT follow trends, for a lot of reasons. It took a lot of time (4 years to figure out what to do), thought, and particularly other people’s design genius (like FarmHouse Urban: http://www.farmhouseurban.com
There were also hardly any suppliers who had what we wanted, which led to significant waits in some cases. So it was a PAIN. Hopefully it will be worth it…