pulls or knobs? that is the question.

one of the most recent home projects i completed (when i say “i,” i mean my dad and i lol) was a tiny update to the kitchen. i needed cabinet hardware like… three years ago. but hey, here we are. it took me a while to get to this project because… i couldn’t decide. did i want gold or black hardware? did i want knobs or pulls or a both? it was too many questions i didn’t have the answer to, so the obvious thing was to avoid and push it down the list. lol. the problem is white cabinets get dirty REAL fast if you don’t wipe/take care of them. they’re pretty AND… pretty high-maintenance. it really came down to the sink. there’s really no option to put a farmhouse sink in here without huge demos so the silver sink had to stay. what goes best with silver? BLACK. so then it was about knobs or pulls? i did some research to help and i’m sharing what i found after the jump!

side ramblings: it’s been a while. the apocalypse winter storm had my anxiety running pretty high. i needed a couple of weeks to recuperate & finish the re-finance on the house (highly recommend Colonial Mortgage, Allin Nguyen!). speaking of home updates, i’m also in the process of updating my office. not that it needed one, but i felt like i was spending so much time in here so it deserved a little lift to become more of a happy sanctuary. new shelving unit so far, maybe a new light fixture or rug next. and PLANTS!! so the #wannabeplantlady (me) has collected almost 20 plants at this point. eepp… but it’s been FUN adding some greenery to the house and watch them grow. though there have been causalities. :D in the last couple of weeks i turned on netflix and watched two weeks notice and crazy, stupid, love — it as fun re-visiting some old rom coms i couldn’t remember watching before. on another rambling note, i ventured downtown this weekend! it has been a full year since i’ve gone down there. prior to COVID i went down to 2nd street quite often: dinner with friends, remotely working at cafes or restaurants, casually window shopping, or taking photos. it was all foreign but i can’t tell you how nice it felt to have a little piece of that life back. i mean sure, it’s completely different but i enjoyed every moment as i walked to get an iced matcha latte at @AlfredTea (and of course some poblano migas tacos @veracruztacos). hopefully there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. and while i’m waiting for it to shine bright, i plan on working harder to get myself re-acquainted again. i think it’s time. i hope y’all are doing well & i’ll be back with a fashion post soon!

currently on my playlist: pontiac by Mat Kearney

of course there is no wrong answer in whatever you choose! duh! it’s all personal preference. when i completed this project i was having regrets of going all pulls since i felt like i was being hit with too much black. then i got used to it. if you’re unsure, go with knobs first because that’s a one hole drill vs. a pull is two holes. knobs are easier to install because you’re not having to line up the second hole evenly with the first. lately i’ve seen a lot of knob & pull combos — knobs for the cabinets and pulls for the drawers. i do love that look. but i decided on all pulls. mainly because pulls are just easier for anyone of all ages, they’re easier to grab due to the larger surface area than a pull. and when you do all pulls, it gives the kitchen a more modern look, in my opinion. pulls are also more expensive than knobs, so certainly keep that in mind if you have a lot of cabinetry. it totally adds up!! in summary,

PROs to pulls:

easier for anyone of all ages to grab
more expensive
takes more time to install
gives a more modern look

then it came down to what pull size to buy?!!? now you can see why i put this off for so long!!! but generally, i found that the rule of thirds applies here. because you don’t want to buy a really small pull for a really long cabinet/drawer. i mean you can, but it would look slightly “cartoonish.” so this means if your cabinet/drawer length is 12” then your pull should be about 4” and it’s okay to go longer if you want but i wouldn’t go shorter. my cabinet and drawer sizes were all over the place and instead of buying three different lengths i decided on two for a more cohesive feel. and lastly, the new black matte faucet tied it all in.

pulls | Sumner Street Home Hardware chelsey in matte black — 8” and 12”
faucet | MOEN arbor single-handle pull down kitchen faucet in matte black
coffee maker | Nespresso by Breville VertuoLine coffee & expresso maker bundle in matte black (aka: my BFF, so glad i made the switch from Kerig!)
hand soap | Puracy gel hand soap refill in citrus & sea salt (my fave!) and picked up these beautiful amber bottles on etsy recently dish soap & foaming soap dispensers

until next time,
JD