hardware Archives - Pacific Design Co.

September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

PDCo Home: Hardware

** For a full resource list of blog posts about our home, check out this link.

Hardware. You either love it and everything about selecting it, or it stresses you out. Whichever one you are, today’s post is for you! And if your blood pressure usually goes up from just mentioning hardware, then maybe today we can change that!

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I often think of hardware as an accessory for your home. Just like we choose rings, earrings, and necklaces to wear with our outfits, hardware is the accessory we choose to dress up our doors and cabinets with. But it’s not just an accessory for our homes — it’s absolutely essential due to its functionality! For our home and for 99% of our projects we select all of our hardware from Spokane Hardware which is also known as Hardware Hut online.

If you are local to Spokane, Washington, I cannot recommend Spokane Hardware enough! They have the greatest selection of cabinet hardware, door hardware, and so many accessory options too. It’s so nice to go to their showroom and easily browse different hardware options, many of which you may not have thought about searching for online. I love doing this because it opens my mind to other options, while also allowing you to see the true color and feel of the hardware before purchasing. For those who aren’t local, you can also easily purchase the hardware through their online website. Their team is always so helpful no matter what I’m looking for and they are an incredible resource for finding hardware solutions for the trickiest problems! So, whether hardware shopping stresses you out or not, Spokane Hardware and Hardware Hut are your places!

The Logistics for cabinetry hardware

There are a few things to consider when you are hardware shopping. First, I normally like to use a combination of a knob and pull in each space, but you can use the same combination of hardware throughout your entire home! If you do decide to change it up, I’d recommend keeping the finish the same. However, in rare cases, I’ll change up the finish if it really makes sense for the aesthetic of a particular room!

Another thing I see people worry about is what type of hardware they should get, such as pulls or knobs. I’ll share how we do it most of the time and why. Almost every time, we vote for knobs on cabinet doors. I personally think a pull on a cabinet drawer gets too visually cluttered. The exception to this is very tall cabinet doors, like a pantry cabinet, that may need a longer pull to hold the weight of the door. Knobs are incredibly versatile, and I love using them on doors and drawers! We go back and forth between knobs and pulls on drawers in our designs depending on the aesthetic we are wanting to achieve. Every once in a while, we will throw in a special piece like a cabinet latch, cup pull, finger pull, or other unique design to change up the look.

How We Did it: the kitchen

Next, I’m going to share all our PDCO home cabinetry hardware details! For our home, we wanted a fairly minimalist look, so we chose to do knobs almost everywhere.

Starting off in the kitchen, we used all Top Knobs Nouveau II Round Cabinet Knob and a Top Knob cabinet latch. For some reason, I couldn’t find the Top knobs cabinet latch, but this Emtek Cabinet Latch is the same look. Please keep in mind though, that brands usually have slight variations to their finishes! So be very careful mixing different brands, especially when it comes to brass and bronze finishes.

The knob placement depended on how long our drawers were. Since most of the drawers weren’t wider than 36″ we just used one knob in the center of the drawer. There was only one spot, which is the tilt-out under our sink, that we used two knobs due to the length. The latches we used are beautiful but have a lot of detail, so using them sparingly is important. I like placing them under a sink, or a special pantry cabinet. We love the visual interested they added!

How We Did it: the primary bathroom

To keep that minimalist look, we carried the same finger pull knobs throughout our home so you also see them in our primary bathroom. We also stuck with the beautiful oiled bronze finish, which was the perfect brown tone. It’s not too stark like black would have brought, and not too flashy like satin brass. The oil rubbed bronze finish from Top Knobs is very different from the standard oil rubbed bronze you typically would see. It’s a favorite of ours!

Even though the drawers on our vanity are pretty large, I LOVE the very simple look of keeping one knob on each drawer. It’s modern and simple, but feels so warm due to the finishes we chose for this vanity.

How We Did it: the kids’ bathroom

The only room we changed the style of cabinet hardware in is our kids’ bathroom. I wanted something a little different in here! Something that was easy for the kids to use and also that added a little extra charm. We selected these from the Top Knobs line to make sure the finish matched the rest of the home. The exact ones we selected are the Top Knobs Egg Cabinet Knob.

Door hardware

When it comes to door hardware there really aren’t many guidelines! But the main consideration is the ease of use between a lever and a knob. We recommend levers for families with children as well as those considering a home for aging in place, due to levers being easier to grab and use. From an aesthetic standpoint, we select a finish that coordinates with one of the other finishes we’ve selected for the home. At PDCo Home, we matched our door hardware finish to our plumbing fixtures which is a satin brass.

All of our interior door hardware is from Emtek. The door levers are the Emtek Modern Helios Door Leverset with a Stretto Narrow Trim. With this narrow backplate, planning ahead is important! It requires a custom bore hole size. You must order your doors with this specific bore size, or have the bores drilled on site. I’m so in love with this look! The pocket door hardware is the Emtek Narrow Modern Rectangular Solid Brass Mortise Pocket Door Privacy Latch. It’s a sleek look and matches our narrow backplates on the other doors perfectly.

Our front exterior door is the only one that we didn’t select from Emtek’s line. I wanted something very unique for our front door and this Sun Valley Brass Bandbox Handle x Handle Mortise Lock Entry Set makes such a statement! I was obsessed from the moment I saw it. The entire Sun Valley Brass collection is stunning, with products ranging from modern to traditional styles. There are a lot of finishes to select from, too! The brass is a living finish and has antiqued so beautifully, adding warmth yet contrast with our black front door.

There you have it! A full hardware tour. I know many of my clients get stressed thinking (and overthinking!) about hardware and the millions of options and combinations out there. Sometimes, it really is okay to keep it simple!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. And/or – some of the items discussed in this post I have received at a discounted price. We hope by sourcing some of our favorite products, we provide value to you and your projects!

February 21, 2020August 24, 2026

Trends in Hardware: Why I LOVE Satin Brass

This post was originally authored by Shaleesa Mize for publication on the Hardware Hut’s blog. Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. We hope by sourcing some of our favorite products, we provide value to you and your projects!

We’ve seen brass hardware making a serious come back in recent years. The resurgence of brass comes in new finishes and styles, much different from the basic shiny brass door knobs so many homes have had at one point. Designer Shaleesa Mize of Pacific Design Co. tells us why she loves using brass in projects, no matter what style!

I vividly remember one of the first projects I felt was the perfect opportunity to pull in brass finishes. I was discussing the specifications with the contractor and the minute I said brass, his jaw dropped. He hadn’t seen brass finishes used in a long time, and to many people, it seems like a dated choice. Here’s the thing though — brass is coming back in some of the most beautiful, updated designs of plumbing fixtures, lighting, hardware, and more! It brings the perfect amount of warmth to a space and I haven’t regretted the decision once. From traditional to modern, I’ve found ways to incorporate brass into all sorts of projects. Today, I’m sharing all the reasons I love brass as well as my best tips for blending it into a design concept.

brass finish options

Brass has about a dozen different finish options — polished brass (lacquered and unlacquered), satin brass, and antique brass — just to name a few. Be aware that brass is not to be confused with gold, which can actually have a very different color tone and look! Every manufacturer has its own variation and name for their brass finishes. It’s important to be aware of this when selecting from different retailers, particularly when choosing items that may be close together in the space so they don’t look mismatched. It can certainly take some patience to get it just right by doing initial research or ordering finish samples to prevent mistakes and product returns!

If you’re interested in ordering samples, contact The Hardware Hut’s awesome customer service team, and they can help you out. Some brands offer free or discounted samples, while others do not.

design styles for brass

The finish I select for projects is dependent on the style preferences of the client and home. In general, polished or antique brass seems to work best in more traditional homes. Satin brass is more flexible and can be used in a traditional or modern home. The important factor is not necessarily the finish, but also the shape and style of the piece itself. For example, a brass faucet for a modern home should have sleek lines and an overall feeling of simplicity. A brass light fixture for a traditional home might have some extra detail or curves. For this mid-century modern home, we used satin brass hardware for the cabinetry, but we made sure to look for a style that was minimalist and modern in shape. You can purchase the finger pull hardware, and the cone knobs we used for the bathroom vanity.

mixing brass with other metals

Still nervous to commit to brass? Dip your toes into mixing metals by adding brass in smaller details, like cabinet hardware. For most designs, I select two metal finishes…a primary and a secondary metal. Mixing metals adds visual interest to the space and brings something unexpected. While brass was not the dominant metal in this mid-century home, it played a very important role in the overall concept. The satin brass cabinet hardware provided warmth and sparkle to each room. When selecting hardware for this home, we loved how the brass elevated the design of the walnut vanities. If we stuck with matte black, the hardware would have practically disappeared!

bring the unexpected

Don’t be afraid to change things up and have a little fun! Your finishes don’t have to match, and neither does the style. While we like to keep things cohesive, there are occasions that call for rules to be broken. In this home, the walnut cabinets all looked their best with the satin brass hardware. However, the large built-in cabinets in the family room needed something with a larger scale. We found a satin brass bar pull that was pretty sleek, with gentle curves, but still felt pretty modern. It felt right to change up the hardware, but overall, the design still coordinates with the rest of the home. Design is in the details, and it doesn’t matter where those are found — hardware, plumbing, lighting, or somewhere else. Follow what inspires or excites you, and you are sure to be happy with the results!

For a full reveal of the Helena Residence project shown, you can head over to the Little Pacific Design Studio blog to see the full project reveal and construction process.

June 20, 2019August 23, 2026

Mixing Timeless and Trendy

A charming South Hill home built in 1936 needed an update—but how do you mix a modern, on-trend style with the traditional details of an older home? Designer Shaleesa Mize of Pacific Design Co. shows us her approach in blending timeless and trendy in her Post Street Residence renovation!

When pulling together the design for this client, we wanted to strike a balance of old and new style. Preserving the architectural character of the home was important. We wanted to do this while still updating the style to match the client’s tastes. In the beginning, this took a lot of planning, but by the end, these decisions came so naturally.

the kitchen

Striking a balance of old and new was easy to achieve in the kitchen. We selected an inset cabinet door style, which is popular in more traditional homes. We ordered the cabinets in an on-trend, muted green color. Natural white oak accents softened the kitchen and brought back that traditional warmth. Because we went with such a bold color choice for the majority of the cabinets, we chose to go more timeless with the backsplash. A basic subway tile was too bland for a space like this! We found a tile with some tonal variation and imperfections in the shape, which was a subtle way to bring interest to a classic backsplash.

One of my favorite details was the use of the modern edge pull hardware. Inset cabinets are usually combined with hardware applied to the door fronts. Using the edge pulls was a detail that felt right for bringing a modern style to the space.

On the cabinet doors, we used knobs instead of edge pulls to keep the space from feeling too modern. For the pantry door hardware, we combined a sleek pull with a traditional back plate to create a focal point. The variety in hardware offered a more collected, casual feel.

the entry

The entry was another space where fresh meets traditional. This space had a closet that made the room feel small and lacked functional storage. We removed this and designed a built-in, to offer a variety of storage solutions. A pastel, whimsical wallpaper brought in color and beautifully framed the arched window. We added a cove ceiling to match the kitchen, as well as other traditional details like bead board. Classic brass hooks ran the length of the back wall, and brass cabinet knobs tied things back to the kitchen.

The front door added contrast by having a slightly darker stain over white oak. As a result, this made the brass handleset really pop. Beveled details on the backplate and an egg shape knob was the last fixture selected. It was the final nod to charming details in this playful entry space.

Overall, it seemed the entire home was a pendulum, swinging back and forth of “modern here, traditional there.” Striking the perfect balance while keeping the home cohesive was an incredibly fun challenge. In the end, the results were nothing short of trendy, yet timeless, perfection.

For a full reveal of the Post Street Residence, you can head over to the blog and see part one and part two of this project reveal. These include some links for hardware, plumbing fixtures, lighting, and more!

February 28, 2019August 23, 2026

Design is in the Details

Design is in the details. It’s the little things that you may not notice at first glance that make all the difference in how the space comes together and how it will make you feel. This was the case with the Mill Road Residence, a 3,700 square foot home that in the beginning, lacked personality and detail. It was a basic home in a neighborhood development, but dark and outdated. Refreshing the home from top to bottom was a substantial investment in time and money. But, the results for this client meant having a home that reflected her colorful style and personality.

With only several slight adjustments to the floor plan, we were able to maximize the functionality of the home’s square footage and limited natural light. New white oak floors paired with creamy white walls further enhanced the light and airy feel. Pops of color with small focal points throughout the home slowly showed themselves, such as in the kitchen island, backsplash, and fireplace surround. Our favorite designs for this project, which especially added flavor to the house, included the island, pantry closet, finish, and powder room.

the island

A favorite focal point in the home was the deep blue kitchen island. The color is gorgeous, but what makes it really stand out is the golden jewels of detail…hardware. The kitchen featured Lewis Dolin hardware, which included the square cabinet bar pulls and disc knobs in the brushed brass finish. This combination looked stunning against the blue and worked beautifully on the white perimeter cabinets as well.

the pantry closet

This renovation project incorporated custom designs in a few areas, like the kitchen island. Another favorite feature of the home was the stunning white oak doors to the pantry closet. With its rounded top and louvered doors, this custom piece brought natural warmth into the kitchen. Lewis Dolin hardware contributed to this project, and the extra long cabinet bar pulls were installed to bring a feeling of sturdiness.

the finish

Brushed brass was the primary finish for this residence, and it could be found on all cabinet hardware and light fixtures. However, a single finish isn’t enough to bring variety to an entire home. It was combined with polished chrome for all plumbing fixtures and door hardware. Having a rule book on how finishes will be used in your space is essential for creating a cohesive design concept. Although, creating a rule book and then breaking a few of those rules in select details can take ordinary to extraordinary!

the powder room

The powder room is a space that more people these days are willing to make bold and fun! Powder rooms and entryways are some of the best spots for bringing major personality in unexpected ways. In this client’s home, the powder room excluded the use of polished chrome like the rule book suggested, and instead went with all brass fixtures. It was paired with an incredible black and creamy white botanical wallpaper. This small space now has some of the most impact in the whole home.

We are big believers that there are times when it is important to be consistent in your design choices. The human brain is constantly trying to organize the world around us. When the spaces we inhabit are confusing, it plays a role in how we feel and interact. Thoughtfully approaching decisions can make all the difference in a space that feels disjointed versus intentional.

We loved the opportunity of designing this traditional yet eclectic, colorful home! For a full recap of this project, including before photos, product sources, and more, we invite you to visit this project’s homepage for those links. Enjoy!

Tag: hardware