If you LOVE wood and wood grain - would you vote?

[BlsdMama]

The difference here is more subtle.   PLEASE VOTE BASED ON PREFERENCE OF WOOD COLOR!
(And if you hate the brass or the bronze, do please tell me and suggest what you do like or what I might wanna take a peek at!)

 

 

 

This is special Walnut/dark Walnut mix with dark bronze handle.

 

 

This is Polyshades with Champagne Brass handle

Edited January 15, 2020 by BlsdMama

[BlsdMama]

And any comments about which you prefer and why - VERY welcome.


The Polyshades is a bear to use and get it perfectly even.  But, it's getting that more solid (and slightly minimized grain that I love without being solid)
The stain is gorgeous and far more BROWN which is hard to accomplish with red oak.  But it's warm enough that it isn't flat.  I ADORE the champagne brass (LIGHT) handle, but it looks weird with the heavier grain.

[almondbutterandjelly]

I love dark bronze and hate brass (just so 80s to me, even though I know it's back in style), so there's that.

I like the grain in the bottom picture better.  I don't want it minimized.  Love wood grain.  And the color brown is so gorgeous.

[Emba]

Yes, I vastly prefer the grain in the bottom picture because it shows up so clearly.

[Frances]

I like the last one by far the best. The handle in the first looks too modern to me and detracts from the classic wood. I really like both the color and the grain of the wood in the last picture. The wood in the first is too dark and solid looking for my taste.

[PrincessMommy]

I love the contrast in the grain with the 50/50.  I also don't like brass.  

It's beautiful.

 

[MysteryJen]

I really like the poly with the brass- it is modern and seems lighter and brighter for a whole kitchen. 

[Farrar]

I usually don't like brass, but I thought it was a bit mod there and I like the subtly of the grain a lot more. I'm a big fan of darker woods in general though.

PS - the fact that your photos and the poll choices were in the opposite order threw me way off.

[Frances]

2 minutes ago, Farrar said:

 

PS - the fact that your photos and the poll choices were in the opposite order threw me way off.

Me too! Also that the second one looks so different in the two pictures. I don’t like it nearly as much in the first picture. I also somehow missed this was for kitchen cabinets?

[May]

I like the wood grain in the first picture but not the handle. I have a lot of oak stained furniture and tables in my house so I’m jaded by that. I didn’t care for either handles but if I had to pick, it would be the handle in bottom picture. Where’s the wood going to be?

[Carol in Cal.]

I think that the bronze handle looks really dated.

[BlsdMama]

12 minutes ago, parent said:

I like the 2nd pic, darker wood and probably the darker handles.  In general, i think the oil rubbed bronze is tired and on the way out, but it does look better with dark finishes.  I have brass pulls in kitchen and mud room but they are antique brass not shiny brass.  I cannot tell from your top pick but I am not a fan of shiny brass.

Someone colored the wood trim at my church with polyshades and it looks horrible and wears horribly.

I used general finishes gel stain in walnut for the first time a few months ago.  It looks really nice.  I did multiple light coats, but I am very impressed.

Here is a pic.  It was oak even oranger than that small piece in pic.  It does not look as red in person as this pic.  This is holding up great.  It is a hall tree in my garage so is getting stuff piled on it regularly.  I think oil rubbed bronze or black trim looks better.  I still need to buy coat hooks, but that is the color I am getting.

SO much of your thought process is my process.  Yes! I think aged bronze is on its way out too and it makes me hesitant.  The cabinets are custom  (1980 red oak - not builder grade) and have a special cup hinge.  To replace them, I need to spend a small fortune - like $8 per door and 34 doors! I'd spend $300 on hinges and I have to tell you, while I'll suck it up and probably do it, because it still ends up being a cheap remodel, it's NOT fun.   So if I'm going to replace them, I'm very hesitant to do it with a color that is headed out, kwim?  I have brushed nickel on my lighting finish and my appliances are black stainless.  The champagne is GORGEOUS in real life, but, it does look weird with my stainless.  

I used the General Finishes stain in java on three chairs about five years ago.  I loved the effect, but I will tell you it chipped a few years in.

I used polyshades on this kitchen initially.  It was the biggest fiasco EVER.  I kept trying to get it a little more even. My technique is definitely getting better, but it's a nightmare for touchups.  I did find out that you are meant to sand down the poly on your project AND put a clear coat on afterwards - might be why your friend's didn't wear well?  It is definitely why MINE didn't.  

😉 

[PeterPan]

Polyshades but with a different handle. You might try Lee Valley to see if they have anything you like. That's where I got mine. I used refrigerator pulls to get something wider. https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/hardware

 

[BlsdMama]

6 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I think that the bronze handle looks really dated.

 

I have terrible news for you for the future coming in colors. 😉❤️ 

Brass & gold are coming back gangbusters.  For those of us around the first time through, this is going to take a serious mental adjustment, lol!!!  I wanted to try out and out gold, but I could NOT bring myself to do it!!! LOL!

[aaplank]

I agree that the bronze handle and dark walnut stain look dated to me.  I really like the polystain and the hardware looks beautiful with it.

[BlsdMama]

12 minutes ago, May said:

I like the wood grain in the first picture but not the handle. I have a lot of oak stained furniture and tables in my house so I’m jaded by that. I didn’t care for either handles but if I had to pick, it would be the handle in bottom picture. Where’s the wood going to be?

On every inch of my kitchen.  46 cupboard drawers and doors in all! This kitchen never seemed that big until it came to sanding & stripping......  Funny how that works!

[BlsdMama]

24 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I usually don't like brass, but I thought it was a bit mod there and I like the subtly of the grain a lot more. I'm a big fan of darker woods in general though.

PS - the fact that your photos and the poll choices were in the opposite order threw me way off.

YES! I'm trying to reverse them, LOL!

[Carol in Cal.]

3 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

 

I have terrible news for you for the future coming in colors. 😉❤️ 

Brass & gold are coming back gangbusters.  For those of us around the first time through, this is going to take a serious mental adjustment, lol!!!  I wanted to try out and out gold, but I could NOT bring myself to do it!!! LOL!

Drat.

Bronze never looked good to me, and now it looks tired as well as not good.  Somethings should not be resurrected.  Like crocheted men’s leisure suits, LOL.

Edited January 15, 2020 by Carol in Cal.

[BlsdMama]

1 minute ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Drat.

Bronze never looked good to me, and now it looks tired as well as in good.  Somethings should not be resurrected.  Like crocheted men’s leisure suits, LOL.

I have seen men's knitted "longies" in recent years. 
:P 
LOL!

[BlsdMama]

27 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I usually don't like brass, but I thought it was a bit mod there and I like the subtly of the grain a lot more. I'm a big fan of darker woods in general though.

PS - the fact that your photos and the poll choices were in the opposite order threw me way off.

Got it - had to jump to the PC! Thanks!

[PeterPan]

You might *paint* some of the cabinets, to get a mix and break up the darkness of the wood. Your new (counter, flooring?) samples have tones you could pull out. A grey, taupe, cream, something in there. So the island painted and the rest wood. Or go *black* stain on those cabs if you don't want to paint. But I'd probably paint some, just me, if it's a lot of cabs like you're saying.

[gardenmom5]

I don't like dark kitchens (unless you have a huge wall of southern/western windows that bring in a lot of daylight)- the dark wall cupboards just suck up all the light, and the room appears darker than it is.

 

glad to hear the brass and gold are coming back.  I bought "gold" (plated - never discolors) ceiling fixtures on clearance/store closing (below store cost) and I really liked them but was always sad the metal was dated.

[BlsdMama]

9 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

You might *paint* some of the cabinets, to get a mix and break up the darkness of the wood. Your new (counter, flooring?) samples have tones you could pull out. A grey, taupe, cream, something in there. So the island painted and the rest wood. Or go *black* stain on those cabs if you don't want to paint. But I'd probably paint some, just me, if it's a lot of cabs like you're saying.

I love uppers painted and lowers not... but I know me (I'm the person who cringes every time someone says, "So I painted my wood...") and I'll strip it later and because I can't count on the ability to be able to physically do it later, it will just DRIVE ME NUTS! LOL.  

We are discussing counters.  If we keep the busy grain, we will likely go with far more solid counters.  Laminate is inexpensive to replace when we do it ourselves.

[BlsdMama]

Just now, gardenmom5 said:

I don't like dark kitchens (unless you have a huge wall of southern/western windows that bring in a lot of daylight)- the dark wall cupboards just suck up all the light, and the room appears darker than it is.

 

glad to hear the brass and gold are coming back.  I bought "gold" (plated - never discolors) ceiling fixtures on clearance/store closing (below store cost) and I really liked them but was always sad the metal was dated.

I indeed have both a south AND east facing wall.  :)  The south window is IN the kitchen and the east door and pass throught (about 3.5' x 3.5') faces an east bay window.  Light is never an issue.  We also did away with fixtures and put in a ton of can lights.

[BlsdMama]

7 minutes ago, parent said:

I did not realize this was for kitchen cabinets.  We refinished our oak kitchen cabinets by completely stripping the oak to bare wood (crazy huge amount of work) then restained river gray with antique brass, which blend well with my stainless.  Handles are easy enough to change if you install standard size.  Kitchen cabinets get greasy even when you clean them often so need to be degreased before refinishing.  We topcoated kitchen with non yellowing lacquer which is super durable and it has been 5 years. I will pm you a pic.

YES! Do send it!  

Yes to the crazy amount of work.  Krud Kutter - then rough sanding to get off the faux finish, then sanding to wood, then strippers in the corners with a wire brush and a razor blade in the corners. I've never taken on a project THIS big and we finished our entire basement ourselves - adding a living room and four bedrooms. 

[SKL]

I like seeing the grain.  I chose the top.

[ashfern]

Personally, I don't think the bronze looks good with that wood grain and I just remodeled our kitchen using almost those same bronze handles. I voted foe the 2nd option but you're the one who has to live with it not us. 😀

[almondbutterandjelly]

If your lighting is brushed nickel and your appliances are black stainless, I would use one of those colors for the pulls.  Black stainless, I am thinking.

[cjzimmer1]

I definitely prefer the wood in the first picture.  I also prefer the color of the handle in the first picture but I prefer the style of the second handle.  I don't like cup handles, I find them harder to grasp.  So the ideal choice for me would be to get the bar pulls in the dark color and put it on the wood with more graining.

[Carol in Cal.]

3 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

I love uppers painted and lowers not... but I know me (I'm the person who cringes every time someone says, "So I painted my wood...") and I'll strip it later and because I can't count on the ability to be able to physically do it later, it will just DRIVE ME NUTS! LOL.  

We are discussing counters.  If we keep the busy grain, we will likely go with far more solid counters.  Laminate is inexpensive to replace when we do it ourselves.

You might look at the newer quartz.  I’ve been impressed—it’s not all glittery anymore, and it is more durable and needs less maintenance than granite or marble.  Plus you can find very light colors which might really brighten up your kitchen paired with the oak.

[elegantlion]

I like the polyshades, but not with the champagne handles. I'm not a fan of brass, now or ever. I do agree that cup pulls could become annoying. I actually prefer knobs on doors and drawers, easier to switch out if needed. 

[Pen]

I prefer the lighter color option.  

But it would also depend on other aspects of the room. 

I’d choose hardware primarily on comfort and ease of use.  Both pictures of hardware look fine in appearance, color, to me.  I think neither looks all that comfortable. 

[kbutton]

The style of the champagne handle is going to snag on shirts, pockets, belt loops, etc. when people stand at the counter. You might want something that doesn't have parts sticking out past the anchoring points. 

Good luck deciding. Sorry I can't help in that regard, though I do think that maybe considering non-traditional colored stains for part of the kitchen might be good if you don't like paint. That's a lot of oak. 🙂 

I do think the lighter color wood with the darker handle is the better combination, but I think you could try different hardware with either option. I think the champagne handles are likely beautiful in person, and I'm not a brass fan. I suspect the picture doesn't do them justice. Both wood colors will be fine in a kitchen with a lot of light. I would choose flooring and counters first and then the wood color based on that (or factor in your existing floors and counters if you're not changing them). If you have a dark floor, I would go light on the cupboards. With a light floor, either would work. With a medium floor, darker cabinets, or try a different stain/paint to give contrast.

[Bambam]

I like the top one (walnut) as it seems to have a warmer tone to me. This does depend on whether the lighting was the same in both though. 
Just FYI, I have cherry cabinets. Love them. Love the dark color. Hate the fact cherry is a soft wood so if you bump them, you will leave a dent. 

[alisoncooks]

 

3 hours ago, OKBud said:

Walnut has a very 1993 split level vibe to it to me. 

Yeah, I'm kinda with this.

Of the two samples, I prefer the walnut though (the other color looks a bit muddied, at least in the photo). 

I like the look of the cup pulls (a little vintage, farm-house looking) but they aren't my favorite to use. I don't like the other pulls at all. (I'm not anti-brass; I remodeled my kitchen last year and used "aged brass" knobs/pulls.)

[alisoncooks]

And while I just said I prefer the walnut, I'm wondering: would it look too "tiger strip" to have a whole kitchen with that much distinct grain?

[Frances]

12 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I think that the bronze handle looks really dated.

Edited January 16, 2020 by Frances

[easypeasy]

I like the second color on the cabinets/drawers.

I'm going to ignore every single one of you who said that gold/brass is on its way back, though. Nope. We made it through the shag carpet resurgence, going to ignore the brass/gold fad as well! 🤣 In fact, we're still going through the house adding oil-rubbed bronze to everything. I love it unabashedly. Luckily, we aren't in a highly-fashionable housing area, so I am unworried about resale value because of my cabinet pulls. 😁

If your appliances are stainless and you have lighting with brushed nickel, why not get brushed nickel or black stainless drawer pulls? I'm imagining silver stainless/brushed nickel/champagne brass/dark woodgrain all mixed together, and it's not sounding coherent in my brain. You're the one there, though, so maybe in person it all ties together better than I'm imagining?

Either way - have fun with your big project! I undertook a similar project last year and it took FOREVER, but I'm so pleased now that it's finished!!

 

[Katy]

I voted for the darker wood, but I'd do a cup hook in matte black.  That's the color trend of this decade.  It's not even in Menards much, so you might have to order online. Worth it.

[Katy]

These have good reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/10-Pack-Cabinet-Hardware-Centers/dp/B00M175F2S?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

[Lady Florida.]

I prefer light wood so that's my only reason for voting for the polyshades. Ironically, the cabinets in our new house will all be dark wood. 😞 

[BlsdMama]

3 hours ago, Katy said:

I voted for the darker wood, but I'd do a cup hook in matte black.  That's the color trend of this decade.  It's not even in Menards much, so you might have to order online. Worth it.

Katy,

I'm paranoid of all things matte - little kids, many hands.  Do you know how well they clean up?  My kids are all in the kitchen and they cook like their Mama  like muppets.

[BlsdMama]

13 hours ago, Frances said:

 

Dying to know what was said here. LOL.

Seems like brass brings out the best and worst in peoples' reactions.  LOL! 😉 

[Frances]

1 minute ago, BlsdMama said:

Dying to know what was said here. LOL.

Seems like brass brings out the best and worst in peoples' reactions.  LOL! 😉 

I deleted it because I kept getting brass and bronze mixed up in my mind. How old is your home? Mine was built in the 1920s and we are slowly doing a whole house remodel. While we are not staying completely true to the time period and style of our home, we are also not worried about current trends or styles. So I think the age and style of a home can be a consideration.

[Katy]

1 hour ago, BlsdMama said:

Katy,

I'm paranoid of all things matte - little kids, many hands.  Do you know how well they clean up?  My kids are all in the kitchen and they cook like their Mama  like muppets.

 

I've heard they appear cleaner than, say, brass, because there isn't a light reflection difference where sticky fingers have been, unlike a shiny surface.   I've also heard they're easy to wipe clean with a soapy dishrag. The friend who did this first has a 4 year old and an 8 month old, somehow keeps her house cleaner than anyone else I know with long hours and two working parents, but I haven't seen it in person so it will be a bit of an experiment.

I haven't done them here yet, I think we need to replace countertops before hardware, but I will before we sell this house.  I'm leaning towards painting my oak cabinets white and staining the oak doors with General Finishes Antique Walnut Gel stain over oak.  They have a video on a dry brush technique that I think is what I will try.