Building a home is a labor of love and a true privilege but making all the choices can be overwhelming. Hardware is the final touch (no pun intended) which makes all the difference in the finished project. We were honored to partner with Top Knobs when completing our home build. Their extensive collection offered countless choices to help us make the house our own.

When I spoke with friends who have either done extensive renovations or built homes, one of their best pieces of advice was to use hardware as the thread which tied everything together. For example, we used the Hopewell Bar Pull in Flat Black as the primary hardware choice in much of the first floor, just in various sizes. It pops on the white modern shallow shaker doors that flow from one space to the next. Our kitchen island and the powder room both have a dark gray color on the cabinets {Sherwin Williams Iron Ore} but we decided to stick with the same Hopewell Bar Pull, however we opted for the Honey Bronze finish. It looks stunning against the dark gray when the flat black would have gotten lost. Using the same collection in different finishes helps the first floor feel cohesive – without feeling boring.

One of the hardest choices for me was to decide when to use knobs vs. pulls when there are cabinets of different sizes, like our smaller square glass front cabinets above our upper kitchen cabinets. It’s a tiny detail that makes a huge difference in the look + feel, in my opinion. I scoured Pinterest and Instagram to get a feel for which look I gravitated towards the most. We ordered samples of both options in various sizes and held them up to each cabinet. Ultimately, we went with the Marion Knob (1 1/8” size, in the Flat Black finish) on the upper, upper cabinets in the kitchen + mudroom and I’m SO happy with the final look. For the smaller size of those cabinets {they are 18×18” squares}, a bar pull just felt too bulky, but that’s sometimes not something you know for sure until the final step.

Moving to the second floor, we chose to give each bathroom their own feel. When working with Top Knobs, it was easy to find options which worked for each of our preferences without feeling disjointed. Emmy’s bathroom was more girly and playful than Everett’s sleek and simple bath. However, the quality and workmanship of Top Knobs unified these distinct spaces. We went with the beautiful Bergen Knob in Brushed Bronze for Emmy’s bathroom, as well as the main floor guest room. We chose this finish because after searching high and low, it matched perfectly to the Delta faucets we picked for those bathrooms in their Champagne Bronze color. To finish both of those spaces, we chose the Top Knob Aqua Bath collection for bathroom accessories (think towel ring, toilet paper holder, etc.) in the same Brushed Bronze finish.

For Everett’s room and the upstairs guest room {which have very similar finishes with flat black plumbing fixtures and hardware}, we chose the same Marion Knob that we used downstairs in the flat black finish, then bath accessories from the Hopewell Bath collection to tie it all together.

For the primary bathroom, we picked the plumbing fixtures first {Brizo Odin wall-mounted faucets and shower heads in Luxe Gold finish}, which then drove the hardware choice. I ordered a few different gold samples and then took the samples to the plumbing store to compare to the actual fixtures. I found the Exeter Pull in Honey Bronze to be a perfect match. I loved the simplicity of the Exeter handle, but the soft edge detail gave it a very sophisticated and unexpected feel. To complement the beautiful handle, we went with the Hillmont Knob in Honey Bronze. I will admit that I expected this knob to be round when I first ordered it, but it’s actually oval shaped. I wasn’t sure if I liked the look at first, but I decided to go for it and now I adore it! Do not be afraid to mix it up a little bit, especially in spaces where each room has its own feel.

The same held true for the basement bar area, which is one of the only spaces we used a nickel finish. We went with a brushed satin nickel to play nicely with the stainless steel appliances, sink, and faucet. It also pops on the wood grain cabinets in the bar area, which is a much different look than the solid painted cabinets everywhere else in the house. The longer drawers all feature the Hillmont Pull, while the cabinets and smaller drawers all have the Riverside 2” T-Knob in the same brushed satin nickel finish.  

Choosing hardware isn’t just a this or that decision. We are beyond grateful to have been introduced to Top Knobs. Their durability and versatility are evident from the first touch. With Top Knobs, our home looks and feels cohesive. While we agonized over some decisions, our hardware choices were made easier with the extensive options that all played well together. We never doubted the finished product. Ten months into calling this house a home, the final touches from Top Knobs have made all the difference.

To download a PDF of all the hardware names, sizes, color finish and product numbers used in our home, CLICK HERE.

**Please note all hardware was provided by Top Knobs, however, all opinions are 100% mine.