Home Hardware Q and A: All About Oil Rubbed Bronze

Do you love the rich and warm chocolatey color of oil rubbed bronze home hardware? There are a few things you should know about this beautiful finish that can have quite a bit of variety.

Q: I used to have some oil rubbed bronze sink faucets and knobs in my old house and I loved them. I recently started shopping for some oil rubbed bronze home hardware, and some of it looks so much different than the ones I had before. Are there different kinds of oil rubbed bronze?

A: The look of certain finishes can be very different from one brand to another. Oil rubbed bronze is a great example of this, especially because there are several different methods for achieving the look of oil rubbed bronze. Most oil rubbed bronze pieces you find today are made simply by coating the outer surface with a rich, dark brown paint. A manufacturer might also used a chemical to darken the outermost layer of hardware.

If the house you lived in before was old, it might be that the oil rubbed bronze there was also old, and achieved the aged or worn look in some spots naturally, over time. This look is very hard to replicate, and it's true that oil rubbed bronze will look a little different from piece to piece, even if they're all from the same brand!

Natural or authentic oil rubbed bronze, also referred to as a "living" finish, is slowly and constantly being changed with use and wear. The more it's touched over the years, the more it will achieve the lighter, rubbed off spots to show the copper underneath. Most manufacturers use a non-living finish to get the oil rubbed bronze look, which means it won't rub off with time, or there are spots that are already worn to make it look as if the door knob or faucet knob has been used for many years.

My advice is to stick with the oil rubbed bronze home hardware from one brand. If you are using oil rubbed bronze cabinet knobs from RKI and you want to use backplates with them, you will need to use the oil rubbed bronze back plates from RKI If you don't, you could risk the backplates being a much darker or lighter shade, and it won't look right at all.

The same goes if you're trying to match the oil rubbed bronze faucets and knobs with the cabinet hardware and towel bars. You should definitely purchase them from the same brand. The brands Hickory Hardware, RKI and Amerock are just a few of them many brands that have extensive oil rubbed bronze collections.

How to Clean Home Hardware Finishes

Home hardware adds style, color and luster to our homes, and just like the hardwood floors and the upholstery, we have to take care of them and keep them clean. The best thing about cleaning home hardware, is the materials that work for each type of finish are probably already in your kitchen cabinets!

Not all metals and finishes can be treated the same way, so we've broken down the different common finishes for cabinet knobs, pulls, hooks, faucets and everything else, so you can keep your home hardware looking beautiful for many years to come.

Here is a list of the things you will need:

• Lint-free cloths.
• Vinegar
• Dawn dish soap, or another similar soap.
• Glass cleaner
• Ketchup

Bronze

Bronze cabinet knobs and pulls can be wiped free of grime weekly or every few weeks with a damp, lint-free cloth. As for sink faucets and other things that come in contact a lot with water and corrosive substances like tooth paste, bleach and other chemicals, you will need to wipe them down every couple of days. This will help them retain their original finish.

Chrome

Chrome will last for many years, but it will start to look dull and dirty after a while due to corrosion. First, try gently scrubbing it with a dish soap like Dawn and a soft wash cloth. If that doesn't do the trick, vinegar will. You want to start as mild as possible because you want to stay shiny and free of scratches. Dry and polish with a micro fiber cloth .

Brass

The hot soapy water and cloth should also work to get rid of regular old grime build up. For tougher dirt, the gentle acid found in ketchup or tomato paste with a micro fiber cloth and some elbow grease will get the job done. Don't forget to dry and polish.

Nickel

Try wiping off dirt with a dry soft cloth. If that doesn't work, use the soap and hot water and scrub in circular motions. For a quick cleaning, spray your nickel cabinet knobs with a regular glass cleaner, and polish it off to make sure no spots or streaks are left behind. As a general rule, don't use any harsh cleaners such as oven cleaners.

Stainless Steel

Use a wash cloth and vinegar water to scrub it clean. Vinegar is effective in getting rid of dirt as well as bacteria and molds. Don't scrub across the grain of the steel, always scrub along with it. Polish it dry with a clean dry lint-free cloth.

Make Your Home Look Like a Rustic Cabin with Home Hardware

The rustic look isn't something you see everyday, especially not when it comes to home hardware. Rustic is natural and weathered, looking like it was crafted by a blacksmith a century or two ago. Of course, that isn't really the case, but many brands can create cabinet pulls and cabinet knobs, as well as decorative hooks and others that look as good as old.

1. These Twig Pulls from Schaub & Company add some natural-looking charm to your kitchen. Use these if you have other pieces of decor that feature natural-looking pieces of wood. For example, a shelf that includes a piece of a tree branch left to its original shape would echo this style nicely.

2. Old fashioned and simple shapes are part of the rustic charm, along with the weathered finish, such as this bronze cabinet pull from Hawk Hill Hardware.

3. Sometimes echoing the rustic style calls for using a more subtle approach. The rustic copper finish of this Berenson knob will go along with a subtly rustic decor style.

4. The spiral motif is simple, yet has a nice old world vibe. It's the "olde iron" finish of this Schaub & Company knob that really makes it rustic.

5. This Schaub & Company Knob in Dark Pewter looks like its seen "better days", or that it's been seen a few long hard centuries of wear and tear. Of course, that's how it's supposed to look! These would look great with a set of natural wood cabinets.

6. Use these spiral weathered pewter cabinet pulls by Schaub & Company with dark natural wood cabinets that will contrast the lighter color. Using them with a smooth marble or otherwise solid and polished cabinets would work, but wouldn't drive home the rustic look.

7. Michigan Naturals Forest Floor brown mix Stone Knob, Medium Smooth and natural river rocks as cabinet knobs is very unexpected and interesting in any home. Not necessarily rustic -- it just depends on the rest of the decor in your kitchen or bathroom.

8. The natural wood look would go perfectly in a home with a rustic beach-style theme. These Hawk Hill Hardware Driftwood Appliance Pulls would fit right in with sea shell, river rock and other sea or river motifs.

Keeping Your Bathroom Organized in Style

Keeping your bathroom organized and neat is an important part of good housekeeping, and you should be able to do so in style. You might have unique tastes in home decor, and your bathroom should be able to reflect that.

If you have a certain image in your head of what you want your bathroom to look like, and you have all your decorations picked out, don't just settle for plain bathroom accessories and home hardware! If you have a specific style in mind, there are bathroom hooks, shelves and even toilet paper holders that will match. You might think these things are a little trivial, but they make a big difference in the grand scheme.

This bathroom hook is from Belwith Keeler and is in the style of art nouveau. It's so much more exciting and decorative than any standard, boring bathroom hook that you'd find in the your local store, and it will do the job of keeping your bath robe or towel off the floor.

Even something as utilitarian as a grab bar doesn't need to pass on the style of your bathroom. Add a lovely grab bar like this one from Alno Creations for safety by your shower or by the toilet.

Your bathroom probably had a very standard and plain mirror when you moved in, but you can replace it with one that will go well with the other decorations and hardware in the room. This beautiful mirror one by Jeffrey Alexander would fit in with a romantic, fanciful bathroom.

A toilet paper holder is easy to remove and install, so adding one to your newly redecorated bathroom wouldn't be a big deal. Especially not if it looks as nice as this one from Alno Creations. It would look best in a very modern and polished bathroom, with a slightly ultra-modern twist.

Do you want a medicine cabinet that isn't just like all the other medicine cabinets? This Pegasus beveled mirror also doubles as a place to store all of your medicines and other bathroom necessities.

The Best and Most Popular in Brass Home Hardware

Brass is a very popular finish when it comes to cabinet pulls, cabinet knobs, backplates and hinges. This is because it's a very versatile finish, which means it will look good in almost any home with any style. It can come in a beautiful golden color that gives a feeling of decadence, or be made to look like it's one hundred years old.

If you're searching for the perfect finish and style for your home, check out these popular options for brass home hardware. Just a warning: you'll see so many great versatile brass finishes, that you still might have a very hard time deciding! Don't worry, I'll try to help you narrow down your decision with some style suggestions.

Weathered Brass

The “shabby chic” trend and style is keeping the weathered brass finish a hot look in home hardware. It can come in all different degrees of weathered, and one brand's version of weathered brass can vary greatly to another brand's weathered brass. You have a lot of style options, as well. You can go full country-cottage with a very roughed up weathered brass that looks as if it really has seen a century of wear. There's also the lightly weathered, and everything in between.

Antique Brass

Antique brass finish looks different from weathered brass, in the way that it still looks polished but has some dark tarnishing around the edges and in patches. It creates a beautiful duo-toned look of warm goldish and brown colors that contrast nicely, and look genuinely antique and fancy. The look gives an old Victorian manor feel, and goes beautifully with other antiques and antique-looking home décor.

Polished Brass

Want some shiny, pristine and bright gold-colored home hardware? Do you want your home to look like it's dripping with gold like a palace? Polished brass is not for the faint of heart when it comes to use in your kitchen or bathroom cabinet pulls, hinges and backplates. It will catch the eye, but catching ones eye with cabinet hardware is unexpected. Unexpected can be very interesting and a very good thing.

Burnished Brass

Burnishing is traditionally a polishing technique with a heating tool, which not only polishes but hardens the surface and gives it a darker look. Burnished brass finishes aren't always burned when it comes to home hardware, but they are just made to mimic the look of old fashioned burnished brass. This is a very traditional look that is also very versatile, it all depends on the shape and style of the hardware pieces themselves to determine where you put them.

Helpful Tips for Installing Cabinet Knobs and Pulls

So you have some brand new cabinet knobs or cabinet pulls that will go great with the new look you've chosen for your kitchen. Now you're faced with the task of installing them. Don't let this intimidate you! You do want to take your time and be extra careful, but it's not as hard as it sounds.

You either have brand new cabinets and drawers that have never had holes drilled into them before, or you've filled in the holes in your old cabinets and made them fresh for an all new knob installation. This is an important first step, because you don't want any old holes visible.

Things You Will Need

Make sure you have all of your supplies together before you get started:

A tape measure, Sticky tack, A drill, Drill bits the same size as the screws you're using, A piece of cardboard, A pencil.

Decide on Placement

Placement of the knobs or pulls is important, because being able to grab them and open the cabinets or drawers comfortably and easily is 100% of their function. Not only will you need to be able to grab and open them easily, but so will everyone else in the house.

Centered isn't always best – it really depends on the nature of the cabinet doors and drawers themselves. You can test the positioning of the knobs or pulls by putting some sticky tack (it won't damage the surface of the cabinets) on the hardware where they would be touching the cabinet, and stick them on. Try out a few positions until the look and feel right on each cabinet.

Laurey Mission Bay Pull in Antique Pewter

Make a Template

Once you have that figured out, you can make a hole stencil based on the positions and the holes of the knobs or pulls. This is especially helpful if you have pulls where more than one knob needs to be drilled to install each one.

Use your cardboard for this. Take one pull and place it on the cardboard where it will be touching the surface of the cabinet. Mark right next to the side of the pull with the pencil. Poke a hole through the carboard where you marked with the pencil. Use these holes as a stencil for marking the cabinets where you will be drilling.

Amerock Allison Knob in Antique Brass

Make a Pilot Hole

Carefully make a pilot hole on the pencil marks with a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the one you will actually be using to drill the holes for the screws. A pilot hole doesn't go all the way through, but only gets the hole started, so the drill doesn't damage the wood.

Make Sure the Drill Bit is the Right Size

Use a drill bit that is the same size as the screws. Too big will cause the knobs or pulls to be too loose, and too small will end up splitting the cabinet wood from the holes you drilled.

Decide Which Finish is Best for Your Home Hardware

There are so many types of finishes for home hardware, it can be hard to decide which one is right for your home. You might even have decided on the perfect theme and the perfect colors, but with so many beautiful and versatile pieces of cabinet knobs, bathroomhooks and other essential pieces, it can start to get confusing!

First, you should consider the basic color scheme of the kitchen or bathroom where you plan on installing your new home hardware. Does it involve mostly cool colors or warm colors? Cool colors are blues, greens, purples and pinks, or shades that contain these hues.

If your bathroom features cool colors, one special kind of finish that would work well here, is verdigris. Verdigris gives the look of oxidized copper, which if you look at an old penny that has been oxidized, has a bluish green color. It also has a rustic and old fashioned feel. It would go great in a bathroom that has an aquatic theme.

Next, think about the basic décor aesthetic of your kitchen or bathroom. Is it more polished and modern, or does it have a very country, shabby-chic or rustic feel? Your finish should definitely match the aesthetic.

Chrome home hardware would be perfect for modern, ultra modern, or even a fancy or “romantic” theme, depending on the style of the cabinet hardware and hooks, right down to the toilet paper holder and even the soap dish. On the opposite side of the coin, antique iron, antique bronze or antique copper would go well in a rustic style atmosphere.

Then, there are the more versatile finishes available. Oil rubbed bronze home hardware is very popular, and it comes in many different shades of the same basic neutral, ruddy brownish gold. It's neutral, because it would go well with both cool and warm color schemes. Nickel is also very versatile, comes in variations like polished, satin and even black nickel, and is also considered largely neutral.

Now that you've answered these questions, you can narrow down your search for the right home hardware finish. Next, you can focus on the shape to go along with the overall style and feel of the room or rooms.