Four Hardware Terms Every Grown-up Should Know

Hellooooooo Hoomans!

This is a fun little bit of info you can use to sound like a furniture expert. When you finish reading this you will be able to walk and talk like a hardware expert!

Most cabinets and furniture pieces require some manner of opening the doors and drawers - not all though. Every grown up should know these four hardware terms (at least):

When you see a flat surfaced door or drawer for instance, there is probably what is known as a FINGER PULL underneath or on the side, a kind of carved out spot to slip your fingers into and pull it out. Other than that you are going to need a piece of hardware to open things. And hardware does not mean a nail or a screw in this case.

Finger Pull Drawer

Most dogs don’t wear jewelry, except Frenchies (French bulldogs) and other foo-foo lap dogs. They wear clothes and costumes, and jewelry and stuff. I think maybe it's their owners that are weird.

Anyway, it seems like the hardware is the “jewelry," or the coup de grace of any furniture piece. It goes on last and is the final shining jewel. If you are refurbishing a piece, you may want to use the original hardware exactly as is, or clean it up a bit and use it. Or you may want to replace it for a more updated look. Depends on the piece and your personal preferences.

PULLS + KNOBS

Let’s start with PULLS aka KNOBS. (Not to be confused with HANDLES, which is next.)

Pulls are fixtures attached to drawers' front faces or doors to allow them to be pulled open. For the most part, they attach at a single point. Of course there is always an exception - bail pulls - they require two or more screws. A bail hangs down and swings from two posts.

A few features to keep in mind when purchasing these guys are:

• How far does it project out from the drawer face?

• Does the material/style match the period of the piece?

• Is the screw long enough to reach through the cabinet or drawer front?

Here are a few examples of PULLS (you can find all of these at Shackteau Interiors):

Drop Bail Pull

HANDLES

Let’s move on to HANDLES.

Handles are fixtures attached to drawer or door fronts and can be a bar or piece of material broad enough for multiple fingers to hold it.

DROP BAILS

To me DROP BAILS should be in this group, not in PULLS, but what do I know? I’m just a dog.

For handles, the features to keep in mind are:

• The features from the handles and pulls from above and

• They come in different widths, 3”, 4”, 5”, etc. To find out what size handle your furniture requires, measure from the center of the first hole to the center of the second hole.

Now you have the lingo. Pulls, Handles, Knobs, and Drop Bails galore. If you decide to do a little shopping and want something a little more unique than what you would find at big-box-stores, check out Shackteau Interiors. They know their stuff and have a great selection! They're unique enough to stand out from your friends' and neighbors' stereotypical hardware selections, and beautiful enough to quickly upgrade any piece of furniture. Their customer service is awesome. My hardware arrived in a beautiful little burlap bag and was exactly what I expected.

Kristen, the owner of Shackteau Interiors, has even provided this coupon for you to use on your next purchase:

LUCY10 for 10% off your purchase!

Please check out Lucy's Furniture Creations for a gallery of sold and available pieces. There’s also a group of pieces that are NAKED and ready for customization!

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