Designing with Knobs and Pulls - Get a Scheme Going!

It's easy to see that our knobs and pulls are little works of art. So naturally I like to think of the cabinet door or drawer as the canvas or frame that surrounds it. For a simple or delicate look you can opt for a small knob within a large space or you can be bold and go the dramatic route and use a large knob or pull on a small drawer. So much depends upon the style of the room or the furniture piece.  Is it formal, casual, playful, colorful?  What kind of attitude or personality are you courting?  There's no doubt that both size and placement of your decorative hardware are key in affecting the look you're trying to achieve.  To give you an idea of some of your options, I've selected some photos of our asymmetrical Eel pulls to show the various ways they'e positioned on cabinets and furniture.

For balance and symmetry our 4 in. Eel Iris pulls are paired with a right and left curve on these kitchen cabinet doors. Drawers have matching Nu Iris knobs 1.5 in.diameter.

In this bathroom , our 4 in. Eel Lily pulls are placed in the center paneling of the drawers. Matching Nu Lily knobs 1.5 in. diameter are positioned on the door frame.  Although the colors are subtle, int this case the hardware has a bold effect.

On our Bolero dresser, our 4 in. Eel Lily pulls zigzag down the bank of drawers. Matching Nu Lily knobs 1.5 in. diameter are placed on the cabinet door moldings. For extra drama, we selected a contrasting color scheme for the hardware.

Placed vertically on our Bolero dresser, the right and left curve of our 4 in. Eel pulls emphasize and flow with the direction of the artwork. Once again, choice of contrasting hardware colors is deliberate and effective.

Missing Vocabulary

When I think about our times at the NY gift show, I like to recall a common reaction from buyers as they approached our booth. First there would be the curious, Ooh what's this? Then I'd watch their eyes scan for the signage where they would see our company name and location. Then the comment "Ohhhhh whaddya know, they're from California of course" So what does this mean? I've had plenty of time to think about it over the years and I've come up with a theory. Obviously designs from the west coast have a recognizable style or look that these buyers identify; untraditional, unexpected, over the top and trend setting. But a good solid finite description seems to be lacking. This brings me to the subject of this post.-

I' ve been trying to find the right words to describe our look for awhile. Even the designers, editors, and other professionals, etc , have not pinpointed some choice words to describe our style. Funky tends to be used for lack of a better word and whimsical seems to be the choice word for any indulgent use of color. We need some new descriptive words in the home furnishing industry. Yes we have art deco, or antique, paris flea market, post modern and so forth. But I think we need a California label, an umbrella that will encompass the uniqueness that California designers contribute to the mix. We are obviously not from a particular school of thought or movement. Could it be the magnificent vistas, plentiful sunshine or proximity to the far east and Mexico that affects our creations?