Quick refresh for dated brass hardware

Left is before, right is after

I keep hearing people suggest swapping out knobs and drawer pulls as a quick way to refresh a room. That seems like a great idea -- relatively cheap, easy for anyone with a screwdriver -- and there are so many possibilities. Glass knobs, organic twig-shaped drawer pulls, etc. My problem was choosing which style I liked the best. I decided to wait until something really grabbed me.

There have been articles in home improvement magazines about burnished brass. It has been making a comeback -- but I wasn't sure if this warm-toned metal would be a flash in the pan, so I didn't give it serious thought.

All of the knobs looked dated and worn

Then one day I grabbed one of the dated knobs in my kitchen and noticed how scratched and pitted it was. Some of the shiny coating had worn off. I thought again of replacing all of them. But an idea sprouted: could this be brass? I unscrewed it. It was heavy and there was some tarnish on the back. Those were promising signs.

Could I get rid of the shiny coating? I grabbed some fine grit sandpaper and gave the knob a swipe. The scratched, pitted shiny surface rubbed off immemdiately. A few more swipes and the surface was dulled. It looked so much better, and it felt so velvety.

Much  better!

I quickly unscrewed all of the knobs around the kitchen. It didn't take long to brush each of them with the sandpaper and reveal the soft surface of the brass. (If I had done this while the knobs were still attached to the cabinets, I would have had a hard time avoiding the wood). The metal glowed in the light.

It's been several months and the knobs still look good. I think they will continue to wear well, because there is no coating to be dinged. As long as we continue to open the cabinets regularly, the oil from our fingers should keep them from tarnishing.

The best part is, this change was small, fast and free. The knobs feel nice to the touch, velvety and solid. This was a satisfying change.