Remodelista

The kitchen in my first apartment in San Francisco had simple white shelves and an old porcelain sink. So far, so good. The problem was the hideous knobs on the cupboards. I scoured the city's hardware stores and was delighted when I found a source for Sugatsune, the Japanese hardware company. I loaded up on a simple stainless-steel knob and transformed our spartan kitchen. When we moved out of the apartment, I diligently removed the knobs and took them with me to our new house. Once again, with the help of lashings of white paint, I transformed the dingy cupboards into something more contemporary and infinitely more liveable. I still believe that Sugatsune rules the roost when it comes to hardware. Here are ten cabinet-pull ideas:

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4. Stainless-steel flush pull with stain finish $7; www.sugatsune.com 5. Hafele nickel plated brass handle $12.93 www.woodworkerswholesale.com

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9. Lansa handle Ikea, stainless steel, $7.99 per pair; www.ikea.com 10. Excel knob, aluminium with alumite finish, $3.40; www.sugatsune.com