Integrating Technology into a Handmade Kitchen Without It Dating in Five Years
Our handmade kitchens are built to last. Every cabinet, piece of timber, the joinery and the finishes are all designed…
Handles and knobs are the jewellery of a bespoke kitchen, and the detail that lifts a Shaker or traditional cabinet from good to characterful. We work most often with Armac Martin, the British hardware foundry, alongside Perrin & Rowe and a handful of smaller specialist makers, in solid brass, aged brass, polished nickel, antique bronze and chrome.
Solid Brass, British-Made Hardware
The right handles transform a kitchen. We specify hand-finished solid brass hardware that develops its own patina over years of use; the kind of fitting that becomes more characterful, not less, with daily handling. Our most frequently used maker is Armac Martin, the family-run British foundry whose Sparkbrook, MIX, Cotswold and Crossways collections give us a vast palette of finishes and shapes.
Each collection has a slightly different temperament: Sparkbrook is classic and confident; MIX is modern and refined; Cotswold leans country-house traditional; Crossways introduces geometric, more contemporary forms. We help you choose the right collection and finish for your door style, paint colour and overall look.
Handle finishes and forms we work with
- Cup handles: a Shaker classic, on drawers and pan drawers
- Knobs: on doors, either solid round or octagonal
- T-bars and pull handles: on tall units, larders and modern handleless schemes
- Hat and coat hooks: for utility and boot-room cabinetry
- Decorative grilles: brass mesh for vented cabinets and media walls
- Finishes: burnished brass, aged brass, antique brass, polished nickel, satin nickel, antique bronze, polished chrome and bespoke patinated finishes
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you recommend Armac Martin?
Armac Martin is a family-run British foundry that has been making solid brass hardware since 1929. The handles are hand-finished, solid throughout (not plated), and develop a genuine patina over time. Their range is broad enough to suit classic, modern and traditional Shaker kitchens, and the quality is the best we have found.
Can I mix and match handle styles within one kitchen?
Yes, and we often do. A common combination is cup handles on drawers, knobs on wall units, and T-bars on tall larders, all in the same finish. Mixing the form keeps the kitchen visually interesting without breaking its character.
What finish works best with a hand-painted kitchen?
It depends on the paint colour and the property. Aged brass and burnished brass are warm and timeless, working beautifully with greens, navies, off-whites and warm neutrals. Polished nickel and chrome read cooler and more contemporary, suiting cleaner monochrome palettes. We sample physically in our showroom so you can see the combination before specifying.
Do brass handles tarnish or stay shiny?
Solid brass develops a patina with handling, which most clients love. Lacquered brass stays bright; aged or burnished finishes are deliberately not-lacquered and intended to age. We will explain the finish behaviour before you choose.
Can you source handles from other makers if I have a specific preference?
Yes. We work with Perrin & Rowe, a number of smaller foundries, and we can source bespoke hand-forged hardware where the project calls for it.
Suppliers
Please note, Handmade Kitchen’s use of manufacturer trademarks and trademark devices on this website is only to directly describe
the appliances we are able to source for our customers and we do not intend to imply any connection, affiliation or trading relationship
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