Readers are constantly sending emails asking where to find cabinet pulls for vintage kitchen cabinets made by Youngstown, Geneva, and other makers. The answer: Not an easy one, I am afraid.

For example, the chevrons aka boomerangs above, on 2-3/4″ centers, are classic early Youngstowns. The Geneva’s that are most problematic are the kind with the recessed, plastic backplate.

The vintage Youngstowns CAN be found – but you are going to have to hunt and peck and search and wait. Watch ebay, try sites like historichouseparts.com (I helped a reader find some there just last year – they are still shown under “Jamestown” cabinets – a seller of Youngstowns, I believe), and maybe Liz’s Antique Hardware?

The Geneva backplate issue has been a difficult one for years, again as far as I know. I started hunting for my steel cabinets about 7 years ago. I constantly saw this question asked on forums. I know of no source for them.

Meanwhile: Be sure to see my Category called “Cabinet Hardware” for replacement choices.

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The folks at Rejuvenation – and their new offshoot brand Satellite -  are at it again – and have introduced a whole new lineup of midcentury-styled cabinet knobs and pulls.

I know that readers here will be thrilled to see the boomerang aka chevron pulls (1st photo) …now, can we have them in 2-3/4″ spread, too? And, the arched pull (2nd photo) is a design based on an original Washington Line pull – cool!

Of course, I also know that readers will love the “star backplate.” Let me suggest, though — use this for the bathroom where you only need a few of them…they also look great with crystal knobs. Remember this vanity — it shows how this pull can be used very nicely – not too much, not too little – just right.

In the kitchen — I think the stars would be way too much.

Oh — and at $4 for pulls and $7 for the knobs+backplates, these are well priced. Thanks, Rejuvenation!

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I have 100+ draft posts in the wings – and this is one of them. New reader Anita says that she’s been looking through the site for retro cabinet pulls – so I thought that I’d better get this one up. It’s a beautiful – admittedly expensive @ $23.90 — atomic pull from Crown City Hardware.

Importantly – this one comes in two sizes, including with a 2-3/4″ spread. I recall a reader looking hard for this feature – I believe that 50s metal kitchen cabinets had this spread.

If you are looking for cabinet hardware – check out my Category of the same name. And Anita – let us know what you decide!

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St. Louis Elizabeth writes:

Dear Pam:

I wanted to alert you and forum readers to a recent find.

After the Palm Beach restorer’s comments on rechroming hardware, I decided to seek a modern, replacement pull with the right retro feel for my slab-front cabinet doors. (I’ll need ~36 and couldn’t afford vintage items at $8-12 each.)

It took a lot of searching. But I finally came up with something in the original 3″ span between holes (4″ overall), with what seems like the right feel:

Hickory Hardware #P115-26
http://www.myknobs.com/belp11526.html

And it was at the unbeatable sale price of $1.93 ea.

Things arrived yesterday, approximately a week after my order, well packed and promptly delivered within the promised 7-14 days. – Elizabeth

Many thanks, Elizabeth! These look very sleek indeed, and at a great price.

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“Meet the Austins” recently linked to my site saying they liked one of my living room post illustrations. So, I dug up these two 1957 kitchens for them, too. What do you think, Austins?

Like so many other elements of postwar homes, these kitchens very often had a Colonial flair. The paint colors are like colonial Milk Paint. Also notice the colonial style ceiling lights, chairs, curtains and accessories in both photos. In reality, 50s painted wood kitchen cabinets pull can lean either colonial or modern, but for the Father Knows Best look, I’m a sucker for colonial.

All of these cabinet pulls are available from Amerock — a large manufacturer whose prices and quality are just fine.

<——-I also adore this hinge – it’s a wrought-iron strap-style hinge that you use to install a 3/4 overlay door onto a cabinet; you know, those thinnish birch or maple plywood doors so very common in postwar kitchens. Strip, prime with the best primer you can find, and paint the wood, install with strap/hinge, add pull in same shade of black iron. Very cool look.

Finally, Amerock also has several more modern style cabinet pulls worth considering — the first set of three Crosley pulls (just above) kind of a traditional steel cabinet pull… the second (below), getting closer to the famous yet elusive Youngstown chevron pull…the final (below, right), similar to a streamlined waterfall pull, sweet.

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Julie from Seattle recently sent a photo (immediately above) of the original built-in from her new home in Seattle, and asked for some help with a couple of issues. Here’s what she had to say:

Hi, Pam. I love your blog. We just moved into a 1950’s ranch in Seattle and have this amazing huge built-in cabinet in the Dining Room. It’s very asian feeling and I’m wondering if you’ve ever seen anything like it in a 50’s home? Our bedroom also has a built-in which two closets and a dresser that is built very similarly. Just curious. I’m looking for some coppery toned knobs to replace the shiny brass ones the previous owner used. Any suggestions? – Thanks, Julie

Amazingly, my husband had just bought me a book about vintage Heywood Wakefield and I used it to turn up the 1950 Joseph Carr-designed credenza in the photo at the top. I think the lines are very similar to Julie’s built-in. Also, there are other famous families of Heywood Wakefield — namely Kohinoor and Sculptura — that also are similar. I am not a wood species person. Is anyone out there? The famous blonde Heywood Wakefield was maple or birch. What about Julie’s built-in?

For the second part of Julie’s question – about coppertone knobs, I turned to a couple of sources and hit it bigtime at Liz’s Antique Hardware online, which currently offers a nice selection of antique coppertone, chrome and other finish knobs in the satellite-cone styles we are all raving about this week. (Screen shots above, at at the bottom of this post – nice selection right now!) Julie loved these, and said she would order some sample. Julie, you must report back!

The LAHardware.com site can be a bit difficult so I made a screen shot to help you navigate right to these terrific vintage cabinet pulls. Coincidently – or not, as we are all on the same retrowavelength – digretro also posted this comment yesterday on the uber-pink kitchen post:

Hello Pam & retro all!
A well deserved congrats on your kitchen spot !
In regards to the pink kitchen cabinet pulls .. an ebay pick with some close runner-ups:
http://tinyurl.com/399nov
pricey? hmmm – very cool – yes!

And guess what? This ebay find of DigRetro’s is also — Liz’ Antique Hardware! Happy shopping (and salvaging) everyone, and thank you Seattle Julie, and DigRetro!

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These kitchen cabinets are SO TYPICAL of the postwar era. Birch with three-quarter (or traditional) overlay doors. The three-quarter or traditional means that the doors do not entirely cover (”full overlay”) the cabinet box, which is what you see with most vintage steel kitchen cabinets.

What I really like about this 1961 kitchen is how they’ve used atomic style cabinet pulls to modernize the look. You can still get these – in a nice heavy chrome on brass, with the backplate – from Rejuvenation Lighting.

Also very cool: the countertop, the yellow sink, the floor, the wallpaper and the chairs and dinette – which you can also replicate today with Modernica’s Case Study series.

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The catalog just arrived and I see that Van Dyke’s Restorers also has several good cabinet knobs and pulls in their most recent catalog. I really like one pull in the catalog – p. 176 – an asymmetric aircraft-style design. It’s not on the website, and it’s not expensive ($5.99). Check it out. I also like the “Diner series hook” pictured above/center. The Diner series appears to me to be more contemporary/2005 than 1955 – but it’s a nice tribute for someone who doesn’t want to go completely retro. Prices on other pulls look good, too – for example, the waterfall style pull pictured first is featured on a post below, but I think the price is better at Van Dykes. Try their website, search “art deco” and “diner” – but for the complete selection, you’ll need to call for their catalog.

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Some of my favorite pulls and knobs:

• Photos with gray-green background: All from Rejuvenation Lighting.
• Gold pull: From Mac the Antique Plumber — but go for the chrome instead!

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