Antique Style Cabinet Handles Buying Guide
Antique style cabinet handles are new handles made in the shapes and finishes of earlier periods: the cup pull, the bail, the round knob, the aged brass. They are not antiques, and a good one does not pretend to be. This page holds antique style, vintage and old style cabinet handles, also searched as antique drawer handles, antique cupboard handles and vintage cabinet handles, in cup pulls, knobs, a swivel bail and bar handles for kitchens, bathroom vanities, wardrobes and furniture. Below, you will find what antique style means, which shapes belong to which period, and how to match a handle to a door. It then covers what each range measures, how to size a handle and how to look after the finish. For antique brass finishes, see brushed brass cabinet handles, and for handles in every style, start at cabinet handles.
What antique style means
Reproduction designs are inspired by Victorian, Edwardian, Federation, Georgian, Art Deco, Art Nouveau and French Provincial eras, and they suit both period furniture restoration and updating newer pieces with a traditional look. Antique brass handles suit restoring a vintage home or adding classic style to a modern space. The term therefore covers three things: a reproduction of a period shape, a modern shape in an aged finish, and a plain traditional form such as a cup pull or a round knob.
The finish is the part buyers notice first. Antique brass is solid or plated brass with a darker, aged finish that gives a lived-in, vintage appearance, softer and more muted than polished or brushed brass, and it develops a richer patina over time. Acid washed, burnished and aged brass are separate looks. For the finish itself in more detail, the pages for solid brass cabinet handles and bronze cabinet handles cover the materials.
Shapes and the periods they come from
Period forms include bail pulls, teardrops, ring pulls, trunk handles, pedestal handles and cup pulls, along with drop handles, escutcheons, knobs, plate handles, pull handles and ring handles in brass, bronze, glass, porcelain and bone. The practical reading for a modern kitchen is that a cup pull is the classic drawer handle, a round knob is the classic door handle, and a bail or ring pull is the formal choice for a chest or a vanity. See cup pull cabinet handles and cabinet knobs.
Matching a handle to the door
Traditional handles suit Old-World style homes, including Hamptons, coastal, country, French Provincial and Victorian. Antique brass suits timber cabinetry, Shaker doors and panel-ready appliances, heritage homes, and modern interiors with a vintage accent. Shapes pair with doors: Shaker and traditional doors take pulls, round knobs and classic bar handles in brushed brass or satin nickel, and Hamptons or coastal rooms take round or D-shaped pulls in satin nickel or brushed brass. Gunmetal grey and antique bronze suit moody, industrial or heritage looks.
On colour, brass looks striking against deep colours and light greys, and lighter finishes such as nickel and chrome suit bright white, deep blue and green schemes. Match the metal to the colour. For nickel, see brushed nickel cabinet handles and chrome cabinet handles. For a black accent, see black cabinet handles.
For a modern kitchen, that is why antique style comes in several finishes and not only brass: antique copper, antique iron, antique silver, bronze, champagne gold, vintage gold, hammered gold, pewter, polished nickel, satin nickel, matt black and hammered black, as well as antique brass, antique bronze, chrome and polished brass. The Momo Handles pieces on this page use brushed matt brass, brushed gold, brushed nickel, satin nickel, chrome and matt black, which is the nickel and black end of that range.
Cup pull, knob or bail
The choice follows the use. Knobs are single-hole and suit drawers and upper cabinets, while pulls are longer, need two fixings and suit drawers, doors and high-use areas, and large drawers need long pulls for easier leverage. A cup pull is a pull in a semi-circular form that sits on the face of a drawer, and pulls are gripped with three or four fingers, which suits heavy drawers and children and older people better than a knob.
The ranges on this page, measured
Hole centres, also called the fixing distance, are the gap between the two screw holes, overall length is the full length of the handle, and projection is how far the handle stands off the door.
- The Momo Handles Florencia is a cup pull on 64mm centres, 104mm long and 29mm wide, with a projection of 25mm, in zinc alloy. It is a classically stylish handle with an elegant cup pull function. It comes in antique brass, brushed nickel, satin nickel, chrome plated and matt black, and the Florencia range also includes a knob.
- The Momo Handles Pellaro is a classic knob, 32mm across with a projection of 36mm, in zinc alloy, in brushed matt brass, brushed nickel and matt black.
- The Momo Handles Land is a knob with a vintage aesthetic, 40mm across with a projection of 33mm, in zinc alloy, in matt black and brushed gold.
- The Momo Handles Trianon is a swivel bail handle in white and brushed nickel, on 224mm centres, 245mm long, with a projection of 63mm. The Trianon range is designed for traditional kitchens.
- The Zanda Mayfair is a zinc alloy handle in brushed nickel, 152, 220 or 318mm overall on 128, 192 or 288mm centres, with a projection of 40mm, and a matching 32mm knob. See Zanda cabinet handles.
Read these against each other. The Florencia is the lowest-profile handle at 25mm projection, and the Trianon is the deepest at 63mm, which suits a chest or a vanity drawer more than a walkway. Most of the page is zinc alloy, so the finish is a plated or coated layer, and the antique brass look is a finish on zinc and not solid brass. For solid brass, see the page linked above. For more on the metal, see zinc alloy cabinet handles.
Choosing the finish
The finishes are easy to place. Brushed brass is warm and elegant and pairs well with white or navy cabinetry, and matte black is bold and modern and works best where tones contrast. Satin nickel is versatile and suits most cabinet styles, gunmetal grey and antique bronze suit moody, industrial or heritage looks, and white is clean and minimal, for blending in or adding contrast. Brushed finishes hide fingerprints better than polished ones, which helps in high-touch areas. For a period room, choose the metal that matches your taps and light fittings, and let the shape of the handle and not the finish carry the period feel.
Choosing the size
Hole centres, and not overall length, measure handle length, so the 64mm Florencia is 104mm long overall. As a rule of thumb and not a strict rule, a pull is commonly about one third of the drawer or door width. Pot drawers and pantry doors take longer handles of 250mm or more, and smaller handles or knobs suit upper cabinets.
Read against this page, the 32mm Pellaro and Mayfair knobs suit a standard door, and the 40mm Land knob suits a deeper drawer front or a pantry door. The 64mm Florencia cup pull suits a drawer front up to about 400mm wide, the 192 and 288mm Mayfair handles suit a wider drawer, and the 224mm Trianon suits a wide drawer or a chest.
If you are replacing handles, measure the centres of the holes you have. A 128mm handle will not fit 160mm holes without drilling new holes, which can leave marks on a painted or veneered front, so match the existing centres unless you plan to fill the old holes. Many handles include screws for 16 to 18mm cabinet boards, so check your door thickness.
Where to put the handle
Centre the handle on a drawer front. On a base door, place it near the top corner on the side opposite the hinges, and on a wall door near the bottom corner. The usual rule is horizontal handles on pull-out drawers and vertical handles on doors, and handles should never hit each other when cabinets open. Put painter's tape where the handle will go to compare sizes, and check that fingers have room to grip. Hold a handle against your cabinet and check the grip, including for larger hands or arthritic fingers. See also cabinet pull handles.
Mixing finishes in a period room
Use one or two handle styles consistently, use the same finish through the home, and limit each room to two metal finishes. Either match handles to other fixtures or contrast them on purpose. In a traditional bathroom, that can mean a nickel knob on the vanity door with nickel taps. See bathroom vanities for the cabinets. For a room door, and not a cabinet, see interior door handles.
How to care for the finish
Wipe a plated or coated handle with a soft cloth and mild soap and water, then dry it. Abrasive pads, steel wool and harsh chemicals can damage the finish, so keep them away. Dull-looking finished handles are usually a film of hand oil and cooking residue and not changed metal. A living brass finish needs less, not more, because trying to keep the surface perfectly uniform can do more damage than letting it age. Follow the product's own care note, because a lacquered finish and a living finish need different treatment.
A short checklist before you order
- Decide the effect: a reproduction of a period shape, a plain traditional form, or an aged finish on a modern shape.
- Check the material line: zinc alloy with a brass finish is not solid brass.
- Measure the centres of your existing holes, and choose a handle about one third of the drawer width.
- Check the projection, the cabinet thickness and whether screws are included, since many handles come with screws cut for 16 to 18mm boards.
- Keep to one or two metal finishes in the room.
For the full range of handle styles, return to cabinet handles, or see the Momo Handles premium cabinet handles range.
