One Year of Age on Our Unlacquered Brass Hardware
THE FARMHOUSE
It’s been just over a year since we installed unlacquered brass hardware in our Farmhouse kitchen and I wanted to share an update on how it’s aging. To say I love the finish is an understatement. I’m 100% obsessed with it. The unlacquered brass (also called an unfinished, living, or raw brass finish) ages and patinas and gets better with time. Have a look…
Pssst…check out 3 Years of Age on our Unlacquered Brass Hardware for a 3-year update on how our unlacquered brass hardware looks a few years down the road.
pulls, latches, rug, stools, + more kitchen sources here
What you’re seeing on the brass hardware isn’t dirt or at least not very much dirt. Mostly what you’re seeing is the aging process of unlacquered brass.
What is unlacquered brass hardware?
Unlacquered brass is brass that has no protective coating. Over time the brass will darken and patina and show wear. It’s relatively low-maintenance if left alone to age. This living finish may not appeal to everyone, but it’s great for someone who likes to watch things age gracefully.
Maintenance
We’ve decided to let our unlacquered brass hardware age naturally. We wipe it down and wash it with a little surface spray if dough or something questionable gets on the hardware. Otherwise it’s just wet cloths. But if you want to restore the original brass gleam or if you want to age the brass quickly, read on…
Can you pre-age unlacquered brass hardware?
Yes! If you like the patina of unlacquered brass hardware, you can get it on day one using a brass ager like this one. I’ve never done this myself but heard good things (definitely recommend you read up on it first).
Can you unlacquer existing brass hardware?
You can! At least everything I’ve read online says you can. Check out this post and this one if you’d like to give it a try. And please, let me know how it goes!
Can you return unlacquered brass to it’s original condition?
If the patina isn’t to your liking, you can always use brass polish to return the hardware to it’s original shiny state.
Unlacquered Brass Hardware Roundup
Here are some of my favorite unlacquered brass pulls, knobs, and latches…
sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
The bottom three we used here in the Farmhouse kitchen (number 10 is on the dishwasher in a long version). And for Poplar, I picked number 2 for the future drawers and cabinets.
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Now that we’ve had our unlacquered brass hardware for a year, I have to say that I like it even better than when we installed it. The wear and age feels so welcoming and historic. And I love that you can tell which cabinets and drawers are used the most just by the patina on the hardware.
Here are some wider shots of our kitchen so you can see how the unlacquered brass looks from a little farther back.
