About Mexican Cabinet
Hardware
Folks who absolutely love furniture done in the mission style, thick wood or Mexican designs will definitely need to match it with the proper hardware. Mexican cabinet hardware can be just as thick, heavy and striking as the piece it is accenting. It will also give off the same homey, old-world effect if chosen right. A grand array of Mexican cabinet hardware can be found from a variety of sources, or people can create their own to refine it to a particular piece. Does this Spark an idea?
Types
Mexican cabinet hardware comes in a variety of hinges, drawer pulls and knobs. Hinges can be square, round, oval or shaped like an arrow with a triangular point. More elaborate styles include the butterfly hinge, with two sides that fan out like butterfly wings; hatchet hinges, which feature a piece that latches by coming down like a hatchet to meet its mate; crown hinges, which have one or both ends in the shape of a small crown; and mustache hinges, which resemble an upturned mustache. Drawer pulls and knobs have an equally impressive variety. Pull rings, which are attached to the drawer or cabinet with a wire fastener, come in shapes ranging from a simple circle to heart-shaped designs. Knobs are often connected to an ornate base and handles can be smooth, twisted, straight or undulated.
Features
Much of the Mexican cabinet hardware will be rustic, done in bronze, wrought iron or a variety of dulled metals. Some will be a single color, while others will feature highlights of a rusty or limestone hue. Mexican cabinet hardware is generally thick, clunky, heavy and large enough to make a statement. For the more delicate cabinets, hardware selection can include a hammered, etched or plain tin or even more fragile pieces. Glass, beads and painted porcelain can be selected for a more refined look, but all will have an antique feel. Just because much of the cabinet hardware may look old and weathered doesn't mean it is. Some newer pieces may simply be painted with a rusty or other antique finish.
Function
While the hinges, knobs and handles serve obvious functions, other Mexican cabinet hardware has no other purpose but to look good. These include accents that are screwed on or otherwise attached to the furniture. They, too, can be made of wrought iron or a variety of other materials. Some of the shapes include flowers, suns, circles or other geometric formations and even small animal figures or masks. Accents can be placed anywhere on the piece for a dash of design.
Effects
Rustic, rugged and old world are the effects produced and usually desired by using Mexican cabinets and their hardware. But the effect is not going to work if fine attention is not paid to every detail. Using the wrong screws, for instance, can ruin the entire effect in a single glance. Those who use rustic or rusted hardware will want to get screws that match. Placing a shiny new screw with the beaten-down hardware is going to have a jarringly gauche effect. If proper screws cannot be found, one can easily create or purchase screw head covers. These are small pieces, made of the same or complementary material as the other hardware, that can be glued atop the screw heads to hide it and keep the look uniform. Screw heads can also be dabbed with antique or a matching color paint or paint pen so it blends.
Considerations
People don't have to rush out looking for hardware that matches what is exactly in their mind, but they can easily create their own. Creative types can simply choose a shape and size of the desired piece and embellish or paint it on their own.
Mexican cabinet hardware, or pieces that can be made into a dashing adornment, can be found at many home supply and hardware stores or online (see Resources below). Other places to scope out include salvage yards, which often have bins of hardware pieces, antique stores or from old furniture being discarded. Many a treasure can be found in heaps of debris.
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