Object of Desire: Brass Kitchen Accessories from Unearthen in LA

There are two kinds of kitchen people: the “as long as it works” crowd and the “my cabinet pulls have a backstory” crowd.
If you’re reading this, congratulationsyou’re in the second group (or you’re about to be).
Because once you notice really good brass kitchen accessories, it’s over. You’ll start judging rental knobs. Quietly.
Politely. While spiraling on the inside.

Enter Unearthen, a Los Angeles design studio known for jewelry, home objects, and hardware that feel less like “fixtures”
and more like tiny sculptures that just happen to be useful.
Think of it as the moment your kitchen upgrades from “functional” to “I have opinions about patina.”

Meet Unearthen: A Jewelry-Minded Design Studio in Los Angeles

Unearthen is based in Los Angeles and has been creating objects with a strong point of view for yearsblending
a jeweler’s eye for form with a maker’s respect for materials.
The brand is associated with designer and jeweler Gia Jones, and the studio’s approach emphasizes
thoughtful making and a natural, lived-in beauty rather than factory-perfect sameness.

If you love pieces that feel personallike they were made by a human being with hands (imagine that!)Unearthen’s
hardware fits the bill. Many items are produced to order, and slight variations are part of the charm.
In other words, your drawer pull won’t look like it came from the same mold as your neighbor’s “builder basic” situation.

Why Brass Keeps Stealing the Spotlight in Kitchens

Brass is having a long, slow, extremely photogenic moment in kitchensand it’s not just because it looks good on Instagram.
Warm metals play well with nearly every style: modern, traditional, rustic, minimal, maximal, “I thrifted this cabinet and it changed me,”
and even “my kids treat drawers like they’re training for an Olympic slam event.”

Brass does three things kitchens desperately need

• Warms up hard surfaces: Stone, tile, stainless steel, and painted cabinetry can feel chilly. Brass adds glow.
• Reads as “intentional”: Hardware is small, but it signals taste. (Yes, your knobs are talking about you.)
• Ages with personality: Many brass finishes develop patinameaning they change over time in a way that feels organic, not “worn out.”

Designers continue to treat kitchen hardware like jewelryfavoring tactile shapes, statement pulls, and mixed textures.
The trend isn’t “more stuff.” It’s “better details.”

What Makes Unearthen’s Brass Accessories Feel Different

Lots of brands sell “brass.” Unearthen sells brass that feels aliveless mass-produced shine, more handmade soul.
The forms tend to be sculptural: subtle curves, softened edges, and shapes that look like they were discovered rather than drafted.

Another point: Unearthen’s hardware has been described as being made using traditional fabrication methods
(including casting processes) and produced by hand in California.
That matters because it shows up in the finishtiny nuances, gentle irregularities, and an overall sense that your kitchen is wearing a one-of-a-kind accessory.

Standout Brass Kitchen Accessories Worth Obsessing Over

If you want to bring Unearthen’s vibe into your kitchen, start small. Hardware and tools are the gateway items:
low-commitment, high-impact, and dangerously satisfying.

1) Brass door and drawer handles

A great handle is like a handshake: it sets the tone. Unearthen’s brass door and drawer handles are compact, substantial,
and intentionally simplemeaning they pair beautifully with everything from Shaker cabinets to sleek flat-front doors.
These pieces often come with screws and are made to order, which is a fancy way of saying: “This wasn’t sitting in a warehouse next to a box of random hex keys.”

Where they shine: pantry doors, appliance garages, pull-out trash drawers, and any cabinet you touch 37 times a day.
If you’re doing a small refresh, swapping just the island hardware can instantly make the whole kitchen feel upgraded.

2) Brass hook and cabinet pull hybrids

This is the unsung hero of kitchen organization: the hook that also acts like a pull.
In a kitchen, a little hook goes a long wayespecially when it looks like a tiny sculpture.

• Use it as a towel hook near the sink.
• Install a few as mug hooks under open shelves.
• Put one by the range for a oven mitt that finally has a home.
• Use it on a shallow cabinet as a pull that feels more artisanal than standard bar hardware.

Bonus: these kinds of pieces bring texture to a kitchen that might otherwise be all smooth surfaces and straight lines.
It’s the design equivalent of adding flaky saltsmall, but it changes everything.

3) Brass measuring spoons (the “why is this so beautiful?” category)

Measuring spoons are usually the most neglected tool in a draweruntil you see a set that’s hand-sculpted and brass-cast.
Unearthen’s measuring spoons have been spotted through design retailers and tastemaker shops,
and they’re a perfect example of the studio’s superpower: making everyday objects feel like keepsakes.

This is the kind of accessory you “accidentally” leave out on the counter.
Not because you’re messybecause you’re curating a mood.

4) Brass bowls and tiny serving pieces

Small brass bowls and spoons are wildly useful in the kitchen: salt wells, spice dishes, condiment cups, olive pits,
tea bags, jewelry while you cookyes, your ring needs a safe place when you’re making meatballs.
A sculpted brass bowl-and-spoon set can live on the counter and make your kitchen feel styled without trying too hard.

How to Style Brass Accessories Without Making Your Kitchen Look Like a Trophy Case

Brass is warm, but it can read “too much” if you go full shiny-gold-everywhere.
The goal is balanced glowlike candlelight, not a marching band.

Try these styling moves

• Pick one hero moment: Make the island pulls your statement, then keep perimeter cabinets simpler.
• Pair brass with quiet materials: white oak, walnut, creamy painted cabinets, honed stone, handmade tile.
• Repeat the tone 2–3 times: hardware + a faucet + a small accessory (like a salt dish). Then stop. Step away from the checkout button.
• Mix metals like a grown-up: brass plus blackened steel or aged nickel can look layered and intentional, not chaotic.

If your kitchen already has stainless appliances, brass is still a great match.
Stainless is neutral; brass is the personality.

Living Finish 101: Patina, Fingerprints, and the Fine Art of Not Panicking

Let’s talk about the thing people either love deeply or fear irrationally: patina.
Many brass piecesespecially those without heavy protective coatingswill darken and shift tone over time.
That’s not a defect. That’s the point.

Patina is basically your kitchen telling the story of how it’s used: where you grab the pantry pull,
where your kid yanks the snack drawer, where you hang the dish towel after washing the same pan (again).
It’s character. It’s charm. It’s also a very convenient excuse to stop chasing perfection.

Quick care rules (so your brass stays gorgeous)

• For regular cleaning: warm water + mild dish soap + soft cloth. Dry thoroughly.
• If you love patina: avoid abrasive cleaners and strong acids (they can strip the aged look).
• If you want more shine: gentle polishing methods exist, but know they can reset the finish.
• Know your material: solid brass can handle more than brass-plated pieces. If you’re unsure, treat it gently.

A helpful reality check: most of what makes brass look “dirty” in a kitchen is just oil from hands and cooking residue.
Soap and water solve more problems than a panic-purchase of six different polishes ever will.

Buying and Installing Unearthen Brass Accessories Like You’ve Done This Before

A few practical tips can keep your “object of desire” moment from turning into a “why doesn’t this fit?” moment.
(We’ve all been there with online carts and confident optimism.)

Measure first, swoon second

• Check hole spacing: If you’re replacing pulls, measure the distance between existing screw holes (center-to-center).
• Mind projection: A pull that sticks out farther feels substantial, but it can also catch pockets and tea towels.
• Order a sample approach: If you’re doing a whole kitchen, start with one or two pieces and live with them for a week.

Expect handmade timelines

Many studio-made pieces are produced to order and can take time to ship.
That’s normal for small-batch work and part of what you’re paying for: real making, not instant vending-machine decor.

Experiences: Living With “Object of Desire” Brass in the Real World (About )

Picture a normal Tuesday: you wander into the kitchen half-awake, aiming for coffee like it’s a medical necessity.
You reach for the cabinetand your hand lands on a cool, weighty brass pull that feels like a tiny piece of sculpture.
It’s an oddly satisfying moment, like your kitchen just whispered, “Good morning. You have taste now.”

The first week with brass accessories is basically a honeymoon. You catch yourself opening drawers you don’t even need,
just to feel the hardware again. You start describing it to friends in a way that makes you sound
like a person who definitely owns linen napkins. (“It’s not shiny-shiny. It’s…glowy.”)

Then real life happensbecause kitchens are not museums, they’re chaos factories with snacks.
Someone cooks. Someone touches the pull with slightly buttery fingers.
A water droplet lands near the sink hook. And suddenly you notice it: the brass is changing.
A tiny darkening here. A soft spot of warmth there.
If you’re new to living finishes, there’s a brief moment where your brain tries to file this under
“problem to solve,” like it’s a stain on a white shirt.

But here’s the twist: the more you live with it, the more you get it.
That gentle shift in color becomes the entire appeal.
The hardware starts looking less like a product and more like part of your kitchen’s story.
The places you touch most often become slightly deeper in tone. The edges soften visually.
Everything starts to feel more grounded and humanlike your space is being used and loved, not staged.

And then there’s the “countertop accessory effect.”
A brass bowl with a tiny spoon becomes your new favorite landing spot:
flaky salt for finishing roasted vegetables, a pinch of chili flakes, a spoonful of smoked paprika,
or even just a place to toss your rings before you knead dough.
It’s functional, surebut it also makes your kitchen feel styled without effort.
The object does the decorating for you. You just exist near it.

Eventually, guests notice. Not in a “wow, cabinets” waymore like,
“Why does your kitchen feel so good?” Someone reaches for a towel and pauses at the hook like they’ve discovered treasure.
Someone spots the measuring spoons and asks where you got them.
You shrug casually, as if you didn’t spend three hours comparing finishes and imagining your future self
living in a sunlit home where all food is beautifully plated.

The funniest part is how small these changes are. You didn’t remodel.
You didn’t knock down a wall. You didn’t install a new marble slab the size of a small aircraft carrier.
You chose a few brass pieces with presenceand they quietly elevated the whole room.
It’s the design version of switching from drugstore shampoo to the good stuff:
same basic activity, wildly improved vibe.

Conclusion

Unearthen’s brass kitchen accessories are the kind of details that make a kitchen feel intentionalwithout feeling precious.
They’re practical objects with an artful edge: hardware that functions like jewelry, tools that deserve to be left out,
and finishes that get better (and more personal) the longer you live with them.

If you want a kitchen upgrade that’s high-impact but not a full-scale renovation, start here.
Swap a few pulls, add a hook near the sink, give your salt a proper little bowl, and let the brass do what it does best:
bring warmth, character, and a glow that looks good in every kind of lighteven the unforgiving overhead one.

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