How to Afford the Kitchen You Want

Hefty brass "bodies." Chrome plating. Nearly identical designs. Much of the difference between these vintage-style cabinet knobs comes down to how they're made.

Clean-cut castings. Watermark's flat-faced design gets its crisp detail in part from the six or seven cleanings it receives after being cast from molten brass. It's then polished by hand to eliminate nicks or bumps and coated in copper, nickel, then chrome (three times each) for a top-quality finish. About $33; Watermark Designs