DIY Modern Brass Hardware
Tyler and I are in the midst of bathroom updates, and I couldn't be happier with the way everything is coming together. It's amazing what a few simple updates can do to the look and feel of a space. Feel free to click over and read about our bathroom plans here if you missed it.
As always, we try to do all of our projects on a reasonable budget which means DIY projects are prevalent in our household. Our latest project was one we started dreaming up after browsing the halls of our local hardware store's plumbing section. I knew I wanted brass hardware in the bathroom and to my delight, the plumbing section was full of pieces and parts! The only problem - plumbing parts might be brass but they aren't always those most streamlined pieces, so the search continued.
All of this research was right around the same time we decided to order our lamp parts, so as we were sifting and sorting through the Grand Brass website, it hit us again. We could use brass lamp parts to make our hardware! The color was perfect and Grand Brass offered straight-lined pieces that would meet our modern needs. We decided to give it a go.
We bought an assortment of pieces as we weren't quite sure what would be the perfect fit, but we ultimately ended up with a towel hook, towel bar and toilet paper holder. As compared to other modern brass hardware we found, this option was MUCH cheaper and I love the end result! Read below to see how we made DIY Modern Brass Hardware.
s u p p l i e s
- Towel Bar ($25.05 + shipping/tax)
- (1) 7" square threaded brass pipe - $11.15
- (2) 2" square threaded brass pipe - $3.70 each
- (2) 90 degree threaded brass arm back - $2.10 each
- (4) 1/2" threaded hollow brass nipple - $0.18 each
- (2) brass threaded reducer - $0.30 each
- (2) 6/32 x 1-1/2" machine bolts - $0.98 pack of 8
- Towel Hook ($10.04 + shipping/tax)
- (1) 2" square threaded brass pipe - $3.70
- (1) 1" square threaded brass pipe - $2.10
- (1) 90 degree threaded brass arm back - $2.10
- (2) 1/2" threaded hollow brass nipple - $0.18 each
- (1) brass slotted plug - $0.50
- (1) brass threaded reducer - $0.30
- (1) dowel screw - $0.98 pack of 3
- (1) drywall plug (if using)
- Toilet Paper Holder ($15.84 + shipping/tax)
- (1) 5" square threaded brass pipe - $7.90
- (1) 2" square threaded brass pipe - $3.70
- (1) 90 degree threaded brass arm back - $2.10
- (2) 1/2" threaded hollow brass nipple - $0.18 each
- (1) brass slotted plug - $0.50
- (1) brass threaded reducer - $0.30
- (1) dowel screw - $0.98 pack of 3
- (1) drywall plug (if using)
- Wrench
- Old towel
TOTAL: $50.93 + shipping/tax
i n s t r u c t i o n s
We made three different hardware pieces, but let's start with the towel bar first. All subsequent hardware is assembled in a similar fashion, so once you can figure out one, you can do them all.
There isn't too much to show here as the assembly is pretty straight forward. Once you figure out how large you want your hardware to be, gather all of the necessary pieces. As you can see below, a brass hollow nipple is required at each junction.
Start by screwing a brass hollow nipple into the end of a square brass pipe until secure. Then take another square brass pipe and screw it onto the other end of the brass hollow nipple. You may want to use an old towel and a wrench to achieve a tight fit without scratching the finish.
This process can take some adjusting (and patience!). Just keep twisting each piece until you reach a secure fit that is flush on all sides. The photo below shows the before and after results of one corner of a towel bar.
As I said, the towel bar is the most difficult piece to complete as it has the most turns. Tyler worked on this assembly for quite some time before getting to a perfectly flush piece. It may be helpful to purchase a few extra hollow brass nipples as some are threaded slightly different than others. The difference in threading may be helpful in reaching the flush finish you wish to achieve.
The last step of assembly is to screw in your reducer(s). Since the hole of each square bar is large, we used reducers to get down to a more manageable screw size. This made our final mounting much easier.
Once the piece is assembled, secure to your wall or piece of furniture as you find best. For the towel bar, we simply drilled small holes into the side of our cabinet and screwed our machine bolts into the end of each reducer. The final result looks fantastic!
If you're mounting into tile or a wall, I would recommend using a drywall plug and a dowel screw. Since a dowel screw has threads on each side, you will thread one end into your drywall plug and the other end will be screwed into your towel hook. Be sure to use a drywall plug that has a small head as you don't want it to show around the sides of your hardware.
Also, we inserted a brass plug into the top of our hardware for a clean finish.
The toilet paper holder is assembled and mounted just like the towel hook. Drywall plug and dowel screw inserted into the wall, brass plug inserted into the top of the hardware. Easy-peasy!
I couldn't be happier with the end result. The look is clean and simple without looking too fancy. Plus, each piece is extremely functional and cost a fraction of most brass hardware on the market today. This bathroom makeover is really coming together!
Stay tuned for more to come on our modern bathroom makeover! Everything is falling into place, and I can't wait to show the final result. Happy Monday!