Home Pro Trades Building Inspectors
Updated: Jul. 14, 2023
A style and trend expert helps to simplify the head-scratching and often frustrating process of choosing kitchen cabinet hardware
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The Finishing Touch
Choosing the right, perfectly-complementing kitchen cabinet hardware isn’t easy. There are just too many options! We asked trend manager Knikki Grantham how to decide on one product among the potential thousands there are to choose from. She gave us some great tips to help put the best possible finishing touch on your new cabinets.
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Choosing Color and Finish Based on Tone
- Hardware on white cabinets will stand out and steal the show, so it’s a great opportunity to go bold!
- If you have warm tones, go with gold, black, or bronze hardware.
- If you have a cold grey tone, then silver, pewter, black, and stainless steel hardware will work.
- Take note of lighting, appliances, and other metal accents in the room and stick to the same tone.
- It’s never a bad idea to buy one sample of several different options to see how they actually look installed. Some manufacturers will even ship you samples for a small fee.
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Should Everything Match?
Not necessarily. Think about coordinating more than matching. There is a flow that can be achieved from room to room by coordinating finishes, but it is much more pleasing to see variety than the same repetitive styles in every room of the home.
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Pulls or Knobs?
There isn’t a rule, rather a preference. Knobs are generally less expensive and easier to work with from a design perspective, as they are less significant to the overall look of a cabinet. Pulls are generally more expensive than knobs and significant to the overall appearance or design of a cabinet.
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Don’t Worry About Permanence
Swapping out kitchen hardware is financially friendly, so why not take a risk? There is no other single thing in a kitchen renovation that packs as much punch as changing the cabinet hardware. If you decide you’re growing tired of how your cabinets look in a few years, it’ll be much cheaper to freshen things up with new hardware than replacing the cabinets entirely.
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Choosing the Size of Your Cabinet Hardware
Overall, the hardware needs to FEEL right. From an aesthetic standpoint, if the design or size of the hardware overshadows the kitchen, then it is too big. There are some physical limitations to think about, like how pulls and knobs with large overhands or profiles can easily get caught on clothing. The hardware needs to be easily gripped. Since pulls tend to have a short profile, you need to make it easy for people with larger hands to use them. Nothing is more frustrating than non-functional hardware, no matter how good it looks. If you are choosing hardware from a showroom, test how it feels in use.
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Can Knobs and Pulls Be Mixed and Matched?
Don’t feel like you need to be defined by a style bucket. Hardware is an accessory to the kitchen, much like how shoes or a handbag can complete an outfit. Mixing styles would allow you to put your own signature on the kitchen.
Originally Published: April 15, 2019
Author
Harrison Kral
Harrison is a writer, editor and former construction worker covering the home building industry, the housing market and general DIY trends.
