How To Choose Cabinet Hardware

Your new ideal kitchen is now complete, or you're ready to remodel your current one. The color scheme has been selected, the sinks, new cabinets, drawers, and benchtops have all been installed, and the final step is to select your cabinet hardware. The organizers, hinges, and knobs that provide your kitchen space with a finished look and functional appearance are referred to as "hardware." So continue reading for some advice on picking the best cabinet hardware to go with your ideal kitchen design.

The Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Selection

There are many options when choosing your cabinet hardware, particularly the knobs and pulls that will finish the appearance and atmosphere of your kitchen. Along with comfort and price estimates, these cabinet hardware decisions also affect the way your kitchen will look and perform. Do you, for instance, select rectangular or circular knobs, vertical or horizontal pulls, historic or contemporary forms, and various finishes? There are no hard and fast rules here, but there are a few general suggestions and modern trends to help you create a stunning representation of your own style in your kitchen.

Types of Cabinet Hardware

Although pulls are often used for drawers and knobs are typically used for cabinet doors, you are free to switch those up as you see fit. Remember that pulls will provide you with greater leverage than smaller knobs, which may make it tougher to hold and open heavy drawers full of pots and pans. Additionally, keep in mind that rounded rather than square knobs and curved pulls may be easier on your hands than square ones with sharp edges. Before you buy, make sure you know what sensation you want.

Knobs are simpler to install than pulls since there is only one screw hole to line up, whereas pulls typically have two screw points that need to be lined up with the screw holes on your drawer or cabinet door. Although there are adjustable pulls that might work, this can be a problem when replacing outdated pulls in a kitchen renovation. Additionally, unlike round knobs, square knobs have a propensity to rotate and become out of alignment unless they are secured in place. Finally, especially when it comes to metallic finishes, knobs are typically less expensive than pulls.

Given these practical considerations, either type of cabinet hardware will perform flawlessly in your new kitchen, but the aesthetic will depend on the pulls and knobs you choose. While longer vertical pulls might make a striking statement on a tall cabinet and emphasize its lines, knobs will have a lower visual profile than pulls.

You can use all pulls or all knobs; combine pulls and knobs on separate cabinets and drawers; or use both; and the results can drastically alter the look of your room. Additionally, there are numerous pull kinds, such as finger, cup, bail, recess, and ring pulls, which can all subtly alter the appearance and atmosphere of your entire area. Draw the outline of your kitchen and cabinets, then add various knobs and pulls to discover which style you like best.

Choose the Style of Your Cabinet Hardware

You can choose the style to match your preferences and vision once you've decided on the type of cabinet hardware for your kitchen. For instance, do you want your kitchen to have a contemporary or modern aesthetic with simple, minimalistic lines? Or if a traditional appearance with more elaborate, textural elements is more your style, or perhaps something in between the two? Or maybe your idea of the ideal kitchen is a little more eclectic. Once you've chosen a style, it's usually advisable to stick with it and avoid mixing it with other styles because this can cause a confused look. But you are free to mix and match as you see fit. What matters is the final product.

Select the Color of Your Cabinet Hardware

Your choice of hardware finish will also alter the appearance of your kitchen in a number of different ways, from nickel and stainless steel to bronze or brass, chrome or black finishes. To suit your style, mix and match the finishes of your cabinet hardware with the color scheme of your walls and cabinets, as well as the sink, faucet, and lighting finishes. For example, chrome or black finishes might go with more modern or contemporary styles, while brass finishes might go with warmer tones and more traditional shapes.

Again, there are no strict guidelines stating that the cabinet hardware and kitchen hardware must match. Many kitchens skillfully combine the metal finishes of the cabinetry, lighting, and faucets, giving the room a layered depth. However, all of your cabinet hardware should have the same finish. If in doubt, use black pulls and knobs because they tend to go well with a variety of kitchen metal finishes.

Choosing the Sizes of your Cabinet Hardware

While the sizes of your cabinets and drawers may vary, it is absolutely normal to use only one size for your knobs and pulls. Your kitchen space can have a cohesive look and feel thanks to its homogeneity. On larger cabinets and drawers, however, you can also opt to utilize broader knobs and longer pulls, especially if doing so makes the items easier to open and close. A good rule of thumb for pull lengths is that they should be about one-third the width of your drawer or cabinet. You may also use two smaller knobs or pulls on particularly wide drawers.

Kitchen Cabinet Knobs and Pulls Combined

On kitchen cabinets, are knobs and pulls compatible? In general, you can mix and match your knobs and pulls, choose all knobs or pulls in a single size, or match them to the sizes of your drawers and cabinets. For your cabinet hardware, you should generally pick just one style and one finish and stick with it. However, keep in mind that this is only a basic guideline, and you are free to deviate from it as you see fit.

For your mixing and matching inspiration, Jo Marie of Blissful Builds and Interiors provided a photo of her experiments with mixing and matching pulls and knobs. In Jo Marie's kitchen, the lower cabinets and drawers have silver pulls with scalloped edges, while the upper cabinets and drawers have darker silver knobs to stand out against the white cabinets.

Trends in Modern Cabinet Hardware

It might be difficult to choose kitchen cabinet hardware that looks amazing, stands out, and blends in with your selected kitchen style. For your convenience, we've included some cabinet and hardware matching ideas below.

What Color Handles Go with White Cabinets in The Kitchen?

Black hardware creates a sleek, contemporary style, but it can be difficult to select what color hardware to use with white kitchen cabinets. When using white cabinets as a base, you have a wide range of alternatives for the aesthetic direction of your kitchen. Pairing your white kitchen cabinets with black hardware will give your room a sleek, modern appearance. As may be seen in the picture below, white cabinets with black hardware have a tendency to "pop" optically. Putting modern black cabinet handles on white cabinets is a great way to give your kitchen more depth and visual impact. Keep this in mind.

Monika Przewrocka, a Polish influencer and blogger who specializes in interior design, recently provided a delightful tour of her kitchen, which includes white cabinets with a traditional beveled design and rustic black handles. You can see how well the black-on-white contrast goes with the natural tones of the wood finish on her kitchen island.

Chrome Hardware is Used on White Cabinetry

By combining the white cabinetry in your kitchen with chrome or stainless steel accessories, you may create an exciting yet subtle shift in color with an appealing contemporary style. The chrome finish goes well with chrome faucets, appliances, and lighting fixtures, and it is less noticeable than black hardware on white.

A chic and contemporary illustration of this chrome-on-white trend was posted on the British home design Instagram account, Little Pettitt Pad. Off-white kitchen cabinets with mid-century modern-style handles in silver and chrome and stylish retro kitchen accessories were part of the design.

Having Brass or Bronze Hardware on White Cabinets

A nice technique to break up that white area and highlight your cabinet hardware is to add lovely warm brass or bronze accents to counterbalance cooler all-white surfaces. An oiled bronze finish might have a more subtle, industrial appearance, whereas a polished golden finish creates an ornate, rich image. A matte bronze finish on your cabinet hardware, on the other hand, can offer a more understated impression.

The high-end bathroom and kitchen design team, Waterworks, recently gave some ideas by using cabinet hardware with the same metal finish as the rich color of the faucet fitting.

Cabinets in Dark Brown and Wood with Black Hardware

Cabinets made of dark-grained wood have a natural finish that highlights the wood grain. Matching your oak kitchen cabinets with black hardware, like in the picture below, can give your kitchen a rustic, cozy look with traditional hardware or a cleaner, more subtle modern or transitional look.

You can also choose to highlight your dark brown cabinets with black hardware if your kitchen cabinet doors have a more consistent color, such as big dark brown surfaces with little variation in tone. This combination creates a more contemporary impression for your kitchen, with an on-trend appearance all around. The award-winning design studio Z Domus created a pleasing, multifaceted look by putting together elegant white cabinets with the same hardware and cabinets that look like natural wood with black knobs.

Metallic Hardware is Used with Grey Cabinet Doors

There are numerous hues of grey cabinetry, ranging from light to dark and warm to cool. What color hardware should I use with gray cabinets? If you choose to go in this direction, your kitchen's color scheme will be incredibly adaptable because of the many different hues of grey. Additionally, practically all metallic hues—from brass and bronze to chrome, nickel, and stainless steel—will go well with your gray cabinetry. Grey cabinets with black knobs also look stunning in kitchens with a busy mix of metallic finishes.

Grey cabinets and bronze hardware have been used creatively by Virginia's award-winning SK Interior Designs, who have shown off numerous distinct takes on this striking appearance. One such style has cabinetry that is dark grey with hardware that has a slight old bronze finish.