What’s to learn about kitchen cabinet handles? Well, not only do pulls and knobs make it easy to open drawers and cabinets, they also help protect a cabinet’s finish because you’re not transferring oils and other contaminants from your fingers to the cabinet fronts. It’s a bonus that cabinet handles also come in an array of beautiful styles and finishes to enhance your kitchen’s overall design.
How to choose the best ones? If you’re planning a kitchen remodeling project, choose your hardware last. Once your other materials are chosen, follow these tips to guide your selection.
The Great Debate: Knob or Pull?
There’s really no such thing as a “best” kitchen cabinet handle. And there are no strict rules about whether to use knobs, pulls, or something else. You can also mix and match.
The traditional look is knobs for doors and pulls for drawers and large pantry-size doors. It’s a popular choice for a good reason: it’s much more comfortable opening a drawer using a pull. If you prefer a uniform look, then by all means, choose all pulls or all knobs. We’re not a big fan of the all-knob look because it tends to look “dotty” and generic.
The Shape of Things
Before choosing the shape of your knobs and pulls, take a good look at the rest of the kitchen. What is your cabinet style? What type of countertop edge and lighting fixtures have you chosen? Do they have curved or straight lines? For example, shaker and flat panel cabinets are square. Traditional raised panel and recessed panels with ogee edges or beads are curved.
Choose kitchen cabinet handles that are consistent with your overall design. Keep in mind that square style hardware can still be round in shape as long as it has square contours. A squared shape is frequently used in contemporary kitchens while curved style hardware is more often found in traditional and transitional kitchens.
Trends in Kitchen Cabinet Handles
Matte, brushed warm metals, often in combination with stainless appliances and fixtures, are definitely a trending choice in kitchen cabinet hardware. From edge pulls to leather cabinet “hardware,” here are a few other trends we’ve seen and like:
- Pulls that look industrial. Some are even constructed from piping and double as towel bars.
- Edge pulls bring a nearly seamless look and feel to the kitchen. They’re available in matte and polished finishes and don’t require any exposed holes. Along with push latches and integrated handles, they’re nearly invisible but are easy to grasp and pull on.
A mix of black and chrome. Just about any two or more metals can be mixed and matched (though we recommend staying away from a chrome and oil-worked bronze combo!). Some homeowners use a beautiful combination of black with acrylic, as seen here.- Leather pulls are all the rage. They’re easy to grasp, add some nice texture, and grow more beautiful as they age.
Pulling it Together
Mix and match hardware is the ultimate in customization. And for as small as they are, the difference pulls and knobs can make in your kitchen design are amazing.
If you love more than one metal, but aren’t sure how to make it work, talk to one of our designers. We can show you dozens of interesting pairings of metals, styles, and colors.
We find the best approach is to make a few rules and then stick to them. Most people are wired to like symmetry, but that doesn’t preclude you from using one or more styles. Just keep similar styles together for a more uniform look. For example, if you have a set of drawers on each side of the dishwasher or cooktop, make sure the knobs or pulls on them are the same.
At J.T. McDermott, our goal is to make every kitchen remodel we do a fun and rewarding experiencing for our clients. Are you ready to get started on transforming your kitchen into the warm and inviting space you’ve always dreamed of? We’re here to show you how!
To learn more about our kitchen remodeling process, including how to choose the best kitchen cabinet handles, or to set up an initial consultation, get in touch with us today. We look forward to meeting with you!
