Build For Pros: Add Flair With Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

In many family homes, the kitchen is a busy gathering place. Updating these high-use spaces doesn't have to mean a costly complete remodel.

By replacing small items like kitchen cabinet knobs, you can breathe new life into a kitchen in minutes. You won't dip too deep into your client's budget if a big renovation isn't on the table, either.

Keep reading to brush up on a few popular kitchen cabinet hardware ideas you can use during all of your projects.

Evaluate the Kitchen First

New hardware pieces like cabinet pulls, handles, and knobs can help create a dramatic change in any kitchen. You can also make this change in less than an hour in most kitchens. Choosing hardware that offers the right impact starts with knowing the character and style of the kitchen, as well as how you want to update that personality.

Here are a few tips to help you find the right kitchen cabinet hardware when you want to focus on cabinet knobs and pulls instead of a big renovation:

• Choose hardware that matches the existing style of the kitchen. From contemporary to mid-century modern and traditional looks, there's hardware available to complement any design.

• Consider what you want to do with hardware. Are you adding a vintage touch to warm up a modern space? Do you want to add new cabinet knobs and pulls to modernize a space that looks dated? Decide before you start shopping.

• Think about how your client will use their hardware. While you might love chrome, it might not be ideal in a busy kitchen where fingerprints and can ruin your look. High-traffic spaces often need durable, family-friendly kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls.

• Determine what hardware style and shape will benefit the kitchen you're working with. Choosing between knobs versus pulls, for example, can impact the way your finished kitchen looks. Decide early, to make your search for the right style easier.

Pick the Perfect Finish

Kitchen cabinet knobs, pulls, and all sorts of hardware come in a variety of different materials and finishes. Here are some of the go-to styles you can use to enhance the look of any kitchen:

• Marvelous metal. Brass, bronze, chrome, and nickel are popular choices when you're evaluating both traditional and modern kitchen cabinet hardware ideas. These materials can work in almost any space. 

• Bold or basic black. Black cabinet knobs and pulls are a true design chameleon. Used in traditional spaces, they'll add drama and vintage flair. In modern spaces, they'll provide perfect contrast to predominately white kitchens that are often full of stainless steel appliances.  

• Aged styles. Aged hardware can provide a rustic look, though aged styles can work in more modern spaces if used for texture. This style works particularly well when you're shopping for rustic or farmhouse kitchen cabinet hardware.

• Textured looks. Cabinet knobs and pulls with a hammered finish offer rich, vibrant texture for any kitchen. Painted styles also add a rustic touch. 

• Figural designs. Kitchen cabinet knobs, handles and pulls with a figural design can add a whimsical or more vintage-looking texture to a kitchen. Floral styles and animal or nautical themes are common choices for kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls.

Select Your Shape

Material and finish considerations are a big part of finding new kitchen cabinet hardware ideas. The shape you choose also plays an important role. Here are a few popular styles broken down by hardware type:

• Knobs. Knobs are ideal for a minimal hardware aesthetic, but two can be used for heavier drawers and cabinet doors. Bar, mushroom, round, and square styles are most common. Bar and square shapes are typically more modern, with mushroom and round pulls used in traditional, transitional, and more vintage-inspired design schemes.

• Pulls. Arch, bar, cup, and handle styles rule the roost when it comes to pulls. Arches and bars work best for modern spaces, while cups and handles have a more traditional style.

These are just a few common options that work in many kitchens. You can find unique, modern, and more abstract design and shapes as well if you're looking for cabinet knobs and pulls to make a bold statement.

Know the Size You Need

Updating a space with new kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls shouldn't take more than a few minutes once you have them in your hand. You'll need to know what size hardware you need before you can begin shopping.

If you're replacing existing handles, cabinet knobs and pulls, you'll want to measure the current holes from center to center to get the size. Do that and you can easily swap in new hardware in a matter of minutes.

For new hardware, 1/3 the width of the drawer front is the traditional size. For a more modern look, choose larger hardware that's 1/2 to 3/4 the width of the drawer front to get a more contemporary cabinet knob placement.

Hardware sizing recommendations ensure that you don't end up with anything too obtrusive or out of place. However, rules are made to be broken! If you find that uniquely sized hardware really adds something to the kitchen you're working in, it may be a look worth embracing even if it isn't standard.

Ready to start implementing your kitchen cabinet hardware ideas in your design projects? Check out our broad selection of styles for modern, transitional, and traditional spaces today. You can find everything from contemporary classics to rustic kitchen cabinet hardware for farmhouse and country French design styles.