January 21, 2021

You have finished remodeling your kitchen or bath by choosing to either replace your cabinets, reface your cabinets or just updating it with new cabinet doors and drawer fronts. If you want to change out your existing hardware below you will find some useful tips and ideas for selecting the right cabinet hardware for your space. The countertops, backsplash, flooring and a new paint color have been installed and completed, but now you one last small but very important step to finish off your project: choosing the right cabinet hardware. 

replacing cabinet hardware

There are literally thousands of styles of cabinet hardware available so finding the right style and finish may seem a little overwhelming at first but once you find the right hardware, you'll be amazed at how this finishes off the room, sets your cabinets apart and ties the entire room together. Keep in mind, cabinet hardware needs to be functional as well.

Selecting the right type of hardware 

Most companies sell two types of hardware: knobs and pulls. You can select all knobs, all pulls or a combination of both options. Cabinet hardware comes in an array of different styles including traditional, modern/contemporary, country, coastal, tropical and many others. We've found that most people select pulls for their drawers and knobs for their cabinet doors. Depending on the width of the pull, cabinet pulls are a little easier to open than knobs.

Pulls range in sizes from the most common size of 3" up to 10-12". Knobs come in different diameters but the most common are 1-2" and are normally less expensive than pulls and are easier to install due to needing only one screw to install. Tip: For any large cabinet door such as a pantry door and any type of pull-out door (like a pull out trash can), we would recommend a pull.

Depending on the style and finish, knobs range from $6 to $10 and pulls is $7 to $12 and higher. Price is based on finish, design and size.

Knobs and pulls come in an array of sizes and shapes:

  • Pulls - Bar, Arched, Appliance, Cup, Finger, Drop, Ring, Recessed
  • Knobs - Round, Mushroom, Novelty, Square, Oval, Bar, Rectangle

cabinet hardware

Selecting the right cabinet hardware will depend on the color scheme of your room, the finish on your kitchen or bath cabinets and the width and height of your cabinet doors and drawers. The taller the height of your cabinet door or the width of your drawer front the longer or wider your hardware can be.  As an example, bar hardware is most commonly used with modern or contemporary cabinets like shaker or slab style. Arched or Cup hardware you normally see used on traditional or transitional cabinetry. You might have to order a few samples to find the right style and finish for your room. Don't limit yourself...choose the best style and finish for you. BE BOLD!!

Select the right finish for your room

Third, you think you were finally done with selecting the right style knob or pull. Now, you have to pick a finish...and this might be as hard as selecting the right style because you really want the finish to pop and set off the cabinets. Finishes come in a myriad of finishes including: black, black matte, nickel, satin nickel, brush nickel, gold, oil rub bronze, brass, polished brass, antique brass, chrome...should I keep going? Trust me, you'll find the right finish and it will be great!

Most people want to try and match the finish of the hardware with their faucets or appliances. it does not have to match perfect but whatever finish you choose, you'll want it to compliment the other finishes in your room. But, don't be afraid to mix and match finishes. Maybe you have a kitchen island and want to change the look to offset and highlight the kitchen island. We've seen lots of people with different color countertops than their kitchen countertops so why not different hardware? 

cabinet door hardware 

Select the right material  

Selecting the best cabinet hardware material is not quite as hard as the above (color & finish) but its important in terms of how you use your kitchen or bath and the longevity of how long your cabinet hardware maintains its look and luster. Cabinet hardware comes several material options with metal being the most popular option. In addition, there are other options such as ceramic, wood, glass, resin or plastic. 

cabinet hardware 

Installing your cabinet hardware

Once you have selected the right hardware for your room, installing cabinet hardware is a fairly straight forward DIY project. Do I want to install the hardware horizontally? Vertically? Most often, pulls are installed horizontally on drawers and vertically on cabinet doors. With knobs, there are more options but we most often see knobs centered on drawer fronts and in the bottom left or right corner of a cabinet door. Tip: Cabinet hardware templates can be purchased online or at your local home improvement store like Home Depot or Lowe's.

Cabinet hardware can be just as important as the color or material you choose for your countertops or flooring or finishes for your lighting or faucet. Even though it might be thought of as a smaller part of the total kitchen or bath remodeling project, it can be just as critical a decision as the other more expensive steps in your remodel. We hope this information and tips helped you in selecting the best cabinet hardware for you room and project.

Buy $750 or more in any combination of Cabinet DoorsDrawer FrontsDrawer Boxes or accessories and get an automatic 10% off your entire order. Discount taken at check out. Discounts cannot be combined.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CABINET ACCESSORIES & HARDWARE

 


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