Our Ultimate Guide To Kitchen Hardware

Is your kitchen in the market for a redesign? Whether you’re looking for a complete remodel or just a way to freshen up your space, new cabinet hardware is one of the purchases you will be making, and we’re here to help make this a smooth and fun process. They say hardware is the jewelry of your home; it should reflect your personal style and taste and be something you love to see/use everyday! Read on for 5 steps you should consider before choosing your kitchen cabinet hardware.

 

1.RESEARCH AND OBSERVE 

 

A great place to begin your kitchen cabinet hardware journey is to start with researching. Take note of hardware that’s in other people’s homes, products your friends and family have for example, or even at hardware retailers and kitchen cabinet design showrooms. These are details you may have overlooked before, but something as simple as observing allows you to tap into what you like, and almost as importantly - discover what you don’t like! Think about starting a vision or Pinterest board of hardware you love. Note trends in what speaks to you - what kind of material, what size of hardware, chunky versus sleek, and what colour hardware you are most drawn to.

 

2. DECIDING ON THE FINISH

 

 

Before shopping for your kitchen cabinet hardware, it’s a good idea to figure out what finish you like. Start with the basics - a good first question to ask yourself is, do you tend more towards dark or light colours.

Of course it’s not quite that simple, as there’s still all the details of the hardware such as deciding on matte versus satin, knurled versus smooth, polished versus brushed metal, etc…And while this may leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed, the process will be much easier if you’re able to at least narrow down your search by knowing if you want a matte black finish, a warm metal, a stainless steel metal, or aged/antiqued metals for example.

As a general rule, your kitchen cabinet hardware should match or complement your faucet and fixtures. You also need to make sure that the style you like is available in the finish you want.

 

3. CONSIDERING STYLE 

When it comes to kitchen cabinet hardware, there are a plethora of styles to suit your preferences. You will definitely be able to find something that fits into the overall vibe of your home and kitchen, whether it’s modern, rustic or traditional. Whatever your design style, you may decide that you want your hardware to be simple and minimalistic or you may want it more jeweled and glam.

While finding your style is mostly about researching your options and seeing what you’re drawn to - do you like a cup style pull, a T-bar style pull or knob, a rounded or square edged pull, a round or square knob, a flush pull, etc…, it’s also about considering the function and positioning of the hardware.

Knobs are usually a good choice for lower cabinets because your hand isn’t necessarily comfortable in a vertical position when you reach down below eye level.

Further, pulls are a great choice for drawers, especially heavier ones, because they span the width of the drawer, which helps you pull them out easier. When it comes to positioning, typically pulls are placed horizontally on drawers and vertically on cabinets, however, you can consider placing a pull horizontally on a cabinet/door for a sleeker look.

You can also check out our dedicated article for Pulls V/S knobs in your kitchen!

 

4.ORDER SAMPLES

 

 

Whether you plan to purchase your hardware online or from a store, you will want to get a few samples you can test out in your kitchen. Similar to choosing paint and first testing out a swatch on your wall, you want to see how the hardware actually looks against your cabinets and with the colour of your walls, as well as be able to see how it feels in your hands.

Something else to consider when choosing your hardware and ordering samples is what length pull to pick. What usually looks best is a pull that is about one-third the height of the cabinet door and one-third the length of the cabinet drawer. It’s not necessary for all the pulls in your kitchen to be the same length as long as the design is the same. 

It can be hard to get a true depiction of hardware from seeing it on your computer screen, so having samples is invaluable to helping you finalize the decision of what you love. It would also be helpful to get a sample of both a knob and pull in the finish and style you like, before making a commitment to purchase all the cabinet hardware for your kitchen.  

And it just so happens that this option is available in our store! You can order your samples simply by following the steps here.

 

5.NUMBER OF KNOBS/PULLS

 

Before placing an order, just make sure you go over the quantity you will need to purchase. You may decide to put two knobs on bigger drawers, (especially drawers larger than eighteen inches wide) and even a smaller pull on a cabinet. Take into consideration how you will be operating the drawers and cabinets, because remember, convenience is as important as great style! This will help you settle the debate on whether you need a knob or a pull as well as know the quantity of hardware you need.
Once you have figured this all out, (this is why you want your samples!) you can then count exactly what you need before placing your order.

There you have it - our steps to think about before purchasing your kitchen cabinet hardware. We hope you learned something new that can make this process easier and less overwhelming.

With a little effort, your new cabinet hardware can take your kitchen design to the next level.

Visit our kitchen and appliance page to find the perfect ‘jewelry’ to enhance your space! Also, see our samples page and get started with our free sample program!