#Kitchen cabinet hardware

We remodeled our kitchen five years ago, and I recall the initial difficulty of choosing the hardware for the space.  In the end, I chose knobs and pulls from three different suppliers and even though they are slightly different styles, they all work together because they share the same finish.

Kitchen cabinets rarely come with pulls or knobs so it s a big decision left to the homeowner to choose a style and finish that works with the space.  A reader recently wrote to me asking about the process of choosing kitchen cabinet hardware.  Here are a few tips for making the final choice.

Contemporary kitchens look best with streamlined pulls, and sleek tubular or rectangular options are a perfect complement for this modern style.

Old World inspired hardware works well in traditional or European style kitchens.

With painted cabinets, just about any finish on hardware will look right.  Oil rubbed bronze, pewter, brushed nickel, and chrome are all classic finishes for colorful kitchen cabinets.

The same is true for wood cabinets as well.  Choose pewter or chrome, oil rubbed bronze or nickel, even brass is making a comeback as a choice for kitchen hardware.

One no fail solution is to coordinate the finish on the hardware with the finish on the appliances.  Oil rubbed bronze or black knobs look fantastic with black appliances just as brushed nickel pulls work perfectly with stainless steel appliances.

It s perfectly fine to mix styles of hardware too, and in those circumstances you can t go wrong when you keep the finishes consistent.  In this classic kitchen, brushed nickel bin pulls on drawers are mixed with sleek contemporary pulls on the refrigerator panels.

If cabinet hinges are exposed, your hardware should share the same finish to keep the look cohesive.

Consider purchasing knobs that feel good to the touch since you ll be pulling on them several times a day.  If the pull or knob feels weak, rough, or uncomfortable, opt for smoother or more sturdy selections.

It s safe to match your hardware with the faucet or light fixtures, but these days we are seeing more and more the mixing of different finishes in modern kitchens.   Below, the homeowner has selected brass sconces with black hardware and chrome barstools and it all works!

A brushed nickel faucet and pulls are paired with oil rubbed bronze light fixtures in this fresh kitchen space.

A chrome faucet mixes with black pulls and bronze brackets in this contemporary kitchen with touches of traditional.

When hunting for hardware for your kitchen, the most important thing is to make choices that work with the style of your space, the appliances and fixtures, and to make selections that you will love for years to come.

What was the process you went through when choosing hardware for your kitchen?