The Importance of Kitchen Cabinet Pulls and Knobs
Cabinet handles are essential to a functioning kitchen. These little pieces are what pulls everything together. A well-chosen knob can provide added charm to your cabinets and drawer. After all, you’ll grab onto them to reach your kitchen tools and ingredients daily.
These pulls and knobs also add a lovely finishing touch to your kitchen remodel. But how do you choose the best cabinets pulls to match your style and budget? Read this guide to find out.
Cabinet Pulls Versus Knobs: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between cabinet pulls and knobs is the shape. A pull gives you plenty of room for your hand to hold. A knob, on the other hand, is usually a round or square handle designed for a few fingers to grasp.
Cabinets pulls are best suited for sleek, modern kitchen cabinets, while knobs go with a more vintage or classic look. Pulls and knobs come in various sizes, finishes, and designs, so take your time choosing the best fit for your kitchen cabinets.
What Are the Benefits of Cabinet Handles?
Here are some key benefits of choosing the best kitchen handles for your cabinets.
1. Better Performance
If you’ll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, you want cabinets knobs and pulls that can withstand constant handling. This is especially important if you have mobility challenges affecting your wrists, back, or hips. Good kitchen handles make it easy to open and close your cabinets and drawers at any height, even with your hands full.
2. Cabinet Durability
Look at the area around your kitchen handles and check for wear and tear. If you have low-quality or inadequate cabinets pulls and knobs, the cabinets get scratches and stains. Even worse, the handles build up dirt and grime because they’re so hard to clean.
You risk contamination if your hands move from the cabinet handles to your food. The right handle shape and design will give you ample space between your fingers and the cabinet doors, prolonging your cabinets’ life.
3. Beautify Your Kitchen
As the saying goes, knobs and pulls are like jewelry for your kitchen. This is where finishing, scale, and style come into your choice of cabinet handles. Visit a kitchen fixture showroom to see and touch the kitchen handles yourself. This way, you can visualize your ideal kitchen design before investing in your new cabinet look.
4. Customizable Options
You don’t have to settle for basic cabinet handles. Find out if you customize the size, shape, color, or finish to your specifications.
For example, sleek chrome cabinet pulls may be the ideal size and shape for you, but maybe you can find the same design in a black or copper finish instead. Tailor your kitchen handles as much as possible for the best cooking experience and aesthetic.
Types of Cabinets Knobs
Cabinets knobs are usually either hollow or solid. Hollow cabinet knobs typically come from two metal plates and a screw. The tops of hollow knobs can be smooth, embossed, or engraved. Hollow cabinets knobs are lightweight and easy to assemble.
Solid cabinet knobs can be a product of metal, crystal, or wood. They’re heavier than hollow knobs and feel more substantial and sturdier. Solid knobs are also more expensive than hollow knobs since more materials go into manufacturing them. However, high-quality hollow knobs can be just as expensive as solid knobs. The cost depends on the type of metal and knob design.
Types of Cabinets Pulls
Cabinets pulls are more versatile in terms of shape and design. The main kinds of cabinet pulls are:
- Finger pulls form a “J” profile on the cabinet door with enough space to insert your fingers
- Cup pulls are upside-down cup-shaped handles where you insert your fingers underneath them to pull open the cabinet
- Bar pulls are narrow rails mounted on the front of your cabinet to grip from above or below
- Bail pulls: These are hinged handles that you can mount onto a back plate and lie flush against the cabinet when not in use
Pro Tip: If you’d like to mix and match your kitchen handles, use knobs for doors and pulls for drawers. However, use a longer pull instead of a knob for your pantry door.
How To Choose The Right Kitchen Handles
As you research the best cabinet handles for your kitchen, narrow down to just a few dozen options in different sizes, styles, and finishes. If you want to make that final choice that will go into your kitchen, keep the following expert tips in mind:
1) Live-In or Resale?
If you’re looking for cabinet handles for your home, consider how frequently you cook in the kitchen. In this case, bar pulls work great because they’re roomy, easy to grip with wet hands, and easy to wipe down.
However, bail pulls may be the best option if you have toddlers around. Their design is naturally baby-proof since you have to lift the handle to remove it–easy for you but tricky for little fingers.
On the other hand, if you’re renovating your kitchen cabinets to sell the home, go for finishing rather than design. The best-selling finishes for kitchen handles are chrome, bronze, and satin nickel.
2) Faucet Style
If you’re overwhelmed by the sheer variety in cabinets knobs and handles, take a shortcut: match your cabinet handles with your faucet. You can find cabinet pulls and manages to go with everything from vintage faucets to the latest touchless technology.
3) Kitchen Appliances Style
Consider the handles on your refrigerator, oven, and microwave. You can unify the entire look of the kitchen if you have cabinets knobs that look similar to your appliances. Another option is to get new device handles to match your cabinet handles. But you’d need to find the right replacement parts or customize them with paint.
What’s more, you could opt to conceal your appliances altogether. Go for a paneled look where the devices sit flush with your kitchen cabinets. This design style means that you can’t differentiate your apparatuses from the cabinets, then choose matching handles for the whole kitchen.
4) Novelty Handles
Install unusual novelty cabinet handles to make a statement in your kitchen truly. You can get the handles in all shapes, from flowers to anchors, cacti to horseshoes, seashells to twigs, and so much more. The great thing about novelty handles is that they can be super dramatic on otherwise plain kitchen cabinets.
So, you can save up on the paneling and countertops, then splurge on custom cabinet handles. Leather, glass, and ceramic cabinet handles are also quite unique, although not practical for a busy kitchen. Find a balance between function and aesthetic when choosing novelty handles for your kitchen cabinets.
Bonus Tips
- Kitchen handles are notorious for catching on clothes. Bar pulls are the biggest culprits because they often extend past their screw mounts on both sides. One solution is to use knobs on your upper cabinets and cup pulls on lower cabinets. If you decide on bar pulls, choose a design that curves the bar towards the cupboard.
- When choosing your cabinets knobs and pulls, make sure they feel good to touch, whether your hands are wet or dry. Your choice will come down to preference. Some prefer a smoother finish, while others like a textured surface for better grip.
- If you have painted cabinets, use cup pulls to avoid wearing the paint away. Bar pulls, and cabinets knobs allow contact between your wet or food-covered hands and the cabinetry.
- Consider the size of your cabinets before you choose your pulls and knobs. If you have large or tall cabinets, go for a proportional measure of kitchen handles. Avoid tiny cabinets knobs for large cabinets and vice versa.
- Whatever you do, don’t skimp on your cabinet handles. You want your kitchen handles to look right, feel right, and last for years. If your budget is a challenge, shop for different suppliers for the same style of cabinets pulls and knobs. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save and still have the perfect kitchen handles.
- Future-proof your kitchen cabinets by thinking about your needs as you get older. For example, cupboards with no pulls or knobs may aggravate your wrists since you’d have to reach underneath to open them. You may also bang your hips, head, or knuckles against cabinets knobs, so cup pulls may work better. You may also struggle to grasp small kitchen handles, so ensure they’re large enough to use your entire hand.
- Square-shaped cabinet knobs are arguably easier to maintain than round ones. That’s because when square knobs rotate with use, they’re more noticeable and easier to fasten back into place. Round knobs often go unnoticed until they’re loose enough to fall off the cabinet.
Final Thoughts
Expect a mind-blowing selection of cabinet handles when searching for the best finish for your kitchen. But with these tips in mind, you’ll quickly find the cabinet handles you can live with for years to come. Get in touch with us to learn more about the ideal pulls and knobs for your kitchen cabinets today.