How to choose best kitchen handles ?

Remodeling or updating your kitchen is a very good idea and an extraordinary investment. Finding the best kitchen handles and hardware can be a little tricky, especially with so many different options on the market. Although kitchen handles tend to be overlooked during the remodel process, they are very important if you want to update your cupboard and take it to the next level.

However, something as simple as changing the kitchen handles can bring in an amazing, new and fresh design. It’s very important to know what you’re looking for upon picking new handles, as this will give you a very good idea of what to expect and the value you can receive. With that in mind, here are some tips and tricks to focus on.

What look are you going for?

Upon choosing kitchen handles, it’s very important to know what you expect and what design you are going for. As you can imagine, you can’t have the same handles for a traditional kitchen and a modern kitchen. The design you focus on will bring in front certain specifics and ideas. That’s why you want to identify the style you want to go for, as that’s what will give you some guidelines and limitations. 

It’s also important to see what colors and materials you use around the kitchen. This will guide you towards a certain type of kitchen handles, which is something to keep in mind. You can’t have wooden knobs if your entire kitchen has only granite or glossy materials. In that case, you are better off with brushed steel or polished chrome, which is something to keep in mind.

Then you also have to think about your family’s requirements. There are kitchen handles that are suitable for very specific requirements. It’s very important to ensure that you focus on matching your needs and your family’s requirements, while also delivering the ultimate value and experience.

Should you choose pulls or knobs?

This is usually a matter of personal preference. Knobs are very simple, and while they are similar to the doorknobs, they don’t have any turning mechanism. So in the case of kitchen knobs, you just pull the knob and that’s about it.

The same thing can be said about pulls. As the name suggests, they are also designed to pull the drawer and operate the cupboard a lot easier. Normally, kitchen pulls are known to come in the shape of a bar. They do have a fixing at every end to ensure you are pulling everything properly and without any errors. Of course, you can now have a variety of styles and colors, but the mechanism and idea is always the same.

There are other styles too. Bow handles are very common because the bring a slimline design, not to mention they are curved and elegant. You can also find cup kitchen handles. These are more suitable for traditional kitchens. These are very elegant, quite aristocratic, and you will find them a pleasure to use and adapt to your vision/ideas. It’s possible to access a variety of different options, all you need is to assess these styles and see what works for you. Some models, like the ring finger pull cabinet handles are very innovative, and they might actually fit your kitchen!

Selecting the right materials

One thing to consider when you think about changing the kitchen handles is definitely the materials that are used here. Not only will the material impact your overall look and feel, but it will also deliver different functionality. It’s a very good system you can have in place, and the return on investment can be among some of the best on the market every time.

The most common materials for kitchen handles are:

• Ceramics, such as porcelain for example

• Plastics like resin designs or regular plastic handles

• Wood with a natural finish or a painted finish

• Metallic kitchen handles, like brushed steel, stainless steel, brass or chrome.

It’s important to realize that some materials will work better with certain cabinets and worktops. That’s why you need to study what works and with which options, just to be safe. You will be quite impressed with the efficiency and quality, depending on the materials you choose.

If you have a traditional kitchen that mostly uses wood, then you do want natural, ceramic handles. It’s all about picking and matching the right options accordingly. It certainly takes a bit of a trial and error to make everything work as expected, but it’s important to mix and match properly to avoid any hassle. And you will be very happy with results in the end.

Which are the most popular kitchen handle finishes?

Although there are multiple options, the most common ones are satin nickel, chrome, brass and oil rubbed bronze. These finishes can vary based on the manufacturer, with the oil-rubbed bronze being the most important option to keep in mind here. As we mentioned earlier, the light fixtures, hinges, hardware, all play a role when you want to buy kitchen handles. The idea is to take your time and adapt accordingly. After all, there’s no right or wrong here, you just have to pick what works in your own situation.

Selecting the kitchen handle size

Sizing the kitchen handles is very important, since you don’t want a short handle for a big drawer or cabinet. That’s why it’s important to measure the current handles and see their overall size (if you have any). If not, you can go with this idea. If you have a contemporary design, then you will need a long pull of up to 9”. In case you want a more traditional look, then you will require a mid-length pull of 5’ to 7”, depending on the situation.

Contrary to popular belief, the knob size won’t really affect the size of the knob in the first place. It’s ok to mix the pull sizes in the same room. Not all cabinets will have the same size, obviously, some will be smaller. In this case, you can experiment with a multitude of different sizes, and the experience can still be a very good one.

While you can mix the size, you shouldn’t mix the hardware finishes and style for the kitchen handles. This will just end up creating too much of a mess, since you will have a multitude of colors that are hard to style. In the end, that’s the thing you want to pursue the most.

Should you order everything at once?

It can be difficult to know how some handles will look within your kitchen until you actually have them there. Before you place a bulk order, a good rule of thumb is to order a range of samples. This will give you an insight of the overall sizing of your handles, and you will also figure out what works and what can be improved. Even the simplest things can bring in issues, so it just makes a lot of sense to buy a few samples before you purchase the desired kitchen handles in bulk.

This way you eliminate any losses and you know that those handles are matching your vision. It’s a great idea, and one that definitely makes a lot of sense to keep in mind. You may even want to keep the kitchen handles until the end of the remodeling process. Then you know where and how to place everything properly, while also having time to experiment with stuff.

Is it ok to mix metals?

Your kitchen should be a reflection of your own design choices. What this means is that you should never be afraid to mix and match stuff, as long as it makes sense and it delivers the best experience. What really matters here is to go for something that’s consistent, convenient and dependable. If you want to match black hardware with brass lighting, you can do that. The thing you need to focus on is keeping the space very well coordinated and clean. If you experiment with too many colors and different things, you will end up with issues. That’s the thing you want to pursue, and if you manage everything right, the payoff can be well worth it every time.

Should you add handles on the center of the drawer?

Yes, this is ideal for weight distribution. Some will add two handles on each side, but that’s just requiring more handles to be installed and more holes to be drilled. It still makes sense for some people, but ideally you want to have the kitchen handle in the center of the drawer. The center of your handle needs to sit in the middle, and its holes must be spread out evenly. Make sure that the handles come with the necessary screws, and the results can be very good.

The ideal depth for your kitchen handles

You don’t want your kitchen handles to protrude too far. This can lead to all kinds of damage, and it’s just not safe to begin with. The best thing that you can do is to focus on eliminating all those issues, by knowing the ideal depth to go for. Based on our experience, you can expect knobs or pulls to protrude anywhere from 1 to 1.5 inches, which is roughly 25 to 38 mm. The kitchen handle description should tell the diameter, width and projection. As we mentioned earlier, you can still focus on buying a few samples and then going from there. It will just make the entire process simpler and a lot more convenient.

Should you go for making a statement?

There are a lot of situations where making a statement does make a lot of sense. That’s true in the case of a modern look. If you’re going for something more traditional, you don’t need statement pieces. Instead, you want something that blends in with the design. It all depends on the type of design you choose and how bold you want it to be. The truth is that whenever you want to make a statement, you already have items that are visually stylish and interesting.

It’s possible to use kitchen handles with a color and style similar to what you can find in the kitchen. The idea is to understand how to address everything and make it work. Creativity is key here, and it’s extremely important to avoid statement pieces unless they make sense in the overall design process.

Should you buy kitchen handles for all your cabinetry?

That depends, in some cases like upper cabinetry, you can be ok with no handles at all. You can open that just via adding a push mechanism at the bottom. This delivers the streamlined look and ideas you want, while removing the need for handles. Of course, this is just an example, some people also like push cabinets to be everywhere in the kitchen. However, using kitchen handles can be a lot more versatile and professional. But if you like experimenting, this can be a great option, and all you have to do is to take that into consideration.

Door handle strength

You need to keep in mind how durable these door handles actually are. If you purchase kitchen handles online, you can check reviews and see what customers had to say. It’s very important to understand what results you can expect and see whether your kitchen handles are durable or not. It does matter quite a bit, especially if you want to use those handles very often.

Not all kitchen handles are durable, some of them are more focused on design. But if you’re an avid cook or you store lots of items in the kitchen, then you will be using these handles very often. Making sure that you opt for the best possible handles is definitely important, and it will pay off big time.

Square, curved or elongated?

This is always up to your personal preference. A lot of people like squared kitchen handles, others believe the curved models are more stylish. The truth is that you want to go with the things that are appealing to you. Longer, elongated kitchen handles are great for a modern look, and they can be suitable for large cabinets. You’re getting more pull force, and that does help quite a bit.

Don’t shy away from testing all these kitchen handle styles and see what fits. Sometimes you will be impressed with the amazing difference made by even the slightest changes. Try to stay creative, and you will find yourself quite happy with the results and the entire process.

Conclusion

As you can see, finding the best kitchen handles is extremely important if you want a greatly designed, cohesive kitchen. Most of the process is very personal, since everyone has their own taste and ideas on what really stands out and looks amazing. What you want to do is to really take your time, adapt and adjust accordingly.

Use our tips and tricks above to figure out what works for you and what can be adapted to your own needs. The most important thing is to understand the overall requirements and even order some samples. Visual testing will make it a lot easier to understand how everything matches your vision, and it will certainly make it easier to choose the ideal kitchen handles.

At the end of the day, it’s important to have kitchen handles that match your vision and interior design. However, you must also think about functionality. Every tiny detail matters, and that’s why you want to implement these things accordingly!