Selecting hardware has been one of the most challenging parts of our kitchen renovation.
Hardware can make such a big impact in a space and I really wanted to choose the right size, style, and finish to get the feeling right in our kitchen.
I often find myself looking for hard and fast interior design rules before making a decision like this because I usually don’t want to do something that will feel off. I’ve found that there is a standard seat hight to build a bench, an ideal distance from the window to hang a curtain rod, standard counter height, etc. through quick Google searches, but when it came to hardware? The resounding answer I found was that it’s almost up to personal preference.
I put together a quick list of the questions I asked myself to make a confident decision in my hardware choice. These 4 questions quickly narrowed down my search and lead me to the perfect hardware for my kitchen.
1. Knobs or pulls? Both?
You can think about this from an aesthetic or functional angle. Do all knobs look better than all pulls to you? Or do you prefer a mix?
If you’re thinking about function alone, you might gravitate towards a mix because drawers are typically easier to use with pulls and cabinets with knobs.
I knew I wanted to prioritize function, so that already set me up for a mix of knobs and pulls.
2. What color and finish?
The next thing I thought about was the finish. There are a lot of choices for color and finish of hardware, and that is a detail that makes a big difference! I was considering a handful of finishes and found it helpful to think about what would flow well with the rest of our house. Mixing metals is absolutely allowed (and encouraged!) but honestly, I felt a little paralyzed about adding another decision into the mix, so I stuck with all one finish. When in doubt, keep it simple.
I made a mood board out of cabinet samples and hardware and different metal objects I had around the house to help me decide before we started the kitchen project. We have brass door knobs and a handful of other satin brass accents and I love that brass can blend in to a more traditional home style or warm up a modern space.
By the time we installed our cabinets, I was set on the brass, but if it were still up for debate I would do a real life mock up by taping real hardware up to get a feel for what everything would look like together.
3. What size?
In general, a good rule of thumb is to choose pulls that are about 1:3 of your drawer length. I had a couple different sizes of drawers so I split the difference and landed on 9” pulls for our 30”, 24”, and 18“ drawers.
The scale of hardware feels like one rule that was made to be broken. Do what feels good!
4. Which style fits best?
Last put not least, choosing a style can completely alter the feeling of your kitchen! I was all over the place when trying to make a decision about hardware, but found narrowing down my search by style to be a helpful tool. I found myself resonating most with the Contemporary styles.
I landed on the Globe Knob and the Cabinet Edge Pull in satin brass. I love the brass both paired with my red oak cabinetry and the white. The hardware feels like jewelry for our kitchen and I am so happy with my decision!
This post was sponsored by Emtek. All thoughts are my own.
