I recently selected cabinet knobs and pulls for a whole house. While I had a couple of these in mind during the Schematic Design phase of the project and presented some of them with the bathrooms and kitchen, it was time to get really specific with these and finish out the whole house.
It look awhile! We ended up with a total of 15 different knobs and pulls in the house. They included 6 different finishes too, from satin nickel to brushed brass, even an antique pewter and an “ash gray” finish.
I just spent time on the jobsite last week, verifying placement of all these as they were being installed and it was so fun to see them going in, remembering each piece and why I chose it. I was really happy with all of the selections and loved seeing them going up.
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Cabinet Hardware is the jewelry of the project
This is really the jewelry of the project, the last layer that can add so much flavor and nuance to an interior. The finish, size, shape, style and feel of each cabinet knob or pull can make a difference in the outcome of a project!
There are so many vendors and price points to choose from, when you start looking through options, it can take a long time and be quite overwhelming.
I thought I’d share some of these considerations to keep in mind when selecting cabinet pulls and knobs for your interiors project. These 7 are always top of mind when I start comparing cabinet pulls and knobs for a project.
1) Cabinet Hardware Finish
Many times, there are multiple metal finishes in a room on cabinetry, lighting, plumbing and furniture, so when considering the hardware for the whole house, you can imagine how many finishes we might end up with and the number of combinations that can be developed.
There are times when I follow this self-imposed design guideline…
….a warm finish in a cool toned room, cool finishes in a warm toned room.
This simple concept can help add layers to a room and I often find myself applying it without even realizing it.
For example, I loved the finish of this cabinet pull for a bathroom with wood cabinets I recently completed, keeping a muted look here.
A modern satin nickel cabinet pull was used in this bathroom on rift cut oak cabinetry to cool down the warm look of the wood. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
The finish of a brushed nickel worked to cool down the warm tones of the cabinet. I was worried the wood might take on a warmer look overall if I added any brassy type finish.
Our white was SW Aesthetic White, so not a bright white, but it blended nicely with the wallcovering background and the overall look of the marble tile. I typically prefer brass or warm toned finishes on brighter, crisper whites.
The same finish was used on the kitchen cabinetry.
I used the same finish in the kitchen, with a different knob and pull selection, as I had the same wood cabinet and the same overall white color on the walls.
This finish also needed to look good on the dark stained kitchen island and upper cabinet doors, and the satin nickel worked well there too.
I used a different hardware style here, preferring something with a little more detail in the kitchen.
A satin nickel finish was chosen for this kitchen remodel to work with both the darker and lighter wood cabinetry. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
Do you see how going cool on these warmer wood finishes kept this kitchen from coming off as more traditional? After ditching the previous warm toned oak cabinets in this kitchen, I wanted this home to come off, overall, as a more neutral and up-to-date color scheme.
A cool satin nickel finish was used on this wood cabinetry too, in a kitchen remodel.
The cabinets were quite warm toned and adding a warm toned metal finish would have really pulled them back to the previous look they had. We were looking for a fresh, cool toned, coastal vibe while not redoing all the traditional stained cabinetry here. Satin nickel was a good choice for this look.
Satin nickel cabinet pulls and knobs were chosen for this traditional wood cabinetry to give it a lighter, fresher look in more of a coastal style. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
This blue and white kitchen has a really crisp, cool toned look. The white is Sherwin Williams Extra White, so there isn’t much warmth in it to speak of.
I went with a brassy look for cabinet pulls here and it makes for a nice contrast.
Brushed brass made the perfect metal finish choice for this crisp, blue and white kitchen. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
In this rustic, farmhouse style kitchen, dark bronze cabinet pulls were just the right hardware selection.
The overall warm white color needed a dark punctuation to keep from becoming too washed out and the bronze finish was great for this look. See how the faucet is a brushed stainless finish that matches the sink and then there are black iron brackets at the shelves, so the bronze finish wasn’t on everything.
Dark bronze cabinet pulls helped add interest and punctuation in this white, farmhouse style kitchen. Carla Aston, Designer | Tori Aston, Photographer
A brassy finish was used on the hardware in this bathroom, even on the wood cabinets. Overall there was a lot of light gray in the room and the stain had a gray wash to it.
Brass cabinet pulls and knobs were used in this predominantly gray bathroom remodel. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
Brass cabinet pulls and knobs were used in this predominantly gray bathroom remodel. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
I used wood cabinet pulls in this white kitchen that needed some extra warmth. They make such a nice statement on a plain white shaker style cabinet.
2) Cabinet Hardware Size
The size of the pull or knob depends on the function of the cabinet and how the hardware scales on the doors and drawers. Sometimes I want a bigger statement than others. There are also functional needs to consider, like having an extra long pull for a really wide drawer.
Large drop pulls make a nice statement on this powder bath cabinet.
Polished nickel drop pulls make a statement on this powder bath cabinet. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
3) Cabinet Hardware Shape
In this upstairs bath, below, I used Kohler’s Margeaux fixtures. they are squared off for a more modern look, but have slight bulbous softness to their shape.
I then selected these square knobs with a similar bulbous shape to them from Top Knobs (maybe I should call it a “pillowed” look :-). I think they work so well with the design of the faucet and the shape of the sink.
These square knobs with a bulbous shape to them from Top Knobs, work so well with the design of the Kohler Margaux faucet and the shape of the sink.
This guest bath is pretty plain and simple. The rectangular shaped knob adds something a little different and it works well with the lines of the faucet too.
Rectangular cabinet pulls are something a little different in this simple guest bath.
The hex shaped tile influenced the choice of the cabinet pull in this bathroom’s remodel.
Hex shaped cabinet pulls relate to the hex tile floor in this bathroom remodel. Carla Aston, Designer
I love this little mod knob that was perfect for a medicine cabinet in a bathroom remodel. The vertical direction works with the vertical tree pattern of the wallpaper.
Vertical modern knob on a medicine cabinet works with the vertical tree pattern of the wallpaper. Carla Aston, Designer
4) Cabinet Hardware Style and Details
Here’s where I distinguish between something traditional with more details, ridges, and curves, while using more modern details in a space with a cleaner look.
This traditional butler’s pantry need some contrasting statement hardware. The traditional knob and backplate helped make the style statement here.
This traditional knob and backplate helped make the style statement here in this butler’s pantry. Carla Aston, Designer | Miro Dvorscak, Photographer
The finish here is also part of the “style”. Polished finishes work well for a more sleek look. For something more rustic, a weathered or antique finish might be in order.
Here’s a recent laundry room remodel.
I chose a darker, “Ash Gray” finish, for this hardware, so it would stand out on the cabinets. I like the cool, matte tone of the finish, as opposed to a bronze. Black would have been too harsh. This color works great with the dark gray in the floor tile and gives a more rustic vibe.
Laundry room with “ash gray” cabinet pulls to work with the tile floor and add some contrast to the space. carlaaston.com
The cabinet pulls don’t match the faucet here, the higher contrast of the dark pull makes more of a statement. carlaaston.com
In some cases, the cabinet pulls can really make the style statement.
In this job, pictured below, we have a wall of rather plain white cabinetry built-ins. I suggested some grasscloth or wood in the cabinet backs, but the homeowner wanted white in this area.
So, I found these gorgeous two-tone pieces to adorn those white cabinets. These combine two metal finishes we already have in the room, black door hardware and brass on the picture lights above the open bookshelves. Aren’t they fabulous? And really, with these details, those white cabinets don’t need anything else to make them feel special.
Black and brass cabinet pulls make a style statement on these cabinets. Carla Aston, Designer
5) Cabinet Hardware Feel
These are the items in a room that might be touched many times each day, so you really want to consider the feel of the pull in your hand.
I had one client who was very attune to how the cabinet pulls felt in her hand. We went to a local hardware showroom and she touched everything to make sure she liked what we chose. These days, you can order one piece online and try it out yourself at home.
Pay close attention to the underside of the knob or pull and how your hand fits the piece. Sometimes the stems may be exceptionally short or the underside might have ridges or an unfinished feel (in less expensive products). That might bug you over time.
6) Price Point
Price point can be a very limiting factor. If you have 30-40 cabinet drawers and doors in a kitchen, they can add up fast!
Knobs are normally less expensive, and if you have lots of cabinetry, that might be a strong consideration for what cabinet gets a knob and and what will get a pull.
I typically do knobs on doors and pulls on drawers, but there are times when I will use all pulls or all knobs. It depends on the look but also on the budget.
This client, kitchen featured below, really wanted all long cabinet pulls in their kitchen, so they went for this splurge, even though doing some with knobs would have been less expensive. With their flat panel doors, the pull was really necessary to create some interest and reinforce the contemporary look they wanted.
Long cabinet pulls on flat panel doors and drawers in this white kitchen. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
In this kitchen remodel that was done to help sell the house, we used a “Value” cabinet knob and pull from Amerock. The homeowner didn’t want to make a big investment in the cabinet hardware since they no longer occupied the home and wanted to sell.
We used some budget minded cabinet pulls in this home that was remodeled to sell. Carla Aston, Designer
7) Limiting Factors
While price point can certainly be a limiting factor in getting exactly what you want for a job, there are others. Even though there are seemingly endless styles and designs out there, you might not find a certain finish for a particular look or size you want.
For example, I needed some big hooks for a project’s mud room. I had used these hooks from Pottery Barn in the mud room in this project and like the size for holding bigger items like backpacks, bags, and multiple jackets, etc. These are around 7” tall and have the double hook, which is helpful.
Large brass hooks worked well for this mudroom bench. Carla Aston, Designer | Colleen Scott, Photographer
I liked the brass for that job, but I was trying to find something similar in black for this project.
Everything was either too rustic or “country” looking or didn’t have the double hook, etc. in this particular jumbo size. So, I decided to go for a brushed stainless finish, as to me the size and shape of the hook was more important than the finish here. I had an antique pewter cabinet pull, so they worked nicely.
New mudroom cabinetry with large stainless hooks and antique pewter cabinet pulls. Carla Aston, Designer
Want a list of some of my favorite cabinet hardware vendors? Here they are, and in no particular order.
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