Adding or replacing decorative cabinet hardware is one of the easiest facelifts you could possibly do for your cabinets.

If
your cabinets are in pretty good shape, and not too dated, changing
pulls or knobs is an easy thing to do. You’ll need to invest $100 to
$300 on average to replace all the pulls and knobs in your kitchen
(figuring 25-30 or so pulls or knobs).

If you cabinets look really
old, brand new decorative cabinet hardware might stand out like a sore
thumb. Depending on the situation, though, you could add rustic pulls
or knobs to your cabinets, and they’d still look good (and would fit
right in).

Your cabinets might also just need a good cleaning to get them sparkling again.

If
you are starting fresh, and don’t already have pull or knob holes in
your doors or drawer fronts (good for you!), the choices are almost
endless. You can get 3″ center pulls, or knobs, or 96mm, or 128mm, or
just about anything you want.

Keep in mind though, that handles
with 3″ centers are the most common decorative cabinet hardware that
there is. If you ever want to change handles in the future, there will
certainly be tons of choices. If you go with, say 128mm handles, your
future choices for handles will be limited, because you’ll have to get
128mm handles again. Also, these handles are larger (longer) than
normal, so cost more. For example, a 128mm handle in stainless steel
could cost $13 or more, where the same handle with a 3″ center could be
$5 or less. Finish is also a factor in your cost. Stainless steel will
cost much more than a nickel finish, but will look almost identical.

Replacing What You’ve Got

If
you already have pulls, knobs (or both) then you must keep that in mind
when choosing hardware. You have some alternatives, but you may be
limited.

If you have pulls, measure the distance from mid-point to
mid-point of each hole. This will give you the size pull you will
need. You will often find they are 3″ centers.

If they are 3″
centers, you are in luck, because you will find most styles of
decorative cabinet hardware are available with 3″ centers.

If you
have a measurement other than 3″, you can look for that size. It may be
difficult to find pulls that fit those holes. If you do find something
in that measurement, it might not be the style you like.

What You Can Do if You Have Odd Sized Holes or Need to Cover the Holes Left by Previous Handles

Add
a back-plate to your door or drawer front before you put your pull or
knob on. You can simply drill new holds that work for your new handles
(usually 3/8″ holes are what you need to drill, sometimes 1/4″). In
this way, no one will see the old holes because they will be covered up
by the back-plate.

Another easy alternative is to put two knobs
where the pull holes were. With this option, you are only limited in
the knob’s diameter. You will want to make sure the knobs aren’t so big
that they will be touching each other when you put them on.

STYLE! What’s available in Decorative Cabinet Hardware?

Recent
years have seen a surge in sleek, new styling. There are literally
thousands of styles of pulls, knobs, and back-plates to choose from.

Anything from contemporary to rustic, colored or clear glass to solid brass.

You
will also find several choices in theme-based hardware. There are
several choices for children’s rooms, hunting themes, fishing, bugs,
butterflies, frogs, and stones to name a few.

There are even pulls out there (from Amerock) that look like knives, forks, and spoons.

Popular Finishes to Choose from Include:

Oil Rubbed Bronze

Polished Brass or Chrome

Brushed, Satin, or Sterling Nickel

Brushed Brass

Flat Black

Antique English (a bronze looking finish)

Wrought Iron

Weathered Nickel

Rustic Bronze

Burnished Bronze

Copper

Pewter

Stainless Steel

Champagne

Anodized Aluminum

Ceramic and Ceramic Crackle Finishes (be careful – ceramic looks nice, but will crack very easily)

There
are several other decorative cabinet hardware finishes to choose from
too, including solid colors and several actual woods, finished and
unfinished.

Some brand names that manufacture good and reasonably priced hardware include:

Amerock

Belwith-Keeler

Epco

Stanley

Wood Technology

What’s This Going to Cost?

The cost will vary as much as how many styles are out there.

You might find small knobs for as little as $2.00 or less a piece.

Several pulls fall into the $3.00 to $6.00 range for each pull.

If
you are going for a contemporary, sleek European style, where the pulls
can be as long as 12″ or more, you may pay $25.00 or more for each
pull.

Some glass knobs and pulls can also run you into some money, from the low teens to as high as $40.00 each.

Pulls
for appliances (appliance pulls – that are used if you have a wooden
insert over your appliance and basically need a handle for it) can be
quite costly as well, over $20.00 on up (but they are very large and
long).

Reminder

Be sure to count each door and drawer front you have, twice.
You’d be upset with yourself if you ordered your pulls or knobs online
or made a special trip to the hardware store, just to find you are
short one pull or knob! It’s been done!!

Where to Get Decorative Cabinet Hardware

Online
is a very convenient place to get hardware. Home improvement stores
carry decorative cabinet hardware, but it may actually cost you more to
get hardware there, and they won’t have as big of a selection as online
stores.

You may even be lucky enough to find just what you’re
looking for at your local thrift store. If you can, you’ll no doubt
save money, but most likely won’t get good quality products.

Amerock
hardware (and almost every good company has this guarantee for many of
their hardware products), has several handles and knobs that have what
they call their Guardian Finish. It is a lifetime guarantee on your
hardware finish to never tarnish, or they replace the hardware free of
charge.

If you enjoy garage-saling or auctions, you may find
something there. Usually though, when you use those types of venues,
you will be very limited in your choices and only find a few of what you
need.

In my experience, the best place to purchase hardware is
either online or at your local home-center. If you really want to see
and feel your handles before you purchase them, go to your home-center
and pick something out. If you have the time, write down who
manufactures the hardware, its product number, and then check out prices
on the internet. You’ll no doubt find the same product for less over
the internet.

Bottom Line: Get what you Love

The
possibilities for decorate cabinet hardware are endless. Look for
hardware that is not only practical and will last a long time, but that
you also fall in love with and enjoy!!

And remember – HAVE A HAPPY KITCHEN!!