Astounding Variety: Knobs and Handles for Kitchen Cabinets

There is a staggering, almost mind-boggling, number of ways to open your kitchen cabinets. Handles, knobs, and pulls come in a wide array of styles and are made using all types of materials. While deciding on them will be difficult due to the sheer variety, the good news is that you will be able to tailor your choice to your kitchen décor, matching functionality to form, and employ a style that is precisely suitable to your particular décor. Whether your kitchen is 1950s chrome or Colonial American hardwood, there is a knob that is ideal for your cabinetry.

Because there are many forms, we’ll talk about function first. Knobs or pulls allow you to access the contents of your cabinets - it's that simple. They should be sturdy, especially for kitchen cabinets that tend to receive heavy use, but if installed properly, any type should do the trick. Some cabinetry is installed with indentions underneath the cabinet door for simply pulling - this is great for a modern and sleek streamlined appearance, but many people prefer the style and accent features that a knob or handle affords.

As for form and style, the possibilities are astounding. There will be a large variety of designs that may not only suit the cabinet, but also your kitchen or household décor. For example, if you are renovating a bungalow from the arts and crafts era, you will be able to use vintage or replicated fixtures for a perfect blend. If your kitchen is decked out with strawberries, there are many strawberry designs to consider, from ceramic examples to brass or pewter shaped strawberries as well. Sunflowers, abstract shapes, geometric shapes - one even finds cactus shapes for southwestern kitchens!

While there are many choices to consider when it comes to shape, it may be helpful to first decide between a knob or a handle or pull. Each form will have hundreds of choices, and considering it’s something you will use every day, choose a form convenient to you and your family. Both forms come in simple to elaborate designs and may be made from many types of materials. A knob is generally based on the circle, but it varies with other shapes or embellishments. Handles traditionally allow the fingers to slip around and underneath and so are necessarily longer. Handles are also termed as cabinet hardware, but they too may be made with many kinds of materials.

The material choice is wide. You may opt for materials that somehow compliment your cabinetry or contrast with it, making your decorative feature stand out. Most households install wood cabinetry that is given a natural finish to enhance the wood, or they may be painted; cabinet design is also varied. Knobs and handles for kitchen cabinets are made from brass, wood, ceramic, glass, silver, copper, pewter, chrome, bakelite, plastic, stainless steel and more. And each material choice still is representative of hundreds of different designs. Wood cabinets may also feature glass panels making a glass knob a consideration - but even glass comes in many designs and colors to choose between.

So, since the sky is the limit when it comes to opening your kitchen cabinets, we hope to help you narrow down your choice and give you some ideas to consider. Old or new - does your kitchen seem to represent the style embodied by a certain era like Art Deco or Art Nouveau, or does your décor employ a more modern approach? Also, your kitchen may be representative of a certain geographic location - Tuscany, the Florida coast, Williamsburg, etc. - which may impact your choice.

A vintage style kitchen can employ knobs or handles from the era of their choice or reproduction pieces to suit the historic period. Many homeowners love the romance of the English cottage and Victorian styles. Even kitchens with all the modern conveniences may opt for just a hint from these past eras. Knobs of pewter roses, wood inlaid with a floral design or a ceramic knob with a wildflower bouquet are just a few designs to consider. Likewise, a pull made with wrought iron is very reminiscent of the Victorians who are famous for their wrought iron styles.

Formal homes may want to employ classic brass or colonial bronze knobs and handles. Classic designs are frequently chosen and are widely available in various designs. An alternative to some of the most basic designs might be to choose something more oval than circular. Braided handles or those that feature an ornate design may be just as stately, but still with their own individual stamp.

A naturalistic style might employ rustic stones made into knobs or shaped crystal. Even fossilized material like amber might be used. Colored glass is available as well. Glass pulls may feature a border or wood or metal, for example, or be constructed entirely of glass. Common examples of various knobs and handles available today, both online or at your home improvement center, include vintage bakelite, wooden mushrooms, pewter starfish, bronze twigs, gold leaves, painted wood, bamboo shoots, metallic fruit, wood blocks with a vintage adds decoupaged to their surface, hard plastic vegetables, rare wood, and much more.

Let your kitchen’s style be your guide. Whether you opt for something popular or something more novel, it should match your décor. From mission-style to Bohemian style, from Venetian elegance to rustic frontier America, there is a set of knobs or handles that is ideal for your kitchen.