Handles are the finishing touches of every kitchen. While kitchen cabinet door handles may be one of the last things you think of when building or renovating your kitchen, they’re an essential element that could enhance and unify its overall look.

Kitchen cabinet handles often last a lifetime or at least until your next renovation project. This is why it’s important to be extra careful when choosing them. You want to pick a style and design you’ll love even as time passes so make sure they blend in with the rest of your kitchen well.

This small, affordable, but necessary part of your kitchen is the cherry on top for your dream kitchen.

 

Tips For Picking Kitchen Cabinet Door Handles

Choose the Right Handle Type For You

Kitchen cabinet handles can either be knobs, pulls, or handles. They may all appear to have the same function on a surface level but they have varying features and uses. Your choice of style can affect the overall look of your kitchen.

Round knobs are perfect for older, more traditional kitchens with wood-based cabinets. They are casual and welcoming while enhancing the rustic vibe of your kitchen.

On the other hand, handles and pulls suit a modern and contemporary design. Opt for these when you have a steel kitchen or a minimalist design. These make for a sophisticated kitchen.

While these are proven to work well, you can mix and match depending on your personal needs!

 

Quality & Function

While cheap, your number one consideration when choosing a cabinet handle is quality. Most kitchens would last you a lifetime, or at least until your next renovation, so you want a design that will endure the test of time. If you cook often, it’s inevitable that your kitchen will experience a lot of wear and tear.

Test out kitchen handles yourself and see if they open and close in a way that’s comfortable and convenient to you. The grip of your chosen handle design is important for people with bigger hands or those who may have joint problems.

 

Material & Finish

Once you’re decided on the style and function, the next step is to consider the material and finish of your kitchen cabinet door handle. There are many different materials available to suit your needs, aesthetic, and budget.

Plastic knobs are great for minimalist designs as they do not attract much attention and can blend into your kitchen effortlessly. If choosing plastic, find ones made of higher quality material.

Handles made of steel or chrome give off a modern and sophisticated look. On the contrary, black metal, brass, or bronze handles are more rustic, traditional, or antiquated.

Finishes also enhance the look of your cabinet handles. These can either be matte, glossy, pewter, brass, steel and many more. You can explore your options as long as they complement your kitchen cabinets.

 

Kitchen Cabinet Door Handle Size

As mentioned earlier, the door handle size affects how well it can be gripped. This can affect your experience in navigating through your kitchen. Aesthetically, some cabinet styles would look great with bigger or longer handles while others would look sleeker with inconspicuous ones.

For an overall pleasing design, you would want your cabinets to have uniformly sized handles. Ask your kitchen designer to find out what works best!

 

Cabinet Handle Position

As a rule of thumb, handles are placed vertically on doors and horizontally on drawers. You also need to make sure that doors don’t crash into each other and adjacent cabinets can be opened at the same time with no problem.

It’s best to position cabinet handles so you can efficiently move through your kitchen even during a big, hectic cooking session.

Some kitchen cabinet designs have no handles and instead have a recessed part you can pull to open. “Push to open” handles and hinges are also becoming more popular.

Overall, when choosing the right kitchen cabinet door handles, it’s most important to consider how they will fit in your kitchen design of choice and whether they will stand the test of time. Not only in the matter of durability, but also try to see if you won’t hate your chosen design over time.

Whether you’re going for a traditional or contemporary look, there’s always the right kitchen cabinet handle for you!