12 Eye-Catching Ways to Mix Up Your Cabinet Hardware
Is your kitchen style feeling a little stale? Tired of walking into the heart of your home and being met with the same neutral palette and straight, orderly hardware on the cabinetry day after day? We totally get it. As much as we love a clean, coordinated look, sometimes you just need a little excitement in your life!
One of the easiest ways to add that hit of personality you’ve been craving is simply switching up your cabinet hardware. It may seem like a small change, but a funky new set of knobs and pulls makes a huge impact. When you start playing around with different finishes, shapes, and placements, the options are endless. If you’re looking to break out of the expected and make a lively statement, read on for 12 eye-catching ways to mix up your knobs and pulls!
Mixing Metal Finishes for Cabinet Pulls and Knobs
Go All-Metal
For lots of shine and visual interest, choose cabinet hardware in a mix of metal finishes. Unified by their material, knobs and pulls in brass, chrome, nickel, bronze and more work surprisingly well together. The key is sticking to a color palette within the metals to tie it all in. For example, combine warm antique brass knobs with oil-rubbed bronze pulls and satin nickel handles.
Or keep it cool with brushed stainless steel, polished chrome and graphic nickel hardware. Just be sure to limit it to 3-4 finishes and repeat some across cabinetry for cohesion.
Mix in Unexpected Materials
Make your metal knobs and pulls pop by blending in hardware made from natural materials. The contrast of brass pulls against marble, wood or concrete knobs is so chic. Glass crystal and agate knobs also complement metallic finishes beautifully.
For a more rustic or farmhouse feel, try mixing aged bronze pulls with leather wraps or woven rope handles. The possibilities are endless when you think beyond just metal!
Vintage Appeal
Who says all your hardware finishes have to be shiny and new? Mixing aged patinas is an easy way to give your kitchen a charming, collected look. Try pairing vintage brass or antique nickel knobs with modern matte black pulls.
Or go for an ombre effect with knobs and handles ranging from polished chrome to antiqued bronze. Salvaged hardware, patinated wood knobs and hammered copper offer even more ways to get that timeworn, eclectic feel.
Playing with Styles and Shapes
Modern and Traditional
Straddling both contemporary and classic? You don’t have to choose just one style with your hardware. Blend modern minimalist pulls in matte black or stainless steel with pretty porcelain knobs in traditional shapes like oval, square or faceted crystal.
Try placing sleek bar pulls on bottom cabinets and vintage-inspired knobs up top. The mix of high contrast finishes and complementary shapes marries modern and traditional seamlessly.
Curves and Angles
For eye-catching juxtaposition, pair rounded knobs with linear pulls. Contrast the soft lines of blue ceramic knobs with rectangular steel pulls in a bright finish like red or yellow. Or echo the angles with triangular crystal knobs and flat bar pulls.
Get a similar effect by playing up the difference between arched pull handles with curve-embracing C, J or U shapes and minimal geometric knobs. Just be sure to repeat some curves or angles to tie the look together.
Funky and Sleek
Looking to add a fun, eclectic twist? Incorporate artisan-made knobs with hand hammered or crackled glazes alongside sleek modern pulls.
Or throw in totally unique knob shapes like stars, crescents, arrows or colorful glass globes. Keep them as accents so they really stand out against basic bar pulls or flat rectangular handles.
Creative Placement of Knobs and Pulls
Vary Heights
Most cabinetry sticks to one consistent knob position, usually near the center. But you can easily shake things up by putting knobs and pulls at different heights. Raise knobs up near the top of upper cabinets and drop them down lower on the bottom doors.
Or get even more creative by placing knobs and pulls at uneven or asymmetrical spots from door to door. It adds great visual interest compared to uniform rows.
Break the Rules
Once you start having fun with it, you may find yourself ditching cabinet hardware conventions altogether! Horizontal pulls running the length of long drawers make a graphic statement. Shared oversized knobs on double doors save budget without losing style.
Diagonal pulls make your cabinets anything but boring. So don’t be afraid to experiment with placement in daring new directions.
Accent Pieces
Sometimes less is more when it comes to eclectic hardware. Keep most of the cabinetry simple with matching stainless steel bars or black pulls. Then use special statement knobs to accent certain doors or drawers.
An oversized glass knob makes a kitchen island drawer pop. Handcrafted ceramic knobs bring life to plain cabinet fronts. Limit these wild card hardware pieces so they really stand out.
When mixing up your knobs and pulls, the key is cohesion. Limit yourself to 3-4 finishes or styles. Repeat elements across doors for harmony. And don’t underestimate the power of creativity and breaking the expected cabinet hardware “rules” when expressing your personal style!
With so many shapes, materials and placement options to play with, the only limit is your imagination. So take a chance and refresh your space with the unique combination of knobs and pulls that makes your heart sing.