KitchenFittingsDirect | Choosing Kitchen Handles
Choosing Kitchen Handles
The whole process of choosing or designing a kitchen can be a lengthy and drawn out procedure so, by the time you arrive at selecting cabinet door handles and knobs, their importance can often be overlooked. In between choosing the layout, the style of your kitchen and paint colours we can underestimate the difference that the right hardware can make.
Oftentimes we think that every fixing needs to match up and then we fall for something that’s a different style or a contrasting metallic finish to the fittings currently installed in our kitchen. We all have certain characteristics, quirks and desires and I firmly believe that the most important room in the house, our kitchen, should reflect this fact. Some of us will want a sleek clean modern space to return to to act as a counterpoint to the fast paced lives we lead. Some will want a more traditional kitchen space with similar fittings which create a flow from the main doors leading into the kitchen to the cabinets and drawers themselves while others will want to mix and match many different styles to create something unique.
Queen Anne Knobs for Kitchen Cabinets and Interior Doors
One really good idea is to take stock of all the hardware, fittings and furniture currently in your kitchen or those that you’re going to be putting in the room, including lamps, tables, light fittings, rugs, etc, and decide whether you want consistency or whether you want to mix it up and throw some theatre into the space. However, you need to be careful here. You don't want to have antique brass in one corner and satin and polished chrome fixtures on something else. Start with similar tones and add to the space as you go along. This can ensure that you don’t make any considerable expensive mistakes! If you’re installing a brand new kitchen one strategy that you can follow is to have the kitchen fully installed without the handles and knobs fitted to the doors and cabinets. This allows you to take in the whole setting with all your other fixtures and fittings and then choose appropriate handles that suit the space afterwards. This approach has always worked well for us in the past even though it is a bit of a pain not having handles for the first week!
Most importantly you’ll want to understand the mood of the room as you start to pull together all of the elements. If you want to work with greys, blues or whites use shiny metals instead of brushed or dulled tones so they stand out or, if it’s a traditional kitchen, try possibly using wooden knobs. If you’re going with warm whites, creams, wood tones and browns satin, polished nickel, soft antique brass finishes or warm touches of copper can be complementary.
You can even try mixing it up and go with lighter colours on your main run and something darker for the island, or vice versa making the process of choosing knobs even more complex! The problem is that many different combinations can work and, at the end of the day, it all boils down to personal preference.
Shaker and Traditional Kitchens
When it comes to traditional and shaker kitchen designs one of the most popular styles of handles and knobs that we stock at the moment are satin chrome knob and polished chrome knobs delivering a modern twist to a more traditional setting. Customers are saying that they want bold, contrasting tones on their cabinets and islands but, at the same time, handles and knobs that will match these finishes, like the kitchen below. These knobs bring a level of sophistication to the design and work particularly well when set against dark coloured cabinet units, really tying the whole kitchen together. Another choice to consider for this style of kitchen is the Queen Anne beehive knob which, if you are looking for further continuity, can be matched with the Queen Anne mortice knob so that the handles on your main doors in the kitchen match those on the cabinets (as pictured above).
Polished Chrome Knobs
Satin chrome knob
If you want a really modern twist on a traditional kitchen then you could decide to fit glass knobs to the cabinets and drawers. I know this sounds like a completely outrageous idea that is unlikely to work but, if done well, can look elegant. Take the kitchen below. The dark granite worktop is designed to be in stark contrast to the Belfast sink while the light blue tone on the cabinet units softens the overall feel the kitchen. The glass knobs with chrome base then blend into the ensemble allowing the most important feature, the play between the sink and countertop, to take centre stage.
Clear Glass Knob
If you’re going with ceramic or granite fittings you may want to consider contrasting or matching your handles with the kitchen counter top. Or, if you’re looking to match a granite counter top to your handles, our drawer pulls and knobs with a granite inserts could suit your needs as there are four collections of granite knobs and handles in our range to suit most standard granite finishes. If you've designed your kitchen with a wooden counter top the handles and knobs from the Winchester cream ceramic handle collection could be ideal. These handles work particularly well when set against the backdrop of a light coloured cream or off white unit as this highlights the metalwork on these elegant fixings. In the kitchen below they have installed these bronze ended fittings to provide some continuity and flow between the dark stained wooden worktop and the handles, but, at the same time, creating contrast with the lighter coloured cabinetry.
Modern Kitchens
If you’re installing an uber modern, clean and sleek kitchen you’ll want handles to match. As William Golding stated "[t]he greatest ideas are the simplest," and many of the modern or contemporary handles in our range adhere to this philosophy.
For instance, many of our customers have installed the profile handles in our range, available in either brushed steel or chrome, in modern high gloss or brushed steel kitchens to provide a cohesive finish to their contemporary design. An alternative option to the profile handles are the clarity glass handles which have a greater presence on the cabinet door and usually prove to be much more of a statement than the metal profile handles.
Clarity Glass Handle
If you’re looking to install bar handles we have a large selection in stock from the minimalist square Genoa handles to the extravagant Giulio crystal handles. Without a doubt the bar handle design is one of the most popular when it comes to installing handles in kitchens as they suit many different kitchen styles and designs, from shaker and country kitchens, to modern high gloss kitchens. Due to their simple, yet stylishly classy design, these handles tend to work with just about any backdrop.
Bar Handle
High Gloss Kitchen with Bar Handle
Shaker Kitchen with Bar Handle
If you're still having trouble trying to choose what handles may be right for you don't hesitate to ring us or request a sample.
Browse our full range of handles here.