Kitchen Upgrades: Hardware
Looking for ways to give your existing kitchen a quick upgrade? New hardware can make those 1980s cabinets move forward in time.
Changing the hardware (drawer and door knobs or handles) in your kitchen is an easy way to give a tired kitchen a new look. We were tempted to say ‘easy and inexpensive’ but stopped ourselves just in time- hardware can be one of those unexpected expenses found in any kitchen redesign project. However if you’re looking to spend a few dollars sprucing up a tired kitchen, new hardware should be one of the options you’re considering.
Start by taking an inventory of how many door and drawer pulls there are in your kitchen. You may surprised by how many there are. In my fairly compact kitchen there are twenty (and I never counted them until I started writing this piece!). With replacements coming in at anywhere from $5 to $30 each, even my little kitchen could run from $100- 600 just for the products. However those $30 pulls can really make a plain cabinet look a lot cooler. And the good news is that even the $5 options are pretty nice, and getting better all the time.
Before you start looking consider the fact that your existing hardware is attached via one or two holes that probably can’t be changed. Take a pull off (screwdriver required) and measure the distance between holes. This needs to be exact so the easiest way is to place the beginning of your tape measure at the left side of the left hole and measure to the left side of the right hole (sounds a lot more complicated than it is). Jot this measurement down- you’ll need to refer to it when you’re shopping. This is only an issue with hardware that uses two holes. If you’re fortunate enough to have pulls that are attached with one screw, you have a lot more options because you can add a new hole above or to the side of the existing one, opening up your choices.
Armed with your hole measurement, you can start shopping. Home centers carry large assortments of pulls as do hardware stores and kitchen equipment stores. There are plenty of sources online too. There are two things to bear in mind when shopping, besides price and required mounting holes: how they look, and in the case of the local store, whether they have enough on hand for your needs. We recommend buying one pull and trying it out with your cabinets to make sure it looks good. Once you’ve decided which looks cool, grab the whole pile and get ready to jazz up your space. Be sure to include a few extra in case they are discontinued later.
A design note: take the time to really shop around. There are an incredible amount of choices including ultra modern euro-styles with all kinds of materials and finishes. One great brand for styles you don’t commonly find in home centers is Hafele, a German distributor. You may have to track down a dealer but it is worth it for these innovative designs. You also need to be aware that with many of the cutting edge handle designs from Europe, the distance between holes will probably be in millimeters. In the case of a slight difference in hole spacing, it might be possible to drill one new hole and mask the change with a decorative washer or backplate.
Finally, if you’re not particularly handy or you are uncomfortable with any of this, don’t go it alone- you can’t undo a hole in the wrong place. Call a local cabinetmaker and have then install your new hardware.