How To Choose Kitchen Cabinet Hardware To Match Décor

June 09, 2021

Redecorating your kitchen? Matching cabinet hardware to your kitchen decor can be tricky, but we’re here to help.

When choosing cabinet hardware for your kitchen cabinets, you’ll want to:

Stick with your kitchen theme
Coordinate fixtures and appliances
Decide whether to mix and match pulls and finishes

Need a quote to reface or remodel your kitchen cabinets? Contact us online or call (480) 641-9611 and we’ll send one of our cabinet experts to your home for a free, same-day quote.

Tip #1: Stick with your kitchen theme

If your kitchen is light and modern, ornate black cabinet hardware will look wildly out of place amidst the bright openness.

Make sure to select a cabinet hardware that matches your kitchen theme in:

Style. More traditional and rustic kitchens look great with cabinet hardware that has texture and detail. Modern, contemporary and industrial kitchens, on the other hand, pair nicely with sleek, simple designs.
Material. The cabinet hardware finish should coordinate with the cabinet color. White cabinets look great with just about any hardware finish, but light- and dark-colored cabinets should be paired with hardware finishes that make the pulls—and hinges if they’re visible—pop.

Need kitchen decor inspiration? Get ideas for filling space above cabinets in our blog “How to Decorate Above Kitchen Cabinets: 7 Ideas.”

Tip #2: Coordinate fixtures and appliances

When coordinating kitchen cabinet hardware, you’ll want to make sure it goes well with the finish of your appliances and light and plumbing fixtures.

This doesn’t mean the cabinet hardware has to match the fixtures and appliances. In fact, the “mixed metal” look can work well depending on your kitchen decor.

We’ve listed common appliance and fixture finishes and what cabinet hardware finishes they work well with below.

This appliance and/or fixture finish…	Goes well with these cabinet hardware finishes…
Black	Black (polished or matte) Chrome/nickel/silver (polished or brushed)
Stainless steel	Nickel/silver (brushed) Brass/gold (brushed)
Chrome	Chrome/nickel/silver (polished) Brass/gold (polished)
Copper/Bronze	Copper/bronze (polished or brushed) Black (polished or matte)
White	Chrome/nickel/silver (polished or brushed) Brass/gold (polished or brushed) Copper/bronze (polished or brushed)

Trying to coordinate with stainless steel appliances? See the best cabinet colors for stainless steel appliances in our blog.

Tip #3: Decide whether to mix and match pulls and finishes

If it works with your theme, mixing cabinet pull styles and hardware finishes can add a unique touch to your kitchen.

Mixing cabinet pulls

When it comes to cabinet pulls, you have 2 options:

Handles: Wide pieces that attach to the cabinet door or drawer with 2 screws, making the pull easier to grab. Handles are more common on drawers.
Knobs: Small pieces that attach to the cabinet door or drawer with one screw. Knobs are usually more affordable than handles, but work well for both doors and drawers.

When selecting hardware for your kitchen, you can choose either:

All knobs or handles. This will give you a more cohesive look, since every cabinet door and drawer will have the same pull.
A combination of knobs and handles. Combining knobs and handles gives you a more varied look, since some cabinets will have knobs and others handles. More often than not, Phoenix homeowners choose knobs for doors and handles for drawers when combining cabinet pull styles.

Mixing hardware finishes

Whatever cabinet pulls you choose, you’ll have a variety of finish options to choose from.

In addition to mixing cabinet hardware finishes with appliance/fixture finishes, you can mix finishes on the cabinet pulls themselves.

For example, if you have:

A farmhouse or rustic-themed kitchen with white or cream cabinets, you could go with matte gold handles on doors and matte black knobs on drawers.
A modern or contemporary kitchen with dark-colored or two-toned cabinets, putting brushed nickel on upper cabinets and matte gold on the lower ones would create a unique look.

Need help designing your kitchen cabinets?

Schedule an appointment online or call us at (480) 641-9611. One of our cabinet experts will give you a free in-home or virtual consultation. We’ll help you design kitchen cabinets that coordinate with your decor and suit your tastes, needs and budget.

Request Estimate

Call (480) 641-9611

Cabinet Coatings
East Valley (480) 641-9611
West Valley (623) 939-3553