The Obvious and the Obscure – Kitchen Hardware

Whether you’re designing a kitchen for a new home, renovating a kitchen that’s a bit tired, or just doing a little upgrade, kitchen accessories will play a role in the design and function of the room.

The most obvious examples of kitchen hardware are cabinet door knobs and handles and drawer fronts. Knobs come in many materials: metals of all kinds, wood, ceramic, glass, and plastic. You can find them in all sizes, from small knobs that you pull with your fingertips to huge knobs that require a solid grip.

Knobs differ from handles in that they are fastened with a single screw or bolt. If you are installing new cabinets, you can drill a single hole in the cabinet door or drawer front. Installation will go faster when you have fewer holes to drill and line up. If you are simply replacing kitchen fixtures, check the diameter and length of the old screws or bolts. Select replacements with screws or bolts that are the same size, or slightly larger; you can always enlarge existing holes, but you cannot reduce them to accommodate a narrower screw or bolt.

The handles are elongated and are usually fastened with two screws or bolts. They require you to slide your fingers behind the bar that spans the two connection points. Just like knobs, handles come in a variety of materials, sizes, and shapes.

If you choose handles for new kitchen cabinets, you must drill two holes in each cabinet door and drawer front. You can make or buy templates that will help you do this job accurately. If you’re keeping cabinets that previously had kitchen fixtures installed, you need to consider the size and location of the old handles. Be sure to replace old handles with ones of the same size, unless you’re willing to fill existing holes and refinish doors and drawer fronts.

You can enhance the look of any handle or knob by adding a back plate between the new kitchen hardware and the cabinet door front or drawer front. Backplates come in traditional and contemporary styles, in a range of materials to match your choice of knobs and handles.

Changing kitchen hardware may not be strictly a cosmetic change. You can replace worn latches and bolts to help keep doors and drawers closed. You can find catches in two general types: lightweight rollers and magnets, and metal plates. This kitchen hardware prevents a door or drawer from being inadvertently opened, when it could insult an unsuspecting family member.

Any home with a baby should be childproofed, and securing cabinets that contain hazards to the smallest members of our families is important to any family. You don’t have to install those plastic locks on the outside of the door or those hard-to-disengage locks on cabinet frames. A popular alternative to replacing kitchen hardware uses a magnetic lock and key. When you install this kind of kitchen hardware, you can open the cabinet only with the magnetic key. Keep the key out of reach and you can rest assured that the contents of the cabinet will stay out of the reach of little fingers.

If you have a worn or damaged handle on your refrigerator, stove, or dishwasher, you do not have to replace the appliance. You can find kitchen accessories to replace the old ones and to match your décor. As with cabinet handles, remove the old hardware, measure it carefully, and choose a replacement that is the same size.