It’s easy to become consumed with the color of your cabinetry or veining of your countertops before concerning yourself with kitchen hardware options. While there’s nothing wrong with a healthy focus on those big-picture outcomes, details must be more than an afterthought in order to achieve the right balance of form and function in your custom kitchen.

As you begin planning your custom home, choosing the best hardware to match your lifestyle and aesthetic preferences may seem unnecessarily daunting. With countless hardware options available, consider the following aspects of your design to keep the brainstorming organized and your priorities in order. 

Consider the Type

Knobs are generally considered the best hardware for hinged cabinets, while pulls are used more often for drawers. Ultimately the type of hardware you choose to use in your custom home largely depends on personal preferences.

Using pulls uniformly throughout the kitchen can easily elevate the heart of one’s home. Opting for knobs throughout your space has the potential to add depth, whimsy, and visual interest. Evaluate your current kitchen habits to determine whether knobs, pulls, or a strategic combination of the two will make the most sense for your future culinary pursuits.

Consider the Style

Once you’ve determined the type of hardware that best suits your habits, it’s time to hone in on the aesthetic aspects.

Consider using hardware with curved silhouettes, ridged details, and intricate textures to add engaging details to a more traditional design. Dish knobs and cup pulls are great options to achieve a more contemporary aesthetic.

If your ideal kitchen is based on modern design principles, opt for hardware with sleek lines, clean edges, and minimized profiles. Geometric knobs and extended bar pulls beautifully lend themselves to modern kitchen designs.

Consider the Size

As you peruse possible hardware options, take heed of the size of every knob and pull in relation to your cabinetry. While delicate knobs may work well with smaller kitchen drawers, the same knob could end up looking awkward on larger drawers or islands. When it comes to hardware, it’s always important to take proportions into account.

While there are general rules for hardware sizing, the beauty of customizing your home lies in the ability to ignore these rules in order to make a statement. With a comprehensive design plan, oversized knobs or thicker drawer pulls have the potential to add striking personality to your custom space.

Consider the Contrast

Choosing the right finish for your home’s hardware is the best way to help the cabinetry in your kitchen, bathrooms, and built-ins reach its full potential. 

Brushed nickel and bronze hardware work beautifully with organic materials like wood cabinetry or butcher block countertops. If you’ve opted for darker or more dramatic cabinetry, adding brass or brushed gold hardware is an elegant way to add contrast and elevate the look.

If white quartz countertops and white cabinetry are in your plans, dark hardware finishes will help those lighter surfaces pop and add depth to your space. For a more ethereal aesthetic, consider combining light cabinetry with cool colors and delicate stainless hardware to maintain a bright ambiance.

Consider the Objective

Attention to detail is an integral part of a successful design process. But with so many moving parts, we know it can be hard to keep those small selections straight. Hoping to find a detail-oriented design team to assist with every facet of your custom home? We’d be honored to help. Contact us today to discuss your preferences and start planning your perfect Lowcountry abode!