Thinking of giving your house a facelift and wondering how? Start by considering replacing your home hardware. All those older knobs, bar pulls, hinges, and handles may seem like a minor detail. It’s one that is often overlooked when thinking of remodeling your home. Yet, changing out and replacing bathroom drawer pulls, kitchen door handles and even the knobs on interior doors can have a big impact on the décor of your house. If you are refinishing surfaces, why not give those older cabinets and drawers a new look. Choosing the home hardware for your décor is important, and it may be somewhat of a challenge. Here are a few important things to consider for incorporating new specialty hardware into your home.
Determine the Amount You Need
Whether going for a modern or antique look, new hardware will bring new focus to your cabinetry, doors, and other fixtures. You can do it all at once, or room by room. First you should count the number of knobs, pulls, handles and hinges you are going to replace and decide on your budget. Determine the size and weight of the hardware, make sure it fits and works—it’s best to strike a balance between form and function. You will find that cabinet hardware varies greatly and there are many choices ranging from attractive, economical lines to fit modest budgets and custom high-end designer styles for a bigger budget.
Choose Hardware Finish Wisely
One of the first things to consider is to make sure that you choose specialty hardware that contrasts with your surface. Brass, chrome, stainless steel, or nickel will accent dark wood or wood colors. Bronze, enamel or copper with an antique finish are perfect to offset light-colored cabinets. Highly polished or satin finished metal hardware works with both traditional and contemporary décor. A more casual look can be found with oil-rubbed bronze. If looking for something sleek, consider glass or enamel hardware, especially if you want to accent a more modern look.
Consider Size and Shape
Once you have decided on a particular finish, you will need to select the size and shape of hardware that suits your design. Stainless steel bar pulls provide a contemporary or modern look to cabinets, while wire pull hardware can add a more modest or rustic touch to your drawers. Glass or ceramic knobs may go well with your shaker cabinets. Bin or cup pulls offer an antique or traditional look.
Don’t Forget Functionality
Another important element in choosing the right specialty hardware for your home is its functionality. Knobs come in a wide variety of styles—vintage, retro, industrial or antique—and all may look attractive, but they are designed for doors, not drawers. Drawers require substantial, durable hardware that your fingers can fit comfortably under and withstand the continuous pulling.
If you are undecided on what type of hardware works best with what you have or want, consult with your hardware store salesperson or, if it’s a new installation, your contractor. Consultation is especially important if you will be replacing hinges throughout the kitchen, bathroom, or interior doors. Hinges come in all shapes and sizes, and are also designed to serve various applications for doors, cupboards, windows, chests, and cabinetry. There are butt hinges, spring hinges, butterfly, and barrel hinges to name a few types that serve different functions. Above all, the right type of hinge is important. If your hinges do not fit perfectly or are not flush, your doors will not hang right, or open and close properly. The hinges you choose need to fit your particular style of doors.
Decorative specialty hardware comes in many sizes, styles, materials and finishes. With a little research and time, you will find the right hardware for you, and give your house a new and exciting look. Want to learn more? Contact the experienced team at Arthur Harris today.