Choosing the Best Kitchen Cabinet Knob

Your cabinet doorknobs may seem like a relatively small interior design feature, which they quite literally are. However, considering that the cabinets and cupboards are the faces of your kitchen, choosing the right knob is more important than most will give it credit. So, before you impulse-pick the first knob set that catches your eye, take a step back and really imagine what your kitchen will look like with them installed.

Both in terms of aesthetics and practicality, cabinet knobs need to be considered so that they not only match the interior design of your kitchen but also serve you for many years to come. Here are key details to consider when picking out cabinet and cupboard door knobs for your kitchen. 

Style

Depending on the interior design of your kitchen, you should consider the type of drawer knobs to buy. It’s all a matter of pairing the cabinet, cupboard, and drawer knobs to the rest of your interior design, so that everything comes together in a wholesome manner, instead of clashing with each other. 

Contemporary

The simple charm of contemporary kitchen cabinet knobs adds to the beauty of your kitchen interior.

Minimalistic design features are a key component of contemporary kitchen interiors. It’s all about making more with what you have and this mentality applies both to the form of the handles, as well as their color. Contemporary kitchens typically have cabinetry knobs that are more visually subdued and fall into place among the other minimalistic design choices.

A great example of this is matte black cupboard handles that have a linear shape, usually cut out into a perfect cylinder. Chrome cabinet handles are also a popular choice in contemporary kitchens, as their less-reflective surfaces don’t create too much visual clutter even inside a very bright interior.

Vintage 

The complex designs of vintage kitchen handles give your kitchen a classy look.

Vintage interior design elements tend to be a little more complicated, favoring regal and decorative over minimalist and practical options. Antique drawer handles, for example, are very popular and make for a classy interior element with their adorned design and complex molding.

Vintage drawer knobs vary in shape and size, so they can fit into a variety of interior designs, from the more regal Victorian revival kitchens, to transitional and even something as bold as art deco. Do keep in mind, that vintage gold kitchen handles are quite a bold interior feature, so if your kitchen is more minimalist in design, these knobs will stand out and may even become an eyesore as they don’t complement the simpler elements of the room.

Rustic

For a kitchen that is more rustic, warm, and cozy, wood cabinet knobs work perfectly. You can find these in modern farmhouses and Scandi interiors. Wrought iron drawer handles and knobs are also very popular in farmhouse kitchens, as the combination of wood and iron is as rustic as you can get.

If you can get your hands on reclaimed vintage cabinet knobs, do yourself a favor and install them in your rustic kitchen. You won’t believe just how much of a difference they make in the overall vibe of the room.

Size

Size is an important factor to consider when choosing kitchen cabinet knobs.

Size is also a very important factor to consider when picking out your kitchen cabinet, drawer, and cupboard knobs, both in terms of aesthetics and practicality. Generally, the bigger the handle, the easier it is to grip and from various directions. You don’t have to reach out too far to open a door or pull on a drawer. If you have a big kitchen where cooking requires you to regularly reach out for various cabinets, cupboards, and drawers, bigger handles can be quite useful.

On the other hand, if you’re working in a small kitchen, where everything is within your reach and you have no problem gripping handles and knobs from a distance, then the size should be relatively small. This way if you pass by your cabinetry your pants won’t get caught on any of the handles, especially when the room is crowded. 

Material

Consider both quality and durability when choosing kitchen cabinet knobs.

The material that your knobs and handles are made of will have a direct impact on their durability. Keep in mind, that cabinetry handles and knobs are regularly used throughout the day as you open and close the doors regularly, especially if you love cooking at home. After many years of use, even the most durable materials will start to deteriorate and at some point, will be unusable. 

Most of the drawer handles and cabinet knobs you’ll find are made of some kind of metal alloy. This can be brass, bronze, stainless steel, or wrought iron. But there are also ceramic, crystal, and glass drawer knobs, but these are considered to be more fragile, though still very attractive options. Aside from being durable, some knob materials are also antimicrobial, which is a super important factor to consider for the kitchen, where all kinds of microorganisms may be lurking. 

Bronze and brass are very potent antimicrobial materials, which means that if you have someone in your home with a weak immune system, these materials may be the perfect choice to avoid illnesses brought on by bacteria and other nasty particles. So, even if you touch the knobs with greasy hands, you can keep them clean much more easily than with other materials.

Finish

The finish you choose for your kitchen knobs needs to be something you visually enjoy seeing.

While the material that your kitchen cupboard knobs and drawer handles are made of is quite important in determining its durability and longevity, the finish is what you’ll be seeing 100% percent of the time. So getting the right finish that stylistically corresponds to your interior is quite important.

There is quite a bit of knob and handle finishes to choose from, to say the least. Brushed, polished, matte, burnished, antiqued, weathered, or painted are just a few examples of what you have to choose from. However, despite this metric ton of options you have, matching the right finish to your interior is not too difficult of a task.

For example, matte or polished chrome, being less vibrant, goes perfectly well in contemporary interiors as they are visually less bold. On the other hand, a polished or oil-rubbed finish is mostly reserved for regal and vibrant interior, where the added visual complexity is appropriate. 

Placement

Kitchen design interiors are heavily affected by where your knobs are eventually placed.

The knob’s design also largely depends on its placement, both on the door or drawer itself, as well as the location in the room. For example, if you have overhead cupboards that are a little further than your reach, then you can opt for bigger or extended handles that will make reaching for them seamless.

On the other hand, if you have drawers and cabinets located in high traffic areas, where pants and hands may get caught on the larger handles, you should opt for more compact models. Recessed handles in this case are ideal since they are buried within the panel of your cabinet door. They offer the same amount of grip but don’t get in the way as traditional exposed doorknobs do. If the movement space in your kitchen is limited, consider investing in a set of recessed knobs to prevent painful bumps and potential damage to the cabinet knobs or even the cabinets themselves.

You should also consider the size of your doorknob depending on which way your cabinet and cupboard doors open. Some of the cabinets and cupboards may have doors that open towards a perpendicular wall. In this case, you would need smaller doorknobs so as to prevent damage to the wall when the doors are opened.