Kitchen cabinets design matters today much more than it did to your parents. Why? Our living habits have changed, which means the way we prefer to use our homes has changed. So how does this affect contemporary kitchen layouts and the design of kitchen cabinets?

When I Was Little…

When I was growing up, my parents considered the living room and family room as the “main” rooms of the house. The kitchen was where food was prepared and dishes washed, but it was very much a work room, pure and simple.

Now I’m Older…

Whereas today, our kitchen has become much more of a focus for the family, and this seems to be a general trend, not just our own peculiarity. Where my parents’ kitchen combined food storage, preparation, and dish washing, as well as laundry and ironing, like many families today, we have a separate laundry or “utility room”. We dine at the kitchen table, and socialize with regular family and friends round the kitchen table. Only when we have a larger number of guests, or wish to be more formal, do we use the dining room for meals. Its still the work room of course, but with its expanded role and importance, we want our kitchens looking good too.

When discussing kitchen remodeling or design,  most people will will mention convenience and functionality as priorities. But decor also comes high in the list, and we tend get into talking about various styles, colors and personal touches that would help personalize the space and make it our own. However experience has taught us that it is easy to over look some small details in the kitchen design that, if done properly, can have a big impact on its over all appearance, and complement your other kitchen furniture.

The “small detail” I want to highlight here is the choice of hardware in modern kitchen cabinets design to match your decor and style.

Cabinetry Style can Guide Your Selection of Cabinet Hardware

Kitchen cabinet sizes are fairly standardized, and the type of construction may not be obvious after installation, but the style of cabinets you’ve chosen – doors, panels, and kitchen countertops – reflect your personality and affect the atmosphere of the room. Your choice of hardware adds the finishing touch – a touch of class (or not, as the case may be!).

Its fairly easy to find cabinet hardware to match your kitchen, but there are a few points to bear in mind.

• Are your cabinet doors plain? Then they’ll adapt well to almost any style of knobs and pulls you like.
• Do your cabinet doors have specific shapes or features that would limit your options.

For example, if you have a shaker cabinet door panel – plain with a raised wooden frame border – this works well with any style of cabinet knobs and drawer handles.  However, cabinets with a bead board panel face will probably limit you to a more casual or French country look.

Within these styles you’ll find a huge range of available cabinet hardware to choose from, so you’ll have no problem finding something to suite your cabinet style and enhance the visual appeal of the kitchen.

Select a Theme and Follow it Through

Remember the basic concept is to match your cabinet knobs and drawer handles to the style and decor of your kitchen. Too many styles in the same room creates a busy and confusing impression. Its best to choose one theme and follow it through consistently within the kitchen.

Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean:

• If Old World Tuscany appeals to you, consider sun-baked earthy colors like yellow, terra cotta or gold. Then look for cabinet knobs and pulls with an antique look, so choose cabinet hardware with an aged appearance – maybe hammered bronze or wrought iron.
• Is your kitchen decor modern, with clean, simple lines? Then make sure this is reflected in your choice of cabinet hardware. In this case, you can’t go far wrong choosing stainless or nickel knobs and pulls – polished or brushed.
• You have a country-style kitchen? Then you’ll have a wide range to of options choose from. “Country” spans many different styles such as French country, Shaker, Arts and Crafts, etc. So subject to your specific country style, make your choice of drawer handles and cabinet knobs from clear or colored glass, hammered metal, brass or wood.

So complete your kitchen by selecting hardware which matches well to your kitchen decor. Its as close as you local Home Depot, Lowes or independent kitchen cabinets design center. Or have a look at the many online home hardware stores.

You’ll find that replacing your existing knobs and pulls is a breeze. No special tools are required. All you’ll need is a screw driver. If you take care to match up the existing holes in your cabinetry you can make it even easier!.

Finally… Don’t make the mistake so commonly found. Achieve you own attractive unified look by matching kitchen door hardware, cabinet knobs and drawer handles.