Give Your Cabinets a Facelift Using Steel Hardware

A beautiful and sustainable facelift for your kitchen can occur with simple addition of steel cabinet hardware. Steel hardware is stronger than many other types of hardware and holds up to heavy use, bumping, chipping, banging and regular family wear and tear.

Aside from sustainability, the shimmering, silvery metal of steel is a popular choice by homeowners and renovators for kitchens and cabinets, bringing a modern zing to more dated cabinetry. Part of the reason for this trend in steel is the transformation of modern kitchens to stainless steel appliances, bringing old and new together for a stunning transformation.

How do you begin to shop for the right steel hardware for you? It may help you to review the following tips to help you make the choice you really will feel right about your choice as you live in your home and also for public appeal as you sell your property:

Fitting – Today’s hardware stores typically carry hardware that is designed to fit on modern cabinets, so if you have older cabinets, it is important to note the number of drill holes and the measurement between those holes on your handles or pulls so that you can take that information to the stores. Taking measurements should be your first step in selecting your hardware because it can strictly limit the style of hardware you have to choose from, especially if you have older or heritage cabinets. Visiting custom hardware makers in town or online is another alternative that can expand your choices and add to the richness and individual nature of your selection. Be sure to keep your old hardware to carry with you as you shop for comparison purposes. Even after you purchase your new hardware, keep the old hardware in storage for about six months until you are confident that you’ve made the right choice and all is working well.

Count – Before you get lost in the fog of dreaming about your new kitchen’s look, don’t forget to look at your cabinets and write down how many knobs, how many drawer pulls, and how many handles you need to order once you pick your design. I had an experience where I found a handle that I liked but it did not have a matching knob as part of the set. Because I had noted that I needed knobs in my renovation, I had to say no to the handles I loved and look for a brand that carried matching knobs and handles.

Custom Work – Decide if you are willing to do a little custom work to your cabinets to modernize the look of the cabinets. For example, if your cabinet drill holes are an inch wide, perhaps you’d be willing to drill new holes to two inches wide to create an new look and sturdier function of the cabinets. Be realistic about how much time and effort you are willing to put into your cabinets. Sometimes when you see a handle you love that doesn’t fit, you have to let it go if you truly don’t want to do any work to your cabinets.

The Look – Study your dream kitchens in home magazines or call up a friend whose kitchen you love to start getting comfortable with what kind of look you want to establish for your kitchen. Be sure your new hardware compliments your current appliances, colors, and styles already present in your kitchen if you plan on keeping the rest of the kitchen as-is.

A fresh set of steel cabinet knobs and pulls makes a marked difference in how you, your friends, or your buyers see and experience your kitchen. Using the tips in this article, you can have your planning, shopping and installing complete in short order, and then you can enjoy it for the long term.