If you want a space that leans towards more of the traditional side, the general rule to follow is knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. However, because bathrooms have small drawers and spaces, it is perfectly acceptable to use all knobs or pulls while still maintaining a traditional or modern look.
It's much easier and safer to mix different shapes of knobs and pulls in one matching finish. Think about the number of drawers and doors. It can be easier to make multiple styles of hardware work in a larger kitchen with many doors and drawers. Use one style for upper cabinets and a different style for lower cabinets.
Yes, mixing knobs and pulls on kitchen cabinets will help you use them more easily. You can always choose to purchase only knobs or pulls for all of your cabinet hardware, but we advise homeowners to consider how practical your choice will feel on a daily basis.
'Think of your cabinet hardware and kitchen faucet like jewelry,' says Xander Shreenan of Dowsing & Reynolds. 'One should complement the other; creating a beautiful and decorative kitchen that has been tailored to perfection. ' However, bear in mind that anything too matchy-matchy can look contrived.
Generally, you can mix your knobs and pulls — or decide on all knobs or all pulls in just one size or matched to your drawer and cabinet sizes. However, you should probably decide on just the one style and finish for your cabinet hardware and stick with it.
There are no strict rules to follow when choosing whether to select a knob or a pull or both. One preference is to use knobs for all doors and pulls for all drawers. For any large door such as a pantry and any pull-out door (including pull-out base pantries or trash pull-outs), use a pull.
Most interior designers prefer the uniform look that matching fixtures give so that the focal point of the room design isn't interrupted. For homeowners, this is considered a personal choice; however, the design rule of thumb is regardless of style, you want to use the same metal and finish for all hardware (fixtures).
Door handles, fixtures and fittings, and other hardware don't have to match exactly, but they should blend together to make a harmonious space.
The key to proper design is to universally communicate a message, so hardware and fixtures are key. Shelves, faucets and accessories should match, so be cautious that you're communicating the style and finish universally.
If you want a space that leans towards more of the traditional side, the general rule to follow is knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. Every so often we will break this rule for small drawers or small spaces, such as bathrooms. But you really cannot go wrong when sticking to this overall guideline.
For example, use a plain cup pull with an ornate cabinet knob in the same finish. This will give your cabinets a little bit of interest, but they won't be glaringly different. Or, go with a similar look to create a cohesive theme. If you have a masculine cup pull, use a masculine cabinet knob.
So, should your kitchen faucet match your cabinet hardware? No, they can match if you want, but they don't have to. Unlike a living room or great room with angles or nooks, everything instantly hits the eye when you enter a kitchen. This means the overall ambiance needs to be coordinated — not necessarily matching.
Overall, to cut a long story short, contemporary and modern cabinets work in harmony with simple knobs and pulls. You can also mix and match them to create a complementary look, like the transition kitchen. Traditional-style spaces demand much more intricate hardware, making pulls the more common selection.
All types of hardware look good on shaker cabinets. Yet, the hardware that looks best depends on the style of your kitchen space. For a modern, classic, and simple look, pulls are the best option. For a contemporary or vintage look, knobs or ornate hardware would look best.
Choosing Color and Finish Based on Tone
If you have warm tones, go with gold, black, or bronze hardware. If you have a cold grey tone, then silver, pewter, black, and stainless steel hardware will work. Take note of lighting, appliances, and other metal accents in the room and stick to the same tone.
Try pairing shiny, polished fixtures with matte metals for a clean, modern look. For a sleek bathroom, try brushed finishes in complementary colors. Oil-rubbed bronze allows you to see just hints of bronze, so look for other warm-toned metals like polished bronze, copper, or even gold.
Neutrals like chrome, nickel and stainless look good on anything. Think of them as the classic white shirt of the bath—subtly sophisticated and easy to match with other accessories like towel holders and door pulls. Shiny chrome is the most popular bath finish and comes with an affordable price tag.
The toilet, tub, and sink are the three anchor points of your bathroom, so to make the room as visually appealing as possible, we do recommend that you choose matching colors and finishes for these three appliances. While there is a time to mix and match elements in the bathroom, we typically say this isn't it.
The rule – if your colors are different (silver tones, brass tones, brown tones, black tones) then you can mix the finishes. Here we mixed chrome and matte black. The plumbing fixtures, mirrors, and cabinet hardware are matte black, and we popped in a bright polished chrome on the light fixture.
If brushed nickel is at the top of your list when selecting new cabinet hardware or faucet finishes for your kitchen or bathroom, I think you can rest easy if you make this your selection as it is a great choice. It is a timeless finish you will continue to love through the years, as many other trends come and go.
It's fine to mix brass and chrome fixtures together, as well as brass and nickel. As the two most popular metallic shades, brass and chrome (or gold and silver) go well together and can be combined to add stylish contrast in the bathroom.
On wall cabinets, knobs are usually placed 2-1/2” to 3” from the bottom corner of the door. On base cabinets, they are placed 2-1/2” to 3” from the upper corner of the door. On drawers and pull-out cabinets, drawer pulls and knobs are typically centered on the drawer front.
The first route is to put knobs on all the upper cabinets and pulls on all the lower cabinets for visual balance. The second option is to put knobs on all the doors and pulls on all the drawers, prioritizing function. But who said you can't throw out the rule book entirely?
Rather than using two pulls on wide drawers, you can use a single pull that is longer in length. This can offer a cleaner, more contemporary appearance and it also is easier to operate your drawers with. Using a pull that is approximately 1/3 the length of the drawer is a good rule of thumb.