New drawer pulls and handles are a great way to update an old kitchen or bathroom, even if you don’t intend to replace the cabinets and drawers. Drawer pulls and handles can make any statement you want, but it is extremely important that they match the style of the cabinets and the general room in which they will be used. There are so many different options available when it comes to selecting drawer pulls and handles that it will help a lot if you have a basic understanding of the different types of hardware.

Types of drawer pulls and handles

The first thing to understand is that drawer pulls can be pulls or knobs. The handles are much longer than the knobs and provide more room to grab when you want to open a drawer. Handles also tend to offer more stylistic options, as there is more room to make a style statement. Handles are generally more versatile than knobs, and many people prefer handles to knobs, especially if all the doors in their homes have handles instead of knobs.

Materials

The next thing that is important to understand is the different materials that are used for drawer pulls and handles. Metal is probably the most popular material today, although glass is also a very viable option, especially if you want to show off color and expression in a way that metal simply can’t. Metal is probably the most durable material available and can offer some very ornate carving options, although most metal knobs and handles are one color or at most two. Typically, buyers looking for metal handles or pulls will have to choose between silver or yellow, and there are several different types of metals that fall into those two colors. Pewter, nickel, brass, and bronze are just a few of the options. The only real reason to choose a certain metal over another type of metal is color. Beyond that, in cases of metal allergies there is also a good reason to avoid specific types of metals.

Style

Another important consideration to keep in mind is the style of the sweaters. Remember that the goal of the handles is to find hardware that matches the style of the drawers. Hardware that looks out of place on the drawer won’t match the style at all. Just take some time to look around your kitchen or bathroom and think about the style you see there. Are there a lot of wavy or curvy lines, or does the décor lean more toward blocks and straight lines? Is the room full of neutral colors or full of other vibrant colors? Are the cabinets made of dark or light wood? Are they stained or painted white, black, or another color?

It is also very important to think about the size of the drawers. Are they very heavy and hard to get out, or do they slide off very easily? Heavier drawers will need a stronger type of pull, while a lighter drawer will be able to do just fine with a lighter handle. In addition to the practical sizing part, also be sure to think about how the size of the drawer pulls and handles will look on the drawers themselves. Try to choose knobs and pulls that are proportional to the size of the drawers. Having a piece of hardware that looks too small or too big for the drawer it sits in will ruin the look a bit.