How-to Mix Kitchen Cabinet Hardware: Knobs and Pulls
Pro tips on mixing knobs with pulls on your cabinets! Plus how to choose the right style for your kitchen.
Are you searching for the perfect cabinet hardware for your kitchen style, but aren’t quite sure what will look best?
Or are confused by how to mix cabinet knobs with cabinet pulls on doors and drawers?
After working as a Marketing Vice President in the cabinet hardware industry and launching over 200 products, I know a thing or two about this subject 😉
In this guide, I’m helping you narrow down the big wide world of cabinet hardware options to the perfect knob and pull pairs including some appliance pulls.
They’re not just for kitchens either… find what you love for any cabinets in your home!
Plus I’m going to dish some behind the scenes information about the images I’m sharing too. See what famous designers I’ve met along the way!
General Kitchen Styles for Cabinet Hardware
First, let’s talk about some general kitchen styles not the trends.
There are some basic core styles that most kitchens will typically fit into.
I am a fan of “bucketizing” things to help you understand general concepts. Yes, I made up that word LOL!
4 Basic Kitchen Design Styles
Four easy buckets to think about when defining your own or planned kitchen style.
Of course there are off shoots of all of these design styles like:
- Modern Coastal
- Industrial Farmhouse
- Modern Minimalist
- French Country
- Midcentury Modern
- Boho Chic
- Scandinavian
But at their core they all stem from the four basic style buckets.
Transitional is a catchall between traditional and modern where you mix the two seamlessly.
It’s important to keep things simple when you aren’t an interior designer, so you don’t get overwhelmed by all of the options.
These are not style RULES, but instead a style GUIDE. When it comes to interior design, everything is subjective.
Porch Daydreamer
I’ll be sharing pictures with the cabinet hardware pairings, so YOU can decide your design aesthetic.
What design style feels right to you?
Step out and be bold…don’t play it safe with ALL knobs or ALL bar pulls. MIX and MATCH knobs, pulls and cup pulls for lots of visual interest.
PIN the pictures you love to your design mood boards, so you can find them later!
How-to Match Knobs and Pulls on Kitchen Cabinets
I’m going to teach a very simple trick that is going to help you SO much, as you search for cabinet hardware for your kitchen.
Something I want you to pay CLOSE attention to are the “feet” of the cabinet hardware.
Don’t know what the feet of the hardware are? Well, that’s definitely an industry term so I am not surprised.
The feet of cabinet hardware are the little area that attaches to the cabinet drawer or door.
Of course you could consider the area you attach the hardware to the cabinet door the legs 🙂
What’s GREAT about understanding this concept is that you are opening up a whole new way of choosing cabinet hardware.
When you find a knob or pull, but don’t love the matching components in a collection.
Now you can mix and match collections within a brand to get the look you want!
ALWAYS stay within a brand when mixing, so you ensure that the finishes match each other.
You may get lucky mixing brands, but staying with the same manufacturer is a safer bet.
When you mix two cabinet hardware collections together, it’s important that you pay attention to the design elements and or the feet to coordinate the knobs and pulls.
How to determine design styles in cabinet hardware
Here are two examples pairing hardware from two different collections.
I’m going to walk you through the similarities of the design styles and also the “feet” of the cabinet hardware.
These are collections I’ve mixed and matched in my own home, so I know they work!
As a marketing VP at a cabinet hardware company, I was the head of product development plus was the person who guided and approved the final design 🙂
I’m teaching you the way I analyzed collections and pulled them together for photography and our catalog.
You are getting pro level advice you won’t find many places!
Coordinating Cabinet Hardware Knobs and Pulls
As we were designing pulls to coordinate with knobs and vice versa, we ALWAYS paid attention to picking up one design element and using it on both pieces.
It adds natural visual cue for the eye to see that these two pieces of cabinet hardware are related.
Much like parents look like children! You get subtle cues within their features. The same with cabinet hardware.
What to look for as you mix knobs and pulls in a kitchen:
- Are the feet of the knobs and pulls the same shape? Round or Square?
- Is there a design element that is similar like ridges or a shape you see?
- Are they the same basic style? Traditional, Transitional, Modern or Industrial
Now that you are armed with this design tip you’ll notice these details and chose the best cabinet hardware combos!
I’m sharing 3 different options for each design style. That’s 12 different ideas my friend!
THE STYLES ARE IN ORDER OF THE LIST, SO CLICK TO JUMP TO THE STYLE YOU PREFER IF NEEDED.
Contains hand selected products, with affiliate marketing links where I may make a small commission if a purchase is made. {full disclosure here}
Traditional Kitchen Cabinet Hardware
First let’s cover traditional because it’s a long time interior design style and never goes out of style.
You will see a picture or two from my own home because that is typically the style I gravitate toward.
Here is my kitchen after a recent remodel that you can read about here: Kitchen Remodel Facelift REVEAL!
The knobs and pulls I chose are very simple in style that have lived with me for years.
Sea Grass Oversized Knob | Sea Grass Pull | Ashby Cup Pull
The channeled details go with a wide variety of styles…especially coastal.
In this collection, I chose the oversized knobs for greater impact.
What’s an oversized knob? One that is approaching 2 inches diameter.
Tip: Knobs and pulls can be installed vertically or horizontally based on the look and location
The knobs can be installed vertically or horizontally, which I’ve done: drawers are horizontal and doors are vertical.
FYI, all collections I’m sharing come in a variety of finishes so if you like the style find the finish you love.
This next collection is a classic and been around forever!
Blythe Knob | Blythe Pull | Blythe Appliance Pull (limited finishes)
It looks fresh and updated in the polished nickel finish.
The center bead design works with a variety of cabinet styles too and will dress up a simple shaker front cabinet.
What’s great about this collection is that it comes in the larger appliance size as well.
Grace Knob | Revitalize Pull | Revitalize Appliance Pull (limited finishes)
These pretty knobs and pulls are in my laundry room!
They work perfectly with the bead board detail of my cabinets.
The quatrefoil design of the knob is oh so french country and would look pretty in a cottage style.
Plus many of the finishes come in the larger appliance size too.
Transitional Kitchen Cabinet Hardware
Oh the faceted angles be still my heart! I love this collection SO much that I used it in my office.
Plus I used this collection to swap out the plain bar pulls on some Ikea furniture to totally trade up the look.
Isn’t this kitchen so pretty? This photoshoot was in a gorgeous Charlotte home that had been completely remodeled.
St. Vincent Knobs | St. Vincent Pulls
The facets in this collection reflect a ton of light in the polished nickel finish.
Such a versatile knob and pull combo to take a traditional kitchen and move it toward a more modern look.
Here’s a true transitional look mixing a more traditional pull with a modern pull.
Glacio Square Knob | Cyprus Pull | Cyprus Appliance Pull
If you are looking at bar pulls, consider the Cyprus pull instead.
It’s a nice updated alternative with an arched design for a new look.
This also comes in an appliance pull too!
Does this bathroom look familiar? That’s because it is mine!
If you’d like to see my bathroom remodel, read this post: Master Bathroom Remodel Luxury Hotel: REVEAL
Instead of doing a completely traditional knob and pull, I decided to push the design boundaries a bit.
Oberon Solid Knob | Glacio Pull
The master bathroom is definitely more on the traditional side, but this hardware is complementary.
With the pull being clear it works with so many styles that I used it in a matte black finish in my Modern Coastal Powder Room Makeover.
What is cool about the knob is it also comes with a frosted disc insert for a more modern feel.
I’ll show you that next!
Modern Kitchen Cabinet Hardware
This is the hardware I selected for my son’s bathroom.
He wanted a more modern and masculine look for sure!
You can see here where I mixed two styles by keeping a keen eye toward the design elements in the knob and pull.
Oberon Frosted Knob | Davenport Pull
The raised ridge details on the pull are the perfect complement to the two channels around the knob edges.
See how a subtle design element makes the knobs and pulls work together?
Again I went for an oversized knob for a bigger statement on the dark stained cabinets.
Do you want to see me install this cabinet hardware and teach you how too?
Here is a link to the cabinet hardware installation template I used, which will help you a ton!
I’m not going to lie I am kinda of obsessed with this next collection!
The bar pull with the two toned finish, with white, looks INCREDIBLE on a dark painted finish.
It’s such an unusual look that stands out in the crowd.
If you like the look of a basic streamlined bar pull, but want something with more personality this is a great collection to explore.
The knobs and pulls come in so many cool finish combinations!
It’s worth a look if you want a more sophisticated bar pull look.
Plus if you are mixing two different metallic finishes in your kitchen this may be nice way to coordinate the two.
Here is another multi-finish option that is sleek and oh so cool.
Click through to see the other color options like gold and sliver together!
If you are looking for a super contemporary look, this is your answer.
Especially on flat face cabinet drawers and doors.
Industrial or Farmhouse Kitchen Cabinet Hardware
Last, but not least is the Industrial style. It is particularly popular due to the the surge in modern farmhouse style…thanks to Joanna Gaines!
If you are looking for lighting that coordinates with this style, read this post: Farmhouse Lighting Finds
I seriously love this picture because it has a fun story behind it.
In my VP of marketing role, I had the pleasure of sponsoring the cabinet hardware in a Traditional Home Napa show house.
Oh yes, I got to go to Napa and brought my mom along for the fun as well. Guess who the kitchen designer is?
Highland Ridge Knob | Highland Ridge Cup Pull | Highland Ridge Appliance Pull
None other than Marie Flanigan and YES, I got to meet her along with Alexa Hampton.
Both are kind, humble, and generous people and are so talented!
Not a bad perk right? So I snapped this picture of the kitchen and this was back in 2016 so Marie was WELL ahead of her time.
Especially since she chose the the matte black finish. This is how trends get started my friends.
This wet bar is off the kitchen of the Charlotte, NC house featuring St. Vincent. It goes to show you that you can mix finishes and styles in the same home.
Here we mixed 3 different sizes of pulls for more visual interest versus doing everything the same size.
We worked with the sizes of the doors to make everything work seamlessly.
The finish on this collection has lots of texture due to the cross-hatch pattern.
Esquire comes in a variety of two-toned finishes as well. It feels so good in your hand!
Ashby Cup Pull | Davenport Pull
If you are a lover of cup pulls and modern farmhouse, then this Ashby cup pull is for you.
If you aren’t a fan of matte black, this gunmetal finish is a nice compromise and works with stainless steel finishes seamlessly.
We designed it with women in mind and there is a little gripper underneath, so you won’t break your nails pulling!
It’s also cool because it can be installed on existing 3 inch center to center drill holes, but has a much wider feel.
MORE PERFECT CABINET HARDWARE PAIRS CAN BE FOUND HERE
Yes, now it is time to talk about sizes now that you’ve found some pretty cabinet hardware!
How to Measure for Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Pulls
YES! I have a full post to help you understand what size pulls you need on cabinet drawers and doors.
It is VERY detailed and walks you through ALL technical terms.
Then when you shop online or in a store, you’ll know exactly what size you need to buy to fit existing holes.
Length is a preference, but in this pos I give you a general guide on what to choose.
Read this next, BEFORE you buy something new!
The Right Length Cabinet Pulls for Doors and Drawers
I sure hope you found all of this information helpful and that I made a somewhat daunting choice easier.
Good luck on your cabinet hardware adventure.
Every single piece of hardware has been changed out in my home, so it’s truly a passion of mine.
Check out: Ultimate Guide to Updating an Outdated Kitchen
Want more helpful posts on updating your kitchen?
Please consider following me on Pinterest and Instagram for daily inspiration.
Until next time…
PORCH DAYDREAMER
Tracey
Your articles are so helpful! Thank you for all the information!
Fantastic article, thank you!