Handles for Kitchen Furniture: Photos and Tips for Selection

As an important part of the furniture set, handles are needed not only for convenient use but also to complete the final look of the room. They form an overall impression of the kitchen and can add an unusual color to the interior. The better the hardware is selected, the better the final result looks.

Preferred Materials

It is no secret that handles are used to open drawers dozens of times a day, which requires increased strength from the material they are made of. The most common material used for this purpose is a metal alloy of aluminum and zinc. Depending on the color that the manufacturer wants to achieve, copper and magnesium may be added to the alloy. Thanks to such alloys, strong handles with a light chrome finish are obtained - a universal option for any kitchen.

If the hardware should match a certain style, you can choose options with decorative coating imitating a specific metal - silver, bronze, nickel and others. This is convenient when the color of the handles should match the tone of the countertops or other elements of the interior.

Antique metal imitation is also a very popular option, which manufacturers achieve by applying a special composition to the metal. This method is called patination.

Metals are not the only material that can be used in a kitchen set. You can also find furniture with wooden, plastic and porcelain variants. The first variant is found in vintage furniture, it is eco-friendly but requires more time for care and cleaning. Porcelain handles are an element of refined and airy kitchen, it is extremely impractical but looks very effectually. Plastic handles are the most short-lived but also the cheapest, so their use is reasonable for saving money.

Design: ToTaste Studio

Types of Handles for Kitchen Furniture

Let's consider the most popular handles for kitchen cabinet doors. Each of them has its own drawbacks and advantages.

• Bracket. The most practical and in-demand type of front hardware. Brackets come in P-shaped or arc form, are comfortable to hold and securely attach. They are usually made of metal with various coatings or aluminum. From a wide variety of bracket handles, you can choose one suitable for a kitchen in both modern and retro styles. However, this type of holder may look inappropriate on narrow, shallow cabinet doors on a small kitchen, especially if the set consists of many small drawers and doors.

• Ring. This is a substantial, original hardware that belongs to the prestige category. It looks imposing and elegant at the same time. You can find various rings in appearance. They come in smooth or decorated with engraving, hand-carved details in antique style. However, ring handles do not suit every kitchen style and are especially inappropriate for budget furniture. Frequent careless opening of such substantial holders can damage the kitchen cabinet doors, touching them.

• Rail. This type is similar to brackets but differs in cylindrical shape and size (from 98 to 608 mm). It connects to the holders at a 90-degree angle. Rails are versatile: they will suit an expensive kitchen in high-tech or loft style, and will also be appropriate for decorating a budget kitchen in modern style. Rails are stylish and minimalist but for cabinet doors, it is better to choose those with a length of at least 50-80% of the door width. Shorter handles look less effective. Since rails protrude significantly from the surface of drawers and doors, they can interfere with those who are used to standing close to the cabinet while cooking.

• Button Handle. Compact front hardware that practically does not protrude relative to the cabinet doors. It blends well with complex, carved doors and drawers, visually lightening their appearance. If the buttons are the same color as the kitchen set panels, they are almost invisible. This fact can be used when decorating a minimalist interior. However, due to attachment with only one screw, button handles may be unreliable for opening heavy doors. They will also be inconvenient for long doors of tall cabinets and built-in refrigerators.

• Flush Handle. This is a recessed front hardware that is inserted into the selected groove on the door. The flush handle does not protrude from the surface of the cabinet doors, making it safe and invisible during kitchen work. However, they are not as convenient for opening as, for example, brackets or rails, and their installation requires more skill from the furniture assembler.

• Sensor Handle. Equipped with LEDs, non-standard hardware will highlight the modern style of the kitchen. The glow can be different: spot, along the surface, illuminating all adjacent sides and inside. This type of kitchen hardware is perfect for minimalist style. But installing a sensor handle will take some time.

A notable advantage of sensor handles is the bright LED backlight, one part of which lights up the surface of the sensor panel, and the other “goes” inside the cabinet, giving it volume and airiness. For this reason, such handles are often installed in white or cream-colored furniture to achieve the effect of translucent ivory.

• Droplet. A handle similar to buttons and rings - with a pivot foot, but shaped like a droplet. It must be well attached to the door because the pivot often unscrews. The droplet looks original and fits well in a kitchen in Provence, classic or shabby-chic style. However, it is inconvenient to grasp and may not stay in place when opening heavy, large doors. For frequent use, such a variant is not suitable due to impracticality.

• Shell. Fits well into the style of countryside, Provence, Mediterranean. Small and original shells have a simple form that allows touching the hardware only from the inside. The outside side remains clean and protected from fingerprints. Shells are made only from metal (brass, copper, bronze). The unusual shell form can visually soften square drawers and doors. It blends well with other types of handles, but not everyone may find such a form convenient.

• Profile. This is integrated hardware made from an aluminum rod. Visually, it may seem that the cabinet has no handles. This appearance is created because the profile is attached to the upper part of doors or the drawer line under the countertop. This type is an excellent option for lovers of minimalist kitchen design solutions that do not accept protruding hardware details on cabinet doors. One of the drawbacks is that opening occurs directly behind the door surface, so fingerprints may remain on dark or glossy surfaces. The profile is inconvenient for upper sections of the kitchen.

When choosing any type of handle, you should rely on the convenience of using such hardware and how comfortable it is to grasp. The second, equally important aspect is safety. If there are small children in the house, it's better to choose handles with rounded edges. The third nuance of selection is compatibility with other hardware details and the style of the kitchen: they should not create dissonance in the overall look of the cabinet.

Design: Anna Ilyina, Architectural Studio Figura; Decoration: Ekaterina Korneeva

Selecting Based on Style

Now let's consider selecting handles for kitchen furniture depending on style.

The classical style is the most popular among modern designers. Using natural materials and restrained tones is close to most of us, which influenced the popularity of classicism. If you look at the kitchen interior - for this style it is advisable to use bracket handles or ring handles. The heavier and darker the cabinet doors, the more substantial handles should be chosen. It is also relevant to use aged metal. To avoid overloading the cabinet, you can dilute substantial handles with button handles on sliding drawers.

The countryside and Provence styles imitate the atmosphere of a country house, so all furniture, including kitchen furniture here meets the requirements of vintage and visual lightness. For these purposes, it is advisable to use wooden or porcelain button handles that could also be found on our grandmother's furniture sets. Wooden handles should be painted in the color of the cabinet doors, while porcelain ones - on the contrary, stand out with their white coating. If a more aggressive direction of countryside is taken as the basis for the interior, such as recreating an American hunting lodge atmosphere, it's better to use multi-faceted bracket handles made of matte metal and wood.

Design: Olesya Shlyakhtina

Loft, despite its visual simplicity, is very demanding regarding adherence to interior canons, but kitchen handles were not affected. In it, handles - rails, button handles and classical brackets look harmoniously. The key is to emphasize functionality rather than eye-catching design.

Design: Marina Sarkisyan

Do not forget about authentic styles, such as Eastern. For it, the use of metal hanging handles is characteristic, which look minimalist only in this style. They imitate plant patterns and are a bright decorative element on the furniture set. If you consider a neo-Eastern style, avoiding pompous gilding and dark saturated shades, it is rational to select button handles.

Modern designs - high-tech, modern, minimalism, tend to move away from attention to details toward the overall look of the room. Therefore, designers working in these styles strive to remove all excess from the room, leaving only simple forms capable of creating the necessary atmosphere. In modern designs, built-in and sensor handles have found their popularity. Functionality and invisibility are the main motto of these directions.

Features of Installing Handles on Kitchen Furniture

Now you have chosen reliable handles for kitchen furniture that match the main style of the room. You just need to install them correctly and the kitchen will acquire a final look.

First, select the tool. For classic MDF doors, drills (coronated or stepped) will do - they are sharp enough and drill holes without pressure. Glass doors require drills with diamond coating

The main rule is not to violate the symmetrical arrangement of handles. If you installed a handle in the center of the door, then on all furniture they should look the same. To avoid hasty decisions, you can try positioning handles on all cabinet doors and determine which option suits better. For this, it is enough to secure the hardware on a weak double-sided tape. Facades with pre-cut grooves make the task easier - all slots for handles are already made and you just need to fix them in the desired position.

Wooden and glass doors should be equipped with an additional washer during handle installation, which will protect the material from damage and exclude the possibility of loosening the fasteners. Also, place a silicone or rubber gasket under the washer.

If your choice is pairs of modern sensor handles, their installation should be entrusted to a professional, as incorrect connection of electrical contacts may lead to rapid device failure or damage to the furniture itself. Ask the master in advance about how to care for the sensor panel, as wet cleaning is not allowed for all models.

Photo Gallery

Design: Nasonov DesignWerke Design : "Kvadrim"

Selecting hardware for the kitchen is not a difficult task, the main thing is to consider all nuances to ensure that the subsequent use of furniture is only associated with comfort. But do not forget about the aesthetic aspect either, as each chosen interior style corresponds to a specific color and material of hardware.

Some installation nuances and individual handle types can be viewed in the video below:

Video