One of the easiest ways to give your home a new look is to change the hardware on your kitchen cabinets and even bathroom cabinets. It’s one of the least expensive remodels you can do, and it can be done in a weekend.
It’s relatively easy, too. To do a weekend makeover using kitchen cabinet knobs, you need to do your homework first. For example, you want your knobs to match your existing or planned home decor. If you have a country kitchen, you may want to choose some glass knobs for a retro farmhouse look or blue and white porcelain for a French country look. Or you can go with something that fits your passions. If you have a kitchen with a garden theme, for example, consider using kitchen cabinet knobs in the shape of fruits and vegetables or even garden implements.
In recent years, manufacturers have produced a wide variety of knobs, both more traditional and unique styles. If you want to go more traditional, you might think about matching your knobs to the colors of your countertops or the metal of your fixtures, appliances, or range hood.
You can also choose to go with the period your kitchen was made. For example, if you have a Victorian home, you may want to choose matching kitchen cabinet knobs that were in use at the time. You can buy real antique knobs, but you may find it cheaper to opt for new reproductions.
As you can see, there is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing new knobs. You are only limited by your imagination and your budget. Knobs range in price from less than a dollar a piece to $10 or more, depending on style, manufacturer, and materials.
Replacing knobs is easy.
Remove the old knobs and handles with a screwdriver. First you will have to empty your drawers. If the area of the cabinet that was around the knob is dirty, wipe it down as you remove the knobs or plan on buying back plates to cover any scratches, dents, or blemishes that a good clean can’t remove.
If you’re just replacing knobs with new kitchen cabinet knobs, it should be a simple matter. If you’re replacing pulls with kitchen cabinet knobs, you may have to do some extra work, filling the two holes that were used for one pull, then drilling a new hole for the single knob. The best way to do this is to make a master template for the placement of a knob on the drawers. Make a drawer, make the template based on that drawer, and then use it for the others. This will help ensure that the hole is in the same place and at the same height on all cabinet drawer fronts.
Remember that if you use back plates with the knobs, you may need slightly longer screws than the ones that come with the knobs.
If you’re replacing the knobs on your kitchen cabinet, you’ll probably need to replace the hinges and other hardware as well. If you are using the same finish (ie the old knobs and hinges were brass, as were the new knobs), you may not be able to replace them.
If you’re on a budget, you may want to only buy kitchen cabinet knobs that are finished in the same finish as the rest of your cabinet hardware. This will allow you to do the entire kitchen in a weekend while saving some money that you would have spent on new hinges for every cabinet in the room.
With homes resale value flat, kitchen remodeling is an easy way to make the home you once hoped you could sell feel like home again and with the right knobs, even feel a little like a new home.
