Fun and Funky Knobs for Your Kitchen Cabinets
By Natalie MorrisRefacingCabinet.com Columnist
Have you noticed the ever-increasing abundance of knob options for kitchen cabinets available on the market? Prior to this current proliferation, knobs tended to be either boring or tacky or some mysterious combination of the two. Boring, tacky knobs certainly still exist but they've been joined by designs ranging from the ridiculous to the luxurious. Obviously many, many homeowners have discovered this relatively inexpensive kitchen update and the market has boomed.
Search for knobs online or at your local home improvement store and you can quickly become overwhelmed by hundreds--if not thousands--of choices. To help you narrow things down, get started with these three simple questions.
1. How Should My Kitchen Cabinets Function?
It's not the most glamorous or exciting question, but it's probably the most important. Although no hard and fast rules exist for placement, you certainly want to consider carefully how the knob works to open the cabinet door. If a knob's size or shape doesn't work naturally with your cabinets, allowing placement that provides good leverage and easy access, look for something else. Awkward knob placement can quickly become a nuisance in your life instead of an improvement to your kitchen cabinets.
2. How Much Am I Willing to Spend for Knobs?
Your overall cost is determined by three factors--the individual cost of each knob, the number of kitchen cabinets that need knobs, and whether you're having them installed or doing the work yourself. Putting in knobs tends to be low on the DIY difficulty scale, so most homeowners do this project themselves. Still that choice is yours.
Given these factors, your costs are relatively low for a small kitchen and much higher for those of you with a gourmet chef's kitchen featuring 75 cabinets, a butler's pantry, and a walk-in food storage space.
3. Do I Want My Knobs to Be a Specific Style?
You likely have a basic idea in mind for your knobs, but you may be surprised at just how many options will be fighting for your attention out there. You can find everything from cows to seashells to big red lips. You can find turquoise depression glass, brushed plated nickel, and painted plastic. Sleek. Kitschy. Modern. Traditional. They're all out there. One last style-related detail to think about is the "footprint" your current kitchen cabinet knobs leave when you remove them. Some footprints can be easily covered and some can be more challenging. Make sure the new knobs cover any damage or that the footprint is simple to repair.
Changing out the knobs on your kitchen cabinets can add a lot of bang to your home for just a few bucks. Start searching now, ask your questions, and you can find just the right knobs for your function, cost, and style in no time.
About The Author
Natalie Morris is a freelance writer who loves to learn and ask questions. Her favorite home improvement activities include gardening, organizing, and painting large expanses of wall while her husband does the trim work. Natalie holds a bachelor's degr
