Some Guidelines for Choosing New Cabinet Hardware
Cabinet hardware can serve as an easy and inexpensive tool to update your kitchen. Let’s face it, home improvement projects are expensive, time consuming and, in most cases, stressful. If you need to quickly change your interior scenario, changing the hardware may be the convenient solution. There are some guidelines that one should keep in mind when changing the hardware of existing cabinets or vanities.
Cabinet Hardware Dimensions
You will need to confirm certain key measurements. If you are replacing handles or pulls, it is absolutely essential that you measure the distance between the two screw holes. This measurement is known as the center-to-center (CC) dimension, punch size, hole distance, or hole punch dimension. The most common CC dimensions for sweaters are 3” (76MM), 3 ½” (89MM), 3 ¾” (96MM) and 5” (128MM).
Sometimes homeowners will find that there are a limited number of drawer pulls on the market that fit the hole drilling measurements of their existing cabinets. This circumstance most often arises in the case of older cases that may have had custom or odd hardware installed. Most of the time, you’ll be able to find one or two options, but having so few hardware options when style and finish considerations are also at play can lead to a frustrating dead end. If you find yourself in this situation, we recommend that you use backplate assemblies to make installing your new hardware much easier. Back plates will allow you to cover pre-existing holes in your doors or drawers with a decorative piece that matches the style and finish of your selected cabinet pull. Your project may be more time consuming than originally planned as you will need to re-drill holes in your doors or drawers, but this is much better than installing new kitchen cabinets if a remodel is not within budget.
Cabinet hardware style
If you want to breathe new life into those doors and drawers with cabinet hardware, the key is to find something different that still maintains the style, color or finish of the corresponding doors and drawer fronts.
Also, keep in mind that you want your new decorative hardware to stand out and highlight other coordinating accents in the home. Homeowners often make the mistake of trying to “match” other fixtures and pieces in a given room. This goal is almost impossible to achieve, especially in the event that you are not doing a complete renovation. Let your cabinet hardware turn heads and give your space a new personality, but don’t get bogged down trying to perfectly match your new hardware with other accents in your home. Sure, you probably have a soft spot in your heart for those drawer pulls on grandma’s dresser, but there’s no point in getting a facelift if you still look old after the procedure is done!
