Decorating Drawers With Novelty Pulls and Knobs

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Bored with the usual brass knobs and anodized aluminum cabinet pulls that you find on most cabinets? Fortunately the newest trends in cabinet fixtures are far from boring and not only that, they can help transform even the dullest looking set of drawers from Ikea into a personalized style statement.

Perhaps the most expansive trend in cabinet and drawer pulls are the novelty pulls. These handles are made in a variety of materials including aluminum, bronze, solid granite, sand granite, crystal and of course plastic.

One of the most popular new types of pulls are the Euro-Design aluminum fixtures, which greatly compliment the sleek, spare interiors of a condo. These streamlined fixtures are anodized to give them a slightly burnished appearance. These pulls compliment Swedish and Modern interior decoration as well as Industrial fashion themes. Common are pulls that look like T-bars, wedges or simple arches. These types of pulls also come in different colors such as gold or bronze.

Another trend that is suited to the clean look of a condo are the new granite pulls. Made of real granite and stone these pulls come in the colors of the earth and greatly compliment a home that is modernistic, Japanese or Mediterranean in design.

If you are trying to reinvent the history of a home you might opt for bronze or cast iron pulls. Many companies that specialize in reproductions are recasting bronze pulls from models that are centuries old. This can give your home a Victorian, Renaissance, Gothic or even medieval feel. Often these fixtures will boast affectations such as hinged pulls and fake keyholes.

If classic Victorian charm is what you are looking for than many companies are manufacturing miniature glass rosettes in just about every color of the rainbow. You can also buy anodized aluminum pulls that are made to mimic the fairy, flora and fauna designs from the Arts and Crafts Era. Perhaps the easiest way to decide what type of cabinet pulls are best for you is to make a firm decision about what is most important to you: your taste or your sense of humor. If you are lucky you should be able to replace those boring old brass knobs (with the rosette on the end) with a novelty fixture that combines both humor and fashion.

Also of great visual interest is the large assortment of plastic novelty knobs that are available on the market. Now any piece of furniture can be enlivened by the addition of a bright, durable knob manufactured in just about any color or shape (animal, vegetable or mineral) that you can think of. When it comes to decorative cabinet knobs it seems that there is no limit to manufacturer’s imagination nor should there be to yours.

How to Decorate a Kitchen With New Cabinet Knobs

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If you want a “kitchen makeover” but can’t afford to replace all the cabinets there is a simple solution – try changing the kitchen cabinet knobs! You will be amazed at the major transformation that can take place simply by paying attention on this one minor detail.

By all means if your kitchen needs a coat of paint, go ahead and paint those old cupboards. It’s a lot cheaper than ripping all of the cupboards out and then waiting ages for a contractor to install everything for you. However before you paint or revarnish your cupboards take the time and trouble to select the cabinet knobs that will go the best with your new color. Nowadays there is a vast selection of knobs and pulls to choose from on the market including the classic wooden pulls, ceramic knobs and sleek nickel or metal grips.

The reason that it is a good idea to choose the color of the paint that you are going to use for your new kitchen cupboards at the same time you pick out your new knobs is because then you will have a better idea of whether or not the two design elements are going to coordinate. Here are some rules of thumb to follow when it comes to choosing new cabinet knobs and paint colors.

Stone knobs look the best on cool colors such as metal gray, blue or olive green. They also look good against black or white. If you are going to choose stone cabinet pulls then make sure that the color palette for your kitchen cupboards is also an earthy color.

Silver, aluminum or nickel knobs and pulls look best on cabinets that are painted a light color. The exception is black and white.

White or black ceramic knobs contrast well with just about any kind of paint color, especially if it is a primary color. If the ceramic knob boasts a design try to choose a paint color that picks up on one of the hues in the design in a complimentary way.
Plastic or novelty pulls look best in a kitchen that is painted a bright color. Novelty pulls are shown off the best in a kitchen that is painted all one color (including the trim.) This pulls the eye’s focus towards your main decorating accent which could be pulls shaped like bumblebees or teapots or any other number of creatures or objects that are offered by manufacturers these days.