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 remodel using kitchen cabinet knobs, you must first do your homework. For example, you want your knobs to match your existing or planned home decor. If you have a country kitchen, you might want to choose some glass knobs for a retro farmhouse look or blue and white china 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 in more traditional and unique styles. If you want to go more traditional, you can 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 vintage knobs, but you may find it cheaper to go 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 the knobs is easy.
Remove the old knobs and pulls with a screwdriver. First you will have to empty your drawers. If the area of the cabinet that was around the knob is dirty, clean it while you remove the knobs, or plan to buy back plates to cover any scratches, dents, or blemishes that a good cleaning 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 need to do some extra work, filling the two holes that were used for a 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 you 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 have to replace the hinges and other hardware as well. If you are using the same finish (meaning the old knobs and hinges were brass, just like the new knobs), you may not replace them.
If you’re on a budget, you may want to only purchase kitchen cabinet knobs that have the same finish as your other cabinet hardware. This will allow you to do the entire kitchen in one weekend while saving some money that you would have spent on new hinges for every cabinet in the room.
With the resale value of homes flat, remodeling the kitchen is an easy way to make the house you once hoped to sell feel like home again, and with the right knobs, even feel a little like a new home.
