You’ve just selected a wonderful range of kitchen cabinets to complete your renovation. The design is perfect and now there’s one thing left to consider: do you choose door handles or door knobs to attach to these cupboards?
It’s a simple question, yet the answer can be very complicated. Both options present some pros and cons, making them useful in different scenarios. In this guide, we’ll take an in-depth look at kitchen door knobs and kitchen cabinet handles to help you decide which ones to use.
The Advantages Of Kitchen Cabinet Handles
We’ll begin by looking at kitchen cabinet handles - a slightly more contemporary or modern approach to kitchen interior design. Some of the main reasons to consider this option are:
- Bring a sleek look and feel to kitchen cabinets
- Provide a better grip when opening doors
- Available in a wider range of styles
- Improved practicality
As you can imagine, this makes door handles an excellent choice in many kitchens. Before we jump to any conclusions, we need to see how door knobs stack up against them.
The Advantages Of Kitchen Door Knobs
It’s easy to look at handles and assume they have the beating of kitchen door knobs. However, knobs have some unique features that could make them an ideal choice for plenty of homeowners:
- More space saving
- Easier to install
- Offer a more traditional look and feel
- Potentially better at offering security or childproofing
Already, you’re noticing that many of the strengths of door knobs are the weaknesses of handles. In either case, these arguments probably make it even harder for you to choose which one to use. Both seem pretty fantastic - so what else do you need to consider?
Where To Use Handles Or Knobs In The Kitchen
If we’re being honest, kitchen cabinet handles and knobs both serve great purposes.
In general, handles are a more practical option in spacious kitchens. Door knobs suit smaller kitchen areas because they take up less space. This makes it easier to move around and reduces the chances of banging into jutting-out handles.
At the same time, you have to consider the practicality and functionality of door handles and door knobs. On the one hand, kitchen cabinet handles are more practical and better at doing the core job or opening cupboards or drawers.
Because handles are elongated and fixed at two points, it means you don’t have to pull as hard when opening doors. They’re also easier to grip, further improving the practicality. Door knobs are still good at opening cupboards, but if you had to choose between the two in terms of functionality, handles come out on top.
The lack of effort needed when pulling handles vs knobs means they work better on heavier cabinets. In fact, we recommend that handles be attached to the bigger cabinets in your kitchen - like ones above the worktop or used to house large appliances, such as your fridge or dishwasher.
Additionally, kitchen door knobs are probably more practically suited to smaller cabinets and drawers. There’s no reason you can’t mix and match both options in your kitchen depending on the size and weight of your cabinets/drawers.
We’d also encourage you to consider the placement of your cabinets. Ones that are quite high and hard to reach are better suited to handles. If they’re lower down, you can get away with knobs. This means it’s easier for you to grip and open the higher cabinets while the lower ones take up minimal space thanks to the smaller knobs.
Other Key Things To Consider When Picking Between Knobs & Handles
Aside from the practicality of knobs and handles, you need to think of the style elements. We previously mentioned that handles are typically more modern in the way they look while knobs are traditional. You get a good variety of styles and designs in both camps, so you must focus on your interior design goals.
Look at your cabinets and the rest of your kitchen, then consider what will match the design theme. If you have an ultra-modern kitchen, it might work best with some sleek metal handles adorning the cabinets. Those of you with more traditional or classic kitchen cabinets could be better suited to some door knobs.
It all depends on the existing cabinets and the style you wish to create. Try to visualise what the cabinets or drawers would look like with either option. Also, be sure you choose a design that suits the style of your cabinets. You can still find handles that don’t suit modern cabinets, and vice versa.
That’s why it’s a good idea to head to some kitchen showrooms for inspiration. See how similar cabinets look with different options and it gives you a good idea of which one to pick.
Kitchen Cabinet Handles vs Kitchen Door Knobs: Which One Is The Winner?
Overall, we can’t pick a winner out of the two.
Simply put door handles and door knobs both serve purposes in your kitchen. One might be the perfect option for your cupboards while the other could be ideal for someone else. Before making your decision, you should weigh up the following points:
- How big is your kitchen?
- How large are your cabinets?
- What style is your kitchen interior design?
We also need to note that you can choose handles and knobs in the same kitchen! As long as you find handles/knobs in the same style as one another, they can be used together to create the perfect kitchen aesthetic. Put knobs on smaller cupboards and handles on larger ones. You get the perfect blend of practicality and style.
If you’d like to find some high-quality kitchen cabinet handles or knobs, then feel free to check out our website. We sell both in a wide range of varieties and are more than happy to provide a quote for your upcoming project.