Picking Handles

We're back to picking elements for the kitchen as we get closer to the demo date. We're now deciding on cabinetry hardware.

I think hardware is a huge factor in determining the style of your kitchen.  Because of how much I think it affects the look of the room, and how much touching it gets - it is one of the areas that I would consider splurging on. The thing is - once you've drilled those holes for the hardware, you're not going to do it over again, so I wanted to make sure that we picked the right handles. I'm staying away from Ikea accessories so that our kitchen doesn't look like it came out of a catalogue. In fact the only Ikea thing in our kitchen will be the cabinetry.

I've realized there is a lot of choice whe picking hardware. Finish. Size. Style. The first thing I did was I studied what my Mom had, because I really love her kitchen. (See the pictures above that I snapped when visiting last) Nothing wrong from studying what others have done. ;)

The first decision was the style of handle we would go with. My Mom has the exact same handles on the uppers as the lower cabinetry - which I love. Many people go for "knobs" on the uppers but I find them too small. So I knew right away that I wanted handles.

I'm gravitating to the finish of "polished nickle" as there is a beautiful warmth to the finish compared to chrome that feels a bit too cold and modern for me. This finish is a bit harder to find in a big box store so I headed to Upper Canada Hardware here in Toronto. Although many of you recommended buying online, I really need to hold something in my hand to see how it feels, to see the finish. So off to the specialty shop I went.

Instantly I fell for the Studio line Hickory Hardware that I've shown above. Isn't it gorgeous? I ordered samples and when they arrived I placed it on the Ikea cabinet door I carry around with me....

Sold. LOVE it!!! Isn't it gorgeous? It totally makes the cabinet door look like it's custom. We've decided to go for this line, next up is figuring out how many handles we need and what sizes. :-) Prices for the hardware varies but is approximately $8 -$14 as the size goes up. For my USA readers I've seen the prices as low as $6.50 but in Canada we're a bit more expensive.