The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

Whether you're designing a classic Shaker kitchen, a contemporary minimalist scheme or a timeless country home, choosing the right cabinet hardware can transform the overall aesthetic. From selecting between knobs and pull handles to understanding sizing, finishes and placement, this guide explores everything you need to know before making your decision.

At Armac Martin, we have been crafting luxury solid brass cabinet hardware in England since 1929, working with interior designers, architects and bespoke kitchen makers around the world. Drawing on our 97 year heritage and expertise, we've created this comprehensive guide to help you choose cabinet hardware that is both beautiful and built to last.

Project by Laura Butler-Madden | Features our Sutton Cabinet Handle, Sutton Cabinet Knob, Cotswold Gallery Shelf Rail and Brindley Hanging Wine Glass Rack, all in our aged brass (BEL) finish.

Kitchen cabinet hardware refers to the decorative and functional fittings attached to cabinetry, and includes:

• Cabinet knobs

• Pull handles

• Cup pulls

• Edge pulls

• T-bars

• Appliance pulls

• Flush pulls

While these components serve an obvious practical purpose, they also have a significant influence on the overall interior design. Cabinet hardware often acts as the jewellery of a home, introducing warmth, texture and refinement that completes the space.

One of the most common questions we get asked when clients are designing a kitchen is whether to choose knobs or pull handles. The answer depends on both aesthetics and practicality, and the overall look you want to achieve.

Cabinet knobs
Cabinet knobs are designed to be pulled open and come in a wide array of shapes and sizes, from classic bun and mushroom knobs from our Cotswold collection, to minimal modern styles in square designs from our Digbeth collection.

Some of our cabinet knobs are also available with the addition of a backplate to add additional visual appeal to cabinetry.

Pull handles
Cabinet handles are designed to be pulled to open doors or drawers, and there are several styles to choose from, including traditional pull handles, appliance pulls, edge pulls, cup pulls, and flush pulls_.

Cabinet pull handles can be placed vertically and horizontally; as a general rule, they sit vertically for doors and horizontally for drawers.

Some of our pull handles, such as our Barwick and MIX designs, are available with a backplate to add real impact to a scheme, particularly if a different finish is chosen for the backplate and hardware.

Can you mix knobs and handles?
Absolutely. A common design approach includes installing knobs on cabinet doors, pull handles on drawers, and appliance pulls on integrated appliances such as fridge freezers.

Project by House Nine Design | Photography by Joey Kendal Brown | Features our Colmore Cabinet Knob, Colmore Cabinet Pull Handle and Colmore Appliance Pull, all in our aged brass (BEL) finish.

The finish you select for our cabinet hardware has a big impact on the overall visual appeal of your kitchen.

You may want your hardware to stand out in a contrasting finish or opt for a single finish for all fixtures and fittings. For some designs, when you have a mix of finishes in your space, our innovative MIX collection gives you more control over the design as you can mix and match finishes.

When selecting your kitchen hardware finish, it’s essential to decide whether you want unlacquered living finishes that will develop a beautiful patina as they age or whether you prefer plated or lacquered finishes that offer levels of protection.

We offer sample finish chips of all of our finishes so you can experience the colour tones and textures in person to help you make that all important design decision.

Our finishes can be broken down into three categories, living, lacquered, and plated.

Living finishes
Living brass finishes naturally develop a unique patina over time, responding to the environment and daily use. No two pieces age identically, giving every installation its own individual character.

Our most popular living finishes include aged brass, polished brass unlacquered, and dark aged brass.

Lacquered finishes
Our lacquered finishes coat the brass with a layer of clear lacquer to protect the surface from oxidising with the air. The extra layer of protection provided by lacquered finishes makes them a suitable option for those seeking a brass finish that will maintain its colour for an extended period.

Our most-loved lacquered finishes include polished brass lacquered and satin antique satin lacquered.

Plated finishes
We apply a thin layer of metal, such as chrome or nickel, over the solid brass material through electroplating. This process creates a consistent and durable surface that does not tarnish in the same way as living brass finishes due to the plating preventing the brass from oxidising with the air or being exposed to moisture.

Plated nickel finishes showcase a warm silver hue, whilst plated chrome finishes present a cooler tone that is more blue. Plated finishes are often chosen for high-usage environments where minimal maintenance is required, such as utility rooms and bathrooms.

Our most popular plated finishes include aged nickel, polished nickel, and polished chrome.

Discover our guide on how to care for our brass finishes to help you choose the right choice for your kitchen.

When considering what finish to choose, we recommend closely aligning the finish with other elements of your kitchen including:

• Taps

• Lighting

• Door hardware

• Shelving brackets

• Pot rails / towel rails

Repeating the same finish across these architectural details creates a considered, luxurious aesthetic.

To help you add the perfect finishing touch to your kitchen, we offer a wide range of solid brass interior accessories that are also available in our 20 finishes to perfectly suite with our cabinet hardware. This includes sockets and switches, shelf brackets, pot rails, and shelf rails.

Design by Maddux Creative | Features our Barwick Plain Cabinet Pull Handle, Barwick Plain Cabinet Knob and Barwick Plain D Pull Handle, all in our aged brass (BEL) finish.

Shaker kitchens
Timeless cabinet knobs, cup pulls and traditional pull handles complement framed cabinetry beautifully. We recommend choosing styles from our Cotswold, Bakes, and Queslett collections.

Contemporary kitchens
Linear pull handles and edge pulls create clean architectural lines. Our Edgbaston, Barwick, and Bromwich collections are some of our most-loved designs for modern schemes.

Country kitchens
Organic forms and softly detailed hardware enhance natural materials and handcrafted joinery. Our most popular collections for this style of kitchen include Oldbury, Belgrave, and Withenshaw.

Transitional kitchens
A balanced combination of classic proportions with contemporary finishes creates enduring appeal. Our most-loved transitional hardware collections include Colmore, Kingsheath, and Sketch.

Luxury cabinet hardware is one of the few elements of a kitchen that is touched every day. Investing in beautifully crafted solid brass hardware enhances not only the appearance of your cabinetry but also the overall experience of using it.

At Armac Martin, every piece is crafted from the finest solid brass in England and meticulously hand finished to achieve exceptional quality. With 20 distinctive finishes and collections ranging from traditional to contemporary, our cabinet hardware is designed to complement beautifully considered interiors for generations.

Whether you're renovating a single room or designing an entire home, selecting the right cabinet hardware ensures your kitchen remains as timeless and functional as the day it was installed.

Project by Tara Ashwell Designs | Photography by Joey Kendal Brown | Features our Bromwich Cabinet Handle in our aged brass (BEL) finish.

Now you are equipped with the knowledge to choose your kitchen cabinet hardware and accessories, all that’s left to do is explore to find your perfect pieces.