'Ergonomics is important in the kitchen space. When assessing the positioning of the handles in your kitchen, hold your handles against the drawers and cabinets, and play with different heights and positions for each of them. There is an unwritten rule that handles are placed vertically on doors and horizontally on pull-out drawers. Your hands also have less contact with your cabinets, which helps to keep your surfaces clean – especially if lighter in colour or made of a material more likely to stain,' says Tom Revill, Co-Founder at Plank Hardware (opens in new tab) 6. 'Pulls can be a bit easier to grab onto, making them a great option for people with weak or arthritic hands. Consider sharp edges on cabinet handles, especially if you have young children and bear in mind members of your family who may have specific physical requirements or struggle gripping small objects. If you are opting for handles over knobs, you should be able to fit four fingers comfortably around the handles, and grip easily. Is a vertical or horizontal mounting easier to grab for certain doors? What's a comfortable height for your hand to reach? They needn't all be orientated the same way,' says Kate Worthington, founder of Swarf Hardware (opens in new tab). 'Think about how you'll be using the cupboard or drawer and how you'll be moving around the space to determine the best positioning for your handles.

Does the handle fit your hand and feel good? Does it feel sharp or have any ridges that are uncomfortable when opening and closing? When you consider how often you will be touching your kitchen handles in a day, you’ll want to make sure that accessibility and comfort are at the forefront of your decision. Brass handles are fantastic for instantly bringing warmth and a premium feel to your kitchen. This adds to their overall character and blends more naturally with any antiques you may have in the space,' says Alex Bilton, Product Lead at Rowen & Wren (opens in new tab)īlack, chrome and brightly coloured metals work wonderfully in fresh modern spaces, bringing a contemporary design edge to your kitchen space. This means that the finish has been designed to change and patina with use. 'You can achieve a softer look by choosing products which have a ‘living finish’. If you have decided on a traditional style kitchen, high-quality metals will also age beautifully over time. These are durable and long-lasting, which is essential in a high-touch point space. When opting for metallics, make sure you settle on high-quality materials such as solid brass or stainless steel. For a more harmonious scheme, pick up on shades already in the space,' says Kate Worthington, founder of Swarf Hardware (opens in new tab) A bold, contrasting knob or handle works wonders to lift white or grey units.

'Hardware is an excellent way to add a bit of colour and flair to a plain kitchen as handles can be swapped so easily. Linking the colour and finish to other elements of the kitchen design, such as lighting and kitchen tile ideas, is a great way of keeping fluidity in the space.

Think about whether you want your kitchen door handles to blend in with the overall kitchen colour scheme, or if you would like to make a bold statement with contrasting colours. One of the most impactful and personal decisions you will make when choosing your kitchen cabinet handles, is the colour and finish. Slim rectangular pulls and square knobs would really enhance a kitchen with angular features worked in the design.

Similarly, if you have angular kitchen lighting ideas and harder edges, consider choosing handles that mimic these lines. If you have predominantly curved details, such as arched taps and round lampshades, choosing cup handles would keep consistency. Take note of the style of your cabinets, the edges of your worktop ideas and any other hardware, fixtures and fittings. When choosing your kitchen handles, looking at the kitchen space as a whole may help you with your decision.

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