HomeHome Updates: Tips & IdeasHome Update IdeasThe Best Hardware to Update Oak (Wood) Cabinets (PART 3)

The Best Hardware to Update Oak (Wood) Cabinets (PART 3)

Posted on December 14, 2023 by KylieMawdsley

Handles, Knobs & Pulls: Cathedral, Arched, Flat or Shaker Cabinets

Are you looking for ideas to update your kitchen or bathroom cabinets without spending a fortune? Or maybe you’ve ALREADY spent a fortune on your space and NOW you want to save! Regardless of whether you’re starting your journey or ending it, this kitchen hardware will give you some major bang for buck (non-street-corner style – sorry to disappoint).

Kitchen cabinets painted Sherwin High Reflective White, marble backsplash, white quartz, home decor on countertop. Pewter hardware. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint colour consulting

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The first thing you need to do is figure out what type of cabinets you’re working with…

 

SHAKER STYLE CABINETS

CAN BE A VARIETY OF WOODS INCLUDING OAK, MAPLE, PINE, OR CHERRY

This type of cabinet has a square/rectangle door profile with a ‘frame’ around it. It can be fresh outta the 80s oak or a simple recessed maple panel, but the great thing about this profile is that it’s super timeless (it’s usually the finish of the cabinet that gives its age away).

Ideas to update oak, maple or wood cabinets, cathedral, arched, shaker. Hardware options. Kylie M blog and E-design

There are shaker styles that have more detail and some that have less. Some have a raised panel with a bit of detail, and some have a flat recessed panel. Regardless, the MAIN idea is that your door panel has a square or rectangular-shaped ‘frame’ around it.

Kitchen with warm gray, Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter cabinets and Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze painted island. White oak wood flooring. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, blog and colour advice online

 

ARCHED & CATHEDRAL STYLE CABINETS

USUALLY OAK OR MAPLE

Of the two, arched is an easier style to update than the cathedral style. Arched is just a bit more subtle, a bit less…churchy. Cathedral-style cabinets are trickier to update as their shape is much more pronounced (passive-aggressive word for dated). In this case, regardless of the finish (wood or painted), it’s the STYLE of the cabinet that gives its age away. And while most of us get curves as we age, these aren’t the type of curves that are easy to camouflage.

And I’m not trying to be mean, I’m trying to be realistic so that I can help you embrace what you have and make the best choices moving forward (I swear)!

Ideas to update oak kitchen cabinets, cathedral, arch or shaker. Hardware. Kylie M Interiors E-design, e-decor blog.jpg

Left: Double Cathedral / Right: Single Arch

There is a single arch and double arch, a single cathedral and double cathedral and curse thee who has the double cathedral. The DC is just a bugger to update as its style is hard-pressed to step out of the ’80s UNLESS you want a more country look.

Painted wood maple cabinets. Pure White and Iron Ore, Sherwin Williams Kylie M Interiors online virtual paint color and decorating advice

Should You Paint Your Wood Cabinets or Leave Them Stained – A QUESTIONNAIRE

But I digress; let’s stay on track here and start looking at hardware…

Let’s Give it a Name – Transitional

When I’m hardware shopping for clients who want to update their kitchen cabinets, I’m looking for styles that transition the cabinets from where they currently are to a more updated, modern version. I want flexible hardware, that can nod to one style while kindly humouring another – make sense? And we’re going to call this hardware style ‘transitional’.

 

But before we get into my favorite hardware, you need to figure out which metal finish you want…

 

BLACK HARDWARE ON WOOD CABINETS

Matte black is HANDS-DOWN, the top choice for updating wood cabinets these days. However, if you have FULLY exposed hinges (in other words, it’s not just the little edge showing), it’s a hard no from this cowgirl. Exposed hinges, especially ones that are in high contrast to your wood finish, can look harsh and show the age of the cabinets (as modern cabinets have hidden hinges).

While black is a great finish for these oak cabinets, for the scale of the doors, I’d love to see handles with a bit more thickness and fewer curves…

Update oak wood kitchen cabinets with quartz white countertop, subway tile and painted island. Ideas from Kylie M Interiors Edesign, paint color advice blogger

In the above photo, notice how the new white subway tile backsplash and updated countertop give NEW life to the original oak cabinets – MAD LOVE!

This next kitchen has ALL of my heart and I love the simplicity of the black cabinet knobs on the doors (although I miiiiight’ve done handles or cup pulls on the drawers)…

Kitchen with wood cabinets, wood floor and island, granite countertop, mosaic travertine stone backsplash, wood trim, Benjamin Moore Texas Leather walls.

Is it updated to today’s standards? Nope, but it’s homey, cozy, and inviting – works for me! The only things I might change would be light fixtures that aren’t hanging on chains and maaaybe a subway tile backsplash in a muted neutral that matches the countertops. But even as it is, I love it.

While this next kitchen has all the original features (likely late 80s), the coordinated hardware and light fixtures help the space feel pulled together and purposefully designed. To REALLY update this space, here are a few ideas…

Oak cabinets, wood floor, oak wood trim, orange hue, black granite countertop, beige walls.

  • Paint the island a color that complements the countertop and surrounding wood finishes – the red stain is a bit off.
  • If the pendants are staying, choose a coordinating chandelier with fewer curves. While the look suits the pendants, fewer curly cues would be better.
  • Even better, I’d love to see black hardware, modern pendants in a black finish, and a coordinating chandelier.
  • Brighten the walls with a modern beige paint color.
  • Budget allowing, I’d LOVE to see a subway tile backsplash, which is one of the BEST ways to update a kitchen with oak cabinets and granite countertops.

 

POLISHED NICKEL HARDWARE ON WOOD CABINETS

Polished nickel is in HOT second place to black, especially if you want a slightly more modern approach that coordinates with stainless appliances.

Dark wood cabinets with modern granite or light quartz countertop.

These next cabinets are gorgeous in their orange-red glory, but if it were MY home, here’s what I would do…

Benjamin Moore California Redwood rust red paint colour, orange wood cabinets, yellow stain wood floor. black granite. Kylie M.

  • I’d paint the cabinets (sorry #notsorry). HOWEVER, it would hurt me as the wood IS so darn pretty (it’s just overwhelming with the floor).
  • But because painting wasn’t an option with this client, I’d put a rug on the floor (a washable one) to get a bit of a visual breather between the wood floor and the cabinets.
  • Try black hardware and see which is better (I don’t mind the polished nickel, but I am curious to see black, considering the black granite counter).
  • Paint the walls so they don’t compete with the cabinets as much.
  • Add a subway tile backsplash.
  • Remove the single pendant.
  • Add a striking, larger piece of artwork on the wall beside the back door, creating a focal point.

 

ANTIQUE BRASS HARDWARE ON WOOD CABINETS

If you’re looking for a low-contrast look, antique brass is a beautiful finish with oak cabinets, but it’s tougher to pull off unless you have mad style (think Studio McGee) and the right cabinets (shaker style). The bonus is that most oak cabinets (if they have their original hardware) have hinges in this finish, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

Although it’s at a distance, it’s easy to see how low-contrast and subtle the hinges and hardware look on these oak cabinets – perfect…

Accessible Beige with golden honey oak cabinets, wood exotic floor, Kylie M Online Paint Color consulting and update ideas

The cabinet hardware in this next kitchen isn’t antique brass or gold, but they do have an aged look that’s softer than black…

Wood cabinet UPDATE IDEAS, Taj Mahal quartzite, old world feel, zellige tile backsplash, wood floor. Kylie M

 

OIL-RUBBED BRONZE HARDWARE ON WOOD CABINETS

Oil-rubbed bronze is another beautiful finish with wood cabinets but is usually better with oak than cherry or maple (depending on the stain color).

However, of the four finishes, oil-rubbed bronze is usually the LEAST modern-looking.

To update this next kitchen without painting the cabinets, I would change the light fixtures for sure, going down to two slightly larger ones and capping off the middle one. I would also update the backsplash with a creamy beige subway tile.Travertine tile floor, black granite countertop, cream painted island, dark wood cabinets. Kylie M interiors edesign, client before photo

 

GOLD OR BRASS HARDWARE ON WOOD CABINETS

While gold and brass are POPULAR finishes these days, they aren’t always a hit with wood cabinets.

Why?

Gold/brass is usually a yellow-toned metal finish, and some cabinets are too orange/red-toned for this yellow-gold look. Aged brass (antique brass) is often a better fit, but both can be considerably more expensive than black or polished nickel.

 

WHAT HARDWARE LOOKS BEST TO UPDATE WOOD CABINETS?

When choosing your type of hardware and style, consider the lines of your cabinets…

CATHEDRAL OR ARCHED DOORS. You might choose hardware with a slight curve or softer lines (eg. listed below #3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12).

SHAKER STYLE CABINET DOORS. Sure, you can do a little curve (listed above) or choose hardware with slightly cleaner, smoother lines (eg. listed below #1, 2, 5, 11).

FLAT PANEL DOORS (no detail). Stay away from curves – keep things reasonably simple with minimal to no decorative detail. Interestingly enough, I don’t even have one simple enough shown below (maybe #2), so here are a few…

  • My fave 5″ CENTER BAR PULL HERE
  • KINGSTON SQUARE BAR PULL HERE
  • PAROW CENTER BAR PULL HERE
  • LOMBARD PULL HERE

And, of course, you can get most of these styles in whichever finish you like; these are just the shapes to get you on the right track. And while some of these are a BIT pricier than I’d like, you can take the idea and shop at your local store to see if you can find a better deal.

Click on the links below to see the different available finishes.

Best pulls for wood cabinets. Wayfair. Kylie M Interiors E-design, E-décor, online paint colour advice

  1.  Cup Pull – Black  |   2. Bar Pull – Black  |   3. Arch Pull – Black  |   4. Cup Pull – Polished Nickel  |   5. Bar Pull – Polished Nickel   |   6. Arch Pull – Polish Nickel   |   7. Cup Pull – Oil Rubbed Bronze  | 8. Bar Pull – Oil Rubbed Bronze  |   9. Center Bar Pull – Oil Rubbed Bronze  |   10. Cup Pull – Brass  |   11. Center Cup Pull – Brass   |   12. Center Pull – Brass 

Truth be told, I’m disillusioned about #8 as it’s quite the pocket-catcher (but you do you, boo). 

 

UGH, YOU’RE SUCH A KNOB

Some cabinets look best with knobs rather than cabinet pulls (especially doors over drawers), particularly when you only have one knob hole and aren’t inclined to bust out the drill.

Knobs are a bit more unisex when it comes to working with shaker and cathedral-style cabinets and one knob can often suit both profiles. And really, can you believe I haven’t made a rude joke about knobs yet? I know, it’s disturbing, isn’t it?

Click on the links below to see the different available finishes.

Best knobs for wood cabinets. Wayfair. Kylie M Interiors E-design, E-décor, online paint colour advice

  1. Classic Mushroom Knob – Black  |   2. Mushroom Knob – Black  |   3. Geometric Square Knob – Black  |   4. Square Knob – Black  |    5. Basic Mushroom Knob – Polished Nickel  |   6.  Mushroom Knob – Polished Nickel  |   7. Round Knob – Polished Nickel   |   8. Square Knob – Polished Nickel  |   9. Mushroom Knob – Oil Rubbed Bronze  |   10. Basic Mushroom Knob – Oil Rubbed Bronze  |   11. Detailed Mushroom Knob – Oil Rubbed Bronze  |   12. T-Bar Knob – Oil Rubbed Bronze  |   13. Mushroom Knob – Brass  |   14. Simple Mushroom Knob – Brass  |   15. Square Knob – Brass  |   16. Rectangle Knob – Brass

A FEW CONSIDERATIONS

  • If you opt for a square/rectangle knob (or number 12), you have to tighten them VERY WELL or you’ll constantly be straightening them – no biggie though.
  • Number 12 is a pocket-catcher.

And you might be thinking, ‘umm Kylie, there are a lot of mushroom-shaped knobs in that image?’ That’s because I love you and am trying to save you from the freakin’ AGONY of oval and square knobs that inevitably loosen up and go off-kilter so you spend half your time in the kitchen tweakin’ your knobs so they all line up. I’ve got a few in there, but consider yourself warned. And no Mom, I’m not going to make a rude joke to finish the ‘tweakin’ your knob‘ sentence off but you KNOW I thought about it.

 

WHAT METAL FINISHES LOOK GOOD TOGETHER

It’s not easy to mix and match metal finishes. Between light fixtures and door and cabinet hardware, you can end up with a hot mess on your hands. While you can get a bit more creative than this list shown below (depending on the style of your home), it’s a great place to start for the average homeowner…

how to mix and match and coordinate metal finishes, what hardware goes together, black, gold, nickel, brass, oil rubbed bronze, Kylie M

Want more?

6 Ideas to Update Oak Cabinets – (PART 1)

4 Ideas to Update Your Wood Cabinets – WITHOUT a Drop of Paint! (PART 2)

The 16 Best Paint Colours to Update Oak or Wood Cabinets or Trim (PART 4)

 

Need to get a ‘handle’ on things? 

Get the Online Paint Color & Update Expert that DESIGNERS hire! 

E-design and colour consultations. Online color expert Kylie M INteriors. Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams specialist (1)

Kylie M Interiors Edecor and Edesign

READ MORE

8 Best Whole Home Warm NEUTRAL Paint Colours

The 4 Best Gray & Greige Paint Colours for Kitchen Cabinets & Vanities

The 7 Best Paint Colours to Update Dark Wood Trim

4 BUDGET-FRIENDLY KITCHEN UPDATE IDEAS

The Best Paint Colours for Kitchen Islands & Lower Cabinets

6 Questions to Ask BEFORE You Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets White

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2018, UPDATED IN 2023



Comments

  1. Hi Kylie, I just had my kitchen cabinets painted with BM White Dove. What color would you recommend for the walls. I want to keep the walls a light color. The painter is doing this next week so I’m in a panic! Any recommendations are appreciated , thanks so much!

    1. Hi Gale, thank you for the note! When it comes to wall colour it will be less about the cabinet colour and more about the countertop/flooring/backsplash (as White Dove is pretty versatile). I’d recommend you check out my e-design, it’s affordable and I do have the 3 day turnaround option. This way I can look at your photos/products and give you options that suit your space! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/product-category/interior-paint-colors/
      ~Kylie

  2. Hi Kylie! I’ve found your blog invaluable as I’ve started the remodel process on our 13 year old home. Does the size of the bar pull matter? I noticed most of the ones you posted were 4-5″ but it seems 3″ is the most common sold. Thank you!

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Liz, for cabinet handles, I’d say 4-5″ is the common one when remodelling, as that’s a common width for the old hardware (so the holes are already there). I find that with most new kitchens that when they have a choice, my clients are choosing 5-7″ more commonly 🙂

  3. What are your thoughts about knobs vs handles? Obviously I will do handles on the drawers, a curved handle (as I have dated cathedral doors). I am torn about the cupboard doors though…

    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Laura! I’ve always been a handle fan, but lately I’ve fully embraced knobs on doors (round ones for sure) – I say DO IT!

  4. I’m going for a whole new kitchen in our 35 year old home. I’m looking for something classic because we’re retired and this has to last until they carry me out! 😉

    I love white but worry that it will look dated in a few years. Can you address that? Same with. the shaker style. Which style is going to be the most classic? Has the white cabinets run most of its fashion cycle?

    Also, I like the look of dark knobs and handles, but everything else in our house is polished nickel. Can I have dark pulls and knobs in the kitchen without changing the rest of the hardware throughput the house. Or can I have polished nickel cupboard hardware but use dark curtain rods and light fixtures?

  5. Hello! I have totally flat cabinet doors with rounded edges and nothing in the middle (not cathedral or curved). I think the style is from the 80’s, but I’m having a hard time finding what they’re called. I’ve thought about painting them, but now I think I might just re-stain and put handles/knobs on. What are your thoughts – what would you recommend for updating those? Please let me know what you think!

    1. Post
      Author

      Oooo, this could be a good blog post, or atleast an addition to an existing one! BTW, I would just call those flat panel cabinets if I were Googling them. Off the top, I would go for simple, sleek, clean-lined hardware – nothing frivolous and no details at all ;). If you’d like, email my some photos of your kitchen and when I have time, I’ll see if I can do a blog post or AT LEAST add them to an existing blog with some tips for you! kylie@kylieminteriors.ca
      Just make sure the email subject line says ‘flat panel example photos’ otherwise my hubby (who sorts my emails) might be confused as to what they’re for 🙂

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