When you are choosing the hardware for your kitchen cabinets, you must understands the measurement of center to center measurement. Center-to-center measurement isnt the length of the hardware from end-to-end; rather, the center-to-center measurement is the distance between two screw holes in the hardware. If you dont take the center-to-center measurements correctly, then you will either have to drill new holes into your cabinets, or the hardware will not match up to the holes in the cabinets.
To avoid drilling new holes into your cabinets, you must ensure that you have a correct center-to-center measurement for your cabinets before you purchase your hardware. Hardware come in many different styles in kitchen cabinets, and each style will create a different visual effect within the kitchen. For instance, bar pulls will create a moddern look in your kitchen, since bar pulls can fit a variety of drawer size.
How to Measure and Choose Kitchen Cabinet Hardware
Another type of hardware that you can use in kitchen cabinets are cup pulls, which create a more farmhouse look to the kitchen. Additionally, finger pulls create a minimalist look in the kitchen, because the hardware used for these drawers hides the hardware from view. Each of these different hardware styles can be used to set the mood for the kitchens environment, since each different style will impact the visual look of the kitchen.
Another factor to consider when purchasing hardware is the size of the hardware in relation to the size of the drawer in which it will be used. For instance, it would look bad to place a small knob on a large pantry door. Likewise, placing a large bar pull on a small cabinet drawer will also make the hardware look badly within the cabinets.
The hardware should be balanced to the drawer; large drawers will require longer handles for balance. Another factor to consider is the placement of the hardware on the cabinet doors. For instance, hardware should not be placed in the center of the doors; it should be placed in the upper third of the doors to allow for ergonomics and to keep the hardware from being in the area that the bottom of the door could potentially damage.
Hardware for cabinet doors should be placed a few inches from the edge of the door. In addition to placement, another factor to consider is the size of the screws. For instance, many European style cabinets uses M4 metric screws.
In contrast, North American kitchen hardware tends to use 8-32 UNC standard screws. These two types of screws is not interchangeable. Therefore, you should not force an M4 metric screw into an 8-32 UNC standard screw.
An adapter can allow the hardware to fit the screw opening in the cabinet door, however. Finally, another consideration for kitchen hardware is the finish of the hardware. For instance, matte black hardware has a high contrast to the cabinets in which it is used, and is, therefore, a popular finish.
Brushed nickel hardware tends to hide fingerprints on the hardware, which is another reason that it is a very popular finish. Satin brass and polished gold hardware can create an opulent look in the kitchen, especially if you use them for drawer pulls throughout the kitchen. Additionally, copper finishes will naturaly develop a patina over time, which is a change in the appearance of the copper hardware over time due to its use and age.
