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Knobs are to your cabinets what accessories are to your outfit. Make the wrong choice, or neglect to update cabinet hardware, and your home looks tired and worn out. You have been in homes that scream "seventies" or "eighties" but may not realize it's the cabinet knobs that are making the most of the noise.

In kitchen design, as in most matters of style, money is no substitute for good taste. When you are selecting knobs for your cabinets there are some things that you should consider.

1. Select Age appropriate hardware. If you are living in a mid-century brick ranch with a late seventies kitchen, you may want to forgo "zowie" art glass. Similarly, don't ruin the look of a craftsman bungalow with shiny chrome "handyman" specials.

2. Don't gild the lily. Adding solid silver art deco cabinet knobs to your prefab
Particleboard kitchen cabinets won't make the cabinets look better, and it may
make them look worse.

3. Polished brass is out. You may still love it, and rest assured that what goes around will come back around, but until then your cabinets will be stuck in the 20th century. Considering updating to brushed steel or pewter instead.

4. Nothing says cheap like colored plastic knobs. Upgrade the knobs on your IKEA cabinets and they will look like you paid a lot more.

5. Eclectic is not a word should be used in kitchen or bath design. If you have a country kitchen, you may want to rethink those modern twig-shaped cabinet knobs.

6. If you plan on marketing your house any time soon, classic design is always the best bet. Simple round knobs or bin pulls almost always work well in kitchens and baths.

7. Don't forget function. Cabinet knobs should be large and easy to grasp in
homes with children or seniors.

8. Simple knobs look best on cabinets with detailed or ornate patterns. More stylized knobs should be saved for simple doors and drawers.

9. Colored glass or crystal and unusual theme knobs can be funky and fun but generally won't age as well as metal or ceramic.

If you aren't completely certain what will look best in your home, ask Realtors, home supply professionals, designers, and friends for their opinion. Most stores will allow you return purchases within a certain time frame so, when in doubt, why not buy a couple of different styles and see which marriage works best? When the fit is right, your cabinets will quit screaming and may even start singing.

Learn more about this author, Grace Glassier.
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