Cabinet Handles, Knobs & Hinges That Wow

Hardware is the jewelry of your kitchen. You can paint your cabinets perfectly, but the kitchen cabinet hardware will ruin the look. The right ones? They make everything pop.

Here in Utah, the modern farmhouse aesthetic isn’t going anywhere. White cabinets still dominate. Simply White, White Dove, and Chantilly Lace are our most requested colors. These clean backgrounds let hardware be the statement piece. But choosing hardware isn’t just about aesthetics. If you’re planning to paint your cabinets, there are practical considerations that most homeowners don’t think about until it’s too late.

2026 Hardware Trends for Utah Kitchens

Matte black hardware remains the king. It’s been popular for years, and that’s not changing. Against white cabinets, matte black creates sharp contrast without feeling harsh. In Utah’s dry climate, black finishes hide fingerprints better than chrome or stainless steel, a practical win for busy families.

Brushed brass and warm gold tones are climbing fast. They bring warmth to white kitchens without adding color to the cabinets themselves. Brass looks especially good with our popular warm whites like Simply White and Swiss Coffee. The patina that develops over time adds character instead of looking worn out.

Mixed metals are the new rule, not the exception. Black hardware with brass accents, or brass pulls with black hinges. This works because painted cabinets are already a neutral canvas. The hardware becomes the design element, and mixing finishes adds depth that all one color can’t achieve.

The Practical Guide: Choosing Hardware for Painted Cabinets

Here’s what most people don’t know until they get our bid: we install new hardware only if it matches your current hole pattern exactly.

If your existing pulls are 3 inches center-to-center, your new ones need to be 3 inches. If you currently have single knobs and want bar pulls, that means new holes. We don’t drill them.

Why the strict rule? Cabinet doors are traveling to our shop for spraying. We’re not on site to drill holes, measure, or troubleshoot. The hardware installation happens when we reinstall your finished doors. At that point, holes either match or they don’t.

Changing Hardware Sizes: The Right Sequence

If you want to change from knobs to pulls, or from 3-inch to 4-inch spacing, you need to drill the new holes before we pick up your doors. Home Depot and Lowe’s sell drilling jigs and templates. This is homeowner territory, not ours.

Can we fill the old holes? Yes, for $250. But we don’t recommend it. Wood filler never disappears completely. You’ll likely see evidence of the old holes, especially in certain light. If you’re set on filling, do it knowing that perfection isn’t guaranteed with filled holes.

The Hinge Problem Nobody Thinks About

We don’t provide cabinet hinges. If you want to upgrade to soft-close hinges, you supply them.

Here’s the critical step: before we pick up your doors, you must test at least one set of doors that face each other with your new hinges. Not all hinges are compatible with all cabinet frames. If yours don’t work, we can’t reinstall your doors. We’ll need to use your old hinges or you’ll be stuck.

Why this test matters: hinges vary by brand, overlay measurement, and mounting plate style. A hinge that works on your neighbor’s cabinets might not work on yours. Amazon is full of “universal” hinges that aren’t. Test before we take your doors, or you’re gambling with a several-thousand-dollar project.

Paint Durability & Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Interaction

Hardware creates wear patterns. Every time you open a drawer, your fingers touch the same spot. Over months and years, oils from your hands, kitchen grease, and cleaning chemicals test your cabinet finish.

This is where product choice matters.

Our Milesi 2k polyurethane is automotive-grade. It cures chemically, not just by drying. The result is a surface that wipes clean with mild dish soap and water. Coffee splatter, tomato sauce, grease from cooking, it all comes off without degrading the finish. For cabinets with no knobs (just push-to-open), or for areas around heavily-used handles, 2k poly stays looking new. It comes with a lifetime worry-free guarantee.

Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo is our budget option with a one-year warranty. It’s still a quality paint—satin finish, easy to clean, and you can touch up small chips yourself with a brush. But it’s more susceptible to moisture damage over time and can yellow if you use harsh cleaners like Clorox or Lysol. Stick to mild dish soap.

Both finishes are satin. Not glossy, not matte. Satin gives you the wipeable durability you need in a kitchen without showing every fingerprint.

Hardware Placement and Paint Longevity

The areas around hardware get touched most. If you’re using our 2k poly, those wear points stay protected. If you’re using Benjamin Moore, those spots may show wear faster, though still far better than cabinets that were brushed or rolled instead of sprayed.

The takeaway: if you’re investing in new kitchen cabinet hardware, the 2k polyurethane protects your investment long-term. The hardware will outlast cheaper paint finishes.

What About Finishes That Match Your Style?

Matte black works with everything. Literally. Whether your style is modern farmhouse, transitional, or contemporary, black hardware doesn’t clash. It defines.

Brushed brass brings warmth. It pairs naturally with warm white paints and beige tones. If your countertops have warm veining or your floors are honey oak, brass ties it together.

Chrome and stainless look clinical in all-white kitchens. They work better when you have stainless appliances and want a cohesive look, but they’re falling out of favor for a reason. Cold tones in Utah homes feel forced. We get enough cold outside.

Copper and rose gold are trending, but they’re risky. They can date quickly. In five years, will rose gold hardware look like the “live, laugh, love” signs of 2026? Brass has staying power. Rose gold is trendy. Choose accordingly.

Pull Style Matters Too

Bar pulls are standard for drawers, but upper cabinets present a choice. Cup pulls look more traditional, bar pulls look modern. In a modern farmhouse kitchen, mixing them works: bars on the bottom, cups on top.

Knobs are back in, but only as an accent. All knobs looks dated. All pulls looks too sleek for farmhouse. The mix is where 2026 sits.

Timing Your Hardware Order

We’re usually booked 3-4 weeks out. Our process takes about a week total, with 3.5 days of work in your home.

Order your hardware before we arrive. If it uses your current hole pattern, we install it when we reinstall doors. If you’re drilling new holes, do it the week before we pick up your doors. Not the morning of. Give yourself time to fix mistakes.

If you’re also replacing hinges, test them two weeks out. If they don’t work, you have time to order different ones. Last-minute hinge problems have delayed jobs.

The Bottom Line: Pick Hardware Early

Paint transforms your cabinets. Hardware completes the transformation.

The most common mistake? Waiting until the last minute to think about hardware, then discovering your dream pulls don’t match your hole pattern. Or buying hinges without testing them. Or assuming we drill holes (we don’t).

Start with your hardware. Measure your current spacing. If you’re changing sizes, drill new holes before we arrive. If you’re changing hinges, test them first. If you just want to swap old hardware for new hardware with the same spacing, that’s the easiest path.

We handle the paint, two coats of primer, two coats of finish, all sprayed for a factory-smooth result. You handle the hardware decisions. Together, the result is a kitchen that looks like it cost $40,000, not $5,000-$8,000.

We’re booking jobs 3-4 weeks out right now. Get your bid scheduled, pick your paint color from our Color Selection Guide, and order your hardware. When we show up, you’ll be ready.

That’s why we offer a lifetime worry-free guarantee with our 2k polyurethane and a one-year guarantee with Benjamin Moore. If something’s not right, we fix it. No questions, no hassle.

Your cabinets are about to look incredible. Make sure the hardware matches that standard.