You just repainted your kitchen cabinets and they look stunning. However, something is missing…oh yes, the handles!

Picking the right handles to compliment your newly painted kitchen cabinets is absolutely key to completing your new look. So you ask, what color, shape, or material should you use? The easy answer is, “it depends on what color you painted your cabinets.” When I repainted my kitchen cabinets white, my options were limitless. However, with white (or black) cabinets comes the added burden of selecting a great, detailed handle because the handle will really stand out on a white (or black) cabinet.

When I went to my local hardware stores, I found several different color and material options, such as brushed nickel, shiny metal, antique brass, gold painted, plastic, and wood, just to name a few. There were also several shapes, like curved handles, thin handles, and round knobs. In terms of pricing, the metal handles were the most expensive, averaging $5-6 per handle, whereas the plastic and wood handles were $3-4 dollars. After weighing my options, I went with a curved, brushed nickel handle that was $5 per handle.

When you are ready to finish your cabinets with nice handles, I would recommend buying 3-4 different types, taking them home, and trying them all on your cabinets to see which one works best. It is one thing to look at the different styles in some hardware store, but quite another to see the handle in “action.”