Top 6 Hardware Styles for Raised-Panel Kitchen Cabinets

by Rebekah Zaveloff

Whether you're going for a furniture feel
or industrial contrast in your kitchen, 
these pulls and knobs will put you on the right track

Raised-panel kitchen cabinets are typically seen in more traditional-style kitchens and typically need more ornate and detailed hardware to counterbalance the heaviness of the door style. They need hardware that has visual weight as well.

Most of the time, people choose hardware that matches the style of their kitchen — be it Victorian, colonial, etc. — but that doesn't mean you can't mix it up and break the rules. Love the look of raised-panel cabinets? Here's help choosing the right hardware style.

 

1. Drop Pulls

This style of hardware has a feminine touch. You might expect to see it on a piece of furniture rather than on a kitchen cabinet, which is why it works so well on a raised-panel kitchen cabinet.

Brass Drop Pull 

What they do for the kitchen: Add a furniture feel to fitted cabinetry.

What they work well with: Traditional-style kitchens, leaded glass inserts, inset cabinetry.

2. Knobs With Decorative Backplates

Hardware such as this makes a strong unfitted, furniture-style statement. It's ornate and decorative, and often a bit fussy, but it really sets the tone of a kitchen the way jewelry sets the tone of an outfit.
 

Cabinet Knob

What they do for the kitchen: Create a formal and old-world feel by adding a decorative element to every door and drawer front. They put less focus on the utilitarian function of a kitchen and more focus on the style.

What they work well with: Unfitted furniture-style cabinetry, furniture-style toe kicks, glazed and stained cabinet finishes.

3. Accented Wire Pulls

Simple and elegant, accented wire pulls are an easy choice for a traditional-style kitchen with raised-panel doors. Accented wire pulls can have fluted ellipses, birdcage accents or a simple bead — there are tons of choices within this category of more traditional-style pulls. They offer just enough embellishment without being too heavy-handed.

 

Rosette Pull 

What they do for the kitchen: Add just enough embellishment and detail. They feel traditional without being too serious or stuffy.

What they work well with: Glazed and distressed cabinet finishes, custom wood hood surrounds, architectural details such as columns, legs and fluting.

 

Tuscany Cabinet Knob

Matching knobs are often available for accented wire pulls.

4. Industrial-Style Face-Mounted Pulls

Going industrial on a traditional raised-panel door style everyone's first instinct or cup of tea, but it's a refreshing alternative. Mixing industrial pulls with more classic knobs and latches can help to balance out a look.

Classic Styles Medium Pull

What they do for the kitchen: Create contrast and a bit of aesthetic tension, in which everything doesn't match. Industrial pulls can even be glamorous when they're in a high-polish finish.

What they work well with: Sleek and stylish (but not too modern) stainless steel hoods, modern faucets, thick marble countertops.

These old-fashioned window sash–style pulls add vintage flair. Mixing sizes and profiles adds to the eclectic vibe in this kitchen.

 

 

 

Oil Rubbed Bronze Cabinet Pull

What they do for the kitchen: Create a vintage, collected-over-time feel.

What they work well with: Black-grouted subway tile, bronze industrial light fixtures, black enamel appliances such as a range or hood.

5. Wood Knobs These have a very old-fashioned furniture style. They might not be the most practical for a high-use kitchen, especially in a painted white finish, but they look great.

 

Wood Cabinet Knob

What they do for the kitchen: Create the look of furniture.

What they work well with: Mixed wood finishes, unfitted furniture-style cabinetry, old-world details such as pot rack cabinets.

6. Bin Pulls and Knobs

We've mentioned in another ideabook that these look great on Shaker-style cabinets, but as you can see, this is a very versatile design that works well on many different door styles.

 

Solid Brass 3-Inch Pull 

What they do for the kitchen: Help tone down an ornate raised panel door with their simplicity.

What they work well with: Knobs on white or off-white cabinetry, vintage light fixtures, wood floors, butcher block countertops.

Cabinet-S-Top, 1977 Medina Road, Medina, OH  44256 ~ 330.239.3630 ~ www.cabinet-s-top.com