If you’ve recently remodeled your kitchen, chances are you’re already admiring your finished product. Sure you may be happy with your new five-star appliances and elated about your sleek new flooring, but have you paid attention to the smallest details in your kitchen? Remodeling a kitchen can be a daunting project, and it’s all too easy to get sidetracked by worrying about the larger items in the room. Smaller details aren’t usually associated with remodeling, but without them, a kitchen remodel can’t achieve its full glory.

Cabinets are a big part of every kitchen, so it only makes sense to take a closer look at them. You will be amazed at how your kitchen can be transformed just by adding handles to your cabinets. Everyone wants their kitchen to stand out and say that this is my decorative detail “my style”. Since space is limited in most kitchens, cabinet handles or knobs will accomplish this task without cluttering up the other aspects of your kitchen. Let’s face it, we all need to maximize our workspace. One of the benefits is that adding cabinet handles or knobs will allow your kitchen to have its own style without taking up space.

The installation itself is so easy that any beginner can perform this task. So if you’ve hired contractors to complete your kitchen remodel, you’ll be able to do this project yourself. So save your money, you won’t need that expensive contractor for this project. Even if you don’t have many tools, you can accomplish this task in a few hours. At the same time giving your kitchen that unique and own style, with braking rights that you did it yourself.

Step #1: How many cabinets do you have?
The first thing is to decide if you are going to install handles or knobs on the kitchen furniture. Everything you are going to replace, do you want to replace the hinges too? This may depend on what shape they are or what color they are. Do you really want copper hinges with stainless steel pulls? Do you want cabinet handles and drawer knobs? If you decide you want both cabinet handles and knobs, make sure they complement each other, this will help ensure you get that unique look you’re looking for. Write down how much of what you will need.

Step #2 – Remove Cabinet Doors and Drawers
Wash cabinet doors and drawers. Remove the old hinges and clean them or make sure the new one you buy will fit into the existing hole. If you are going to keep the hinges, place them in a bin so you have all the necessary items to re-hang them. If you’re replacing the hinges, you don’t have to fasten them, however I would wait to dispose of them when the project is done.

Step #3: Match your hardware to the style of your kitchen
You already have all the hardware finishes in your kitchen, take a look in your kitchen to see what finish your fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave, or sink has. You don’t want black appliances with a stainless steel sink and copper hardware for your cabinets. Now, if you have black appliances and a stainless steel sink, you could have black or any other color stainless steel fixtures. If you plan to replace your sink or appliances, you may not need to look at these things when choosing the finish for your handles or knobs.

Step #4: Shop for your cabinet handles or knobs
If you already have handles or knobs on your cabinets, then they are probably outdated and need to be updated to match your style. Don’t be discouraged by this half of the job is already done for you. Measure the distance between the holes in your cabinets; make sure you write this down, it will be essential to make sure the newly updated ones have equal spacing between them. If you don’t have handles or knobs on your existing cabinets, the sky is the limit on your selection of what to add to your kitchen. You don’t use all cabinets the same in your kitchen, if you use your drawers a lot, you may want to consider putting handles on them as well instead of knobs. Also keep the traffic flow in your kitchen in mind when choosing handles for the draws, are you going to be sticking your leg in them? If so, you may not want the traditional stick handles. These are just a few things to consider when choosing this type of hardware.

Step #5: Installing Your Cabinet Handles or Knobs
You should have bought your hardware by now. If you had existing hardware, you can simply bolt in the new ones and move on to rehang the cabinets. If you didn’t have existing hardware, make a template so that all the handles or knobs sit in the same spot on your cabinet fronts and drawers. One way to do this is to use a piece of paper, line it up with the cabinet fronts, and place a mark where you want the handles to be. Typically this is centered on the side where the hardware will be applied and about 2 ½ inches from the bottom. Poke a hole in your jig and now you can make all the cabinets so you know where to drill. Remember that you will also need to know the distance between the holes in order for your hardware to fit correctly. Yes, measure twice for accuracy. After the holes are drilled, you can install the hardware to your cabinets.

Step #6: Time to reinstall your cabinets
You must put the hinges on your cabinets before attempting to rehang them. This will make this process easier. With the hinges on the cabinets, you now just have to screw the cabinets back into place. Clean up the area, now is the time to enjoy your kitchen and take pride in a job well done knowing you got the job done.