How to Pick Shaker Cabinet Pulls for a Modern Kitchen Look

With their clean lines and minimalist aesthetic, it's no wonder shaker cabinets are a popular choice. The simple styling of a shaker cabinet puts the focus on the beauty of the natural wood. But hardware plays an important supporting role in completing the look.

The right shaker cabinet pulls enhance the modern appeal while adding function and visual interest. From straight bar pulls to curved wire handles, the options are plentiful. Use this guide to help narrow down your choice of hardware and pull off a seamlessly styled, on-trend shaker kitchen.

What Makes Shaker Cabinets So Popular

Shaker cabinets are marked by their fuss-free styling. The flat recessed panel fronts offer a minimalist look, free from excessive ornamentation. Crisp lines and rich wood grain take center stage.

Today over 50% of new and renovated kitchens incorporate some element of shaker style. Besides the clean aesthetics, the versatility and durability make them a smart investment. Their simple design allows shaker cabinets to work equally well in modern, transitional, farmhouse, or even traditional spaces.

How Hardware Plays a Role

Hardware is what brings shaker cabinets to life. While the cabinets themselves may share billing, it's the pulls, knobs, and handles that put the finishing touch on your kitchen's overall style.

The main considerations when choosing hardware include size, shape, finish, material, and quantity. Getting these factors right is key to creating a cohesive and pulled-together look. It's also your chance to showcase a bit of personality.

Picking the Right Size Shaker Pulls

Finding properly scaled hardware ensures functionality and enhances your kitchen's proportions. Oversized pulls overwhelm shaker doors. Conversely, undersized pieces look oddly out of sync. Use these tips to select the best fit:

Take Precise Measurements

Carefully gauge your existing cabinet door and drawer sizes. This gives you an appropriate base measurement for choosing replacement hardware. Allow for smaller knobs or daintier handles on narrow drawers. Wider doors and deep drawers can handle more generous sizing.

Consider Current and Future Use

If replacing outdated hardware, match new pulls to the existing screw holes. This avoids filling and drilling new holes. But when planning a kitchen remodel, think about how you use your space. Extra deep lower cabinets may benefit from sturdier handles to accommodate heavier items. Easy-grip pulls facilitate access for lower drawers.

Scale Hardware Relative to Cabinets

Proportionally, hardware should align with the cabinet size. Standard guidelines recommend:

• On smaller shaker-style cabinets, opt for dainty wire pulls 11/2 to 3 inches long.
• Medium cabinet doors suit pulls 31/2 to 5 inches long.
• For larger doors and deep drawers, 5 to 7 inch pulls balance best.

However, the distances between cabinets and personal design taste also affect ideal hardware sizing.

Metal vs Wood: Choose a Finish Material

Beyond actual size, the finish and base material make up the other critical pieces of your hardware decision. Each option brings distinct aesthetic qualities. Use the following comparisons to guide your choice:

Sleek Metallic Finishes

Stainless steel, brushed nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, and matte black metal pulls exude a sleek, contemporary vibe. The cool or dark tone of these finishes pop against light and medium wood shaker cabinets.

Metallic finishes also showcase unique metalworking details like a square bar pull or custom wire shape. This makes for an interesting counterpoint to flat shaker fronts. Finally, metal's durability makes it a practical choice for busy kitchens.

Warm Natural Wood Tones

Wood cabinet pulls crafted from maple, walnut, or oak, maintain the natural material continuity of shaker cabinetry. Unfinished wood pulls allow the patina to gradually age over time, enhancing the organic look.

For a Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic, combine blonde wood cabinetry with matching wood hardware. Darker stains also pair well for a more modern look. Or opt for contrast with black painted wood handles on light wood cabinet boxes.

Flattering Hardware Shapes for Shakers

Shaker cabinets follow function in their no-fuss design. Hardware shapes want to align with this attitude as well. Steer clear of ornately decorative pulls that compete visually. Instead, seek out clean and uncomplicated forms that complete the look without overpowering.

The Understated Appeal of Bar Pulls

The simple rectangular shape of flat bar pulls mirrors the straight lines of shaker doors. Bar pulls as short as 3 inches or longer than 8 inches project a minimalist charm. They integrate effortlessly into pared-back kitchens.

Experiment with different widths and thicknesses for a more bespoke look. Or choose rectangular pulls with rounded edges for a softer profile.

Slim Linear Wire Pulls

Thin metal wire bent into uniform U-shapes or elongated C-curves lends graceful accent pulls for shaker cabinets. The delicate scale plays up the unadorned styling. Use sparingly on select cabinets to provide decorative punch.

The Ever-Classic Cabinet Knob

For more traditional leanings, classic round knobs prove ever-appropriate for shaker cabinets. Locate knobs evenly across upper cabinets only or combine with larger bar pulls below to delineate style. Stick to 1 1/2 to 2-inch diameters in keeping with the pared-down aesthetic.

Find Your Perfect Color Combination

Choosing finish colors that enrich your kitchen's aesthetic comes down to personal preference. But some universal guidelines apply when matching shaker cabinet hardware:

Nickel Silver Finishes Add Refinement

Cool-toned brushed nickel, chrome, or stainless steel pulls lend modern refinement against light and dark stained shakers alike. Crisp white shaker cabinets benefit from the sleek metallic sheen. These finishes also resist visible fingerprints common to darker metals.

Oil-Rubbed Bronze Warms up Neutrals

The rich antiqued patina of oil-rubbed bronze Flat bar pulls brings sumptuous warmth to oak, maple, and walnut shaker cabinets. Aged bronze deepens the tone on stained wood while contrasting beautifully with painted white or black shakers.

Unlacquered Brass Offsets Crisp Contrasts

Natural brass develops a lovely darkened patina from handling over time that contrasts strikingly with fresh white paint or light wood grains. Unfinished brass pulls pop crisply against darker ebony stains as well. Leaning into this living finish lends organic depth.

Alternatively, lacquered brass with its fixed shine reads more boldly modern on crisp, high-contrast shakers.

The Allure of Mixed Metals

While matching cabinet hardware provides foolproof symmetry, exploring mixed metals uncovers exciting opportunities for self-expression. The key lies in understanding and balancing the color relationships in play.

Tonal Mixing

Grouping brushed stainless steel, brushed nickel, chrome and unlacquered steel pulls varies texture and sheen while maintaining a close tonal relationship. The resulting look remains refined and cohesive on quarter-sawn white oak shakers, for example.

Bold Contrasts

Strong color contrasts need careful handling to avoid discordance. One approach scales up classic brass knobs for upper cabinets, while wide matte black bar pulls punctuate base units and drawers. The daring combo enhances moody dark grey shakers.

When mixing metals, keep one finish dominant at about 80% distribution. Use the secondary finish strategically as accents only to curate visual interest and dimensionality.

How Many Handles Per Cabinet?

Shaker cabinets distill down to elemental design. Too many accessories compete with the straightforward charm. Follow these guidelines for handle quantities:

Two Pulls Balance Double Doors

Use two pulls per double cabinet to create symmetrical sightlines. Place them equidistant from top and bottom and spaced slightly wider than the stiles between doors. This grounds the cabinet halves visually.

Repeat Smaller Knobs Down Drawer Banks

Applying the same knob or petite pull repeatedly down a column of drawers creates satisfying vertical continuity. Use to unify cabinets with both doors and drawers.

Odd Numbers & Asymmetric Arrangements

For more contemporary edge, oddly spaced asymmetric pulls make a statement. Three pulls distributed unevenly on wide banks of drawers or tall pantry cabinets lend artistic edge. Just be sure to align the central pull on the middle stile or drawer divide.

Additional Options for a Modern Look

Beyond settling on the right styles and configurations, a few additional details add that final layer of polish:

Play With Mixed Textures

Consider mixing unfinished wood pulls on select shaker doors alongside industrial steel bar pulls on supporting drawers. The dynamic textures enliven each other.

Emphasize Angles

Right-angled pulls provide satisfying punctuation against the clean geometry of flat shaker panels. Use to direct sightlines for a tailored impression.

Make It Disappear

For the ultimate modernist statement, integrate touch-latch openings into custom shaker doors and drawers. This creates a seamless handle-free look when closed. Just ensure the interior latches operate fluidly for everyday use when open.

With an endless array of options, choosing hardware for shaker cabinetry may seem overwhelming initially. But keeping sight of what flatters their uncomplicated look makes the decision process easier.

Seeking out uncomplicated shapes and finishes in proportionate sizes complements their fuss-free charm best. Focus on metallic or wooden pieces that don't visually overwhelm the cabinet facade itself.

Arrange hardware judiciously in groupings that enhance the cabinets' strong lines. And don't shy away from making slightly daring choices with mixed metals or asymmetrical placements to infuse personality into your modern shaker kitchen.