Antique and Decorative Cabinet Hardware for Home Decor

A cabinet is actually a box-shaped furniture piece which is made out of wood or other materials. These cabinets can be used for storage of household items and can be kept in your house. Some cabinets can be kept as stand-alone cabinets, while some are attached to the wall. They may contain drawers and usually have doors installed on the front of the cabinet. To understand which type of hardware to use for the cabinets, you must look at the material and style of the cabinet. Then you also have to consider your home décor. Thus, the type of cabinet hardware or cabinet accessories you choose must be in alignment with or complementary to the styles of both the cabinet itself and your home décor.

The Materials

The cabinet hardware is made out different types of material. They are:

• Stainless Steel
• Steel
• Copper
• Brass
• Nickel
• Bronze
• Wrought Iron

The Finishes

Most of these cabinet accessories come in different types of finishes. These are:

• Antique
• Polished
• Brushed
• Burnished
• Sterling
• Aged
• Vintage
• Pewter
• Lacquered
• Un-lacquered
• Brass

Depending upon the factors mentioned above, one must choose the material and finish.

The Parts

Let us now look at the different parts of cabinet hardware to buy. They are:

Screws: This is quite basic, as you will need screws to fix these different parts on to the surfaces of the cabinet. Often, hardware parts come with matching screws, so you may not need to specifically buy screws separately. So you need to know beforehand if the parts come with or without screws.

Back Plates: These are attached before the knobs or pulls are fixed onto the surface of the cabinet. These serve the purpose of protecting the cabinet's surface or to hide existing holes etc. on the surface of the cabinet. These are especially useful if you have removed an old knob or pull and are going to replace it with a new one.

Knobs and Pulls: Knobs are handles fixed to the cabinet door or drawer with a single screw and bolt. Pulls are the handles fixed to the cabinet door or drawer with two or more screws and their corresponding bolts. Pulls occupy more space than knobs on the surface of the cabinet door.

If you are going to be replacing an old pull with a new one, it is a good idea to carry the old pull with you and see if the distances between one hole and the other match with those of the new pull that you are choosing.

There are a variety of decorative cabinet knobs available in the market. Choose from a variety of different finishes and materials for durability and usability. Also ensure that the knobs and pulls are in line with the fashion of the cabinet and the room as well.

Hinges: Different types of doors require different types of hinges. Also, the number of hinges required is decided depending upon the length and weight of the door.

European Hinges are normally used for cabinet doors that fully overlay the cabinet, or inset doors of the cabinet. They can easily support heavy doors and are often self closing.

European Overlay Hinges can be used for half overlay doors or for doors that overlap the frame of the cabinet. These are often self closing hinges.

You can use different types of hinges for most face-frame cabinets. These are: Variable Overlay Hinges, Partial Wraparound Hinges, H-Style Hinges, Offset H-Style Hinges, Butterfly Hinges, Butt Hinges, and T-Style Hinges.

Choose the right hinge for the right kind of cabinet door. The hinge is what is going to make the door function properly. Don't compromise on the number of hinges that are needed. Choosing from a variety of finishes available from among the antique cabinet hardware, you can determine which hinge will suit your cabinet's look and serve your purpose.

Door Catches: These are used on doors which do not have self closing hinges. These can be Magnetic or Spring Roller based. Purely functional, these help keep the door of the cabinets closed.

Drawer Slides: Choose a drawer slide depending upon the weight capacity of the slide. These load ratings can be light, medium or heavy. These can be mounted on the sides of the cabinet. Alternatively there are center bottom mount slides or single center mono-rail slides as well. Choose the slides depending upon the kind of look you want for the inside of your cabinet and the kind of stuff you are planning to keep inside the drawers.

Thus, one can choose the right decorative hardware for their cabinets so that they add beauty and style along with functionality.