When decorating your kitchen, do you want cabinet knobs or pulls?

If you’re planning to redecorate your kitchen, there are a lot of things to think about: the theme (do you want a kitchen with a food theme or something less relevant?); color scheme (do you want warm or cool colors? Do you want colors or just black and white?); and accessories (what kind of cabinet knobs or pulls do you want? More importantly, which do you want, knobs or pulls?).

First, focus on the topic. Having food-related decorations can create a homey environment in which to cook. However, you may want the only food in the kitchen to be the food you prepare, in which case you can focus more on textures and colors. Choose marble countertops and stucco the walls. Pick the colors you want to use – one or two neutrals with a bright color will really make the room pop.

Now for the big question: should you go with cabinet knobs or pulls? We’ve put together some tips to help you decide.

Cabinet knobs generally come in a larger aesthetic variety, so you’ll probably have an easier time finding something to match your theme than pulls. You can buy cabinet pulls in just about any shape, so if you decide to go with a food theme, you’ll be able to find dozens of food-related designs.

However, cabinet pulls are easier to use than knobs, so if the decision comes down to convenience over appearance, pulls are the way to go. If you have small children in the house and you don’t want them to get into the cabinets, knobs will probably work for you, although you can easily childproof cabinets.

Although cabinet pulls are easier to use, they usually require more attention during installation because you need to make sure the ends line up perfectly and are not crooked.

If price is a factor, you’ll probably want to go with knobs: knobs are smaller than pulls, use more material, and are for the most part more expensive. However, more ornate cabinet knobs will be more expensive than simpler pulls, and of course it depends on the type of materials being used. If you really want to save money, consider making your own cabinet knobs out of wine corks. Make sure they are firmly secured though, otherwise it won’t take much force to get them out of the screw.

To get an idea of ​​how cabinet knobs or pulls will look and feel in your kitchen, ask for samples of the items you’re interested in and try them out. Many hardware stores will allow you to order a sample of a few different products so you can see how they will go with the rest of your decor. After all, you wouldn’t buy a shirt without trying it on first, right?