In many cases when it comes to the overall design of a room, it’s the little things that often make the biggest impact. For instance, small features like hardware for bathroom cabinets can impact the overall look of the room immensely. Therefore, choosing the right hardware is important.

Tips for Choosing the Right Hardware For Your Bathroom Cabinets

• Hardware vs No Hardware: The first call you need to make when choosing hardware is determining if you want hardware or not. Although it is your choice and the clean look of a cabinet sans hardware can be appealing, it also often leads to build-up and grime on the cabinets themselves. Therefore, in most cases, it’s a good idea to plan to add hardware.

• Knobs or Pulls: You have two main choices when it comes to bathroom cabinet hardware—pulls or knobs. Of course, you could mix it up and do a bit of both. To determine which is ideal for your space, feel each in your hand. You will be touching them over and over, so honestly, it’s just a preference as to which you prefer. You can also install one of each and see which one you prefer to use before investing in an entire room full of hardware.

• Cost: As with any element of home improvement the cost of hardware must be considered. There are lower-quality options that are cheaper in terms of hardware. Do this if you don’t mind changing out hardware to better quality when you can afford it or when they wear out. If you instead want to be done and not have to replace hardware any time soon, then opt for more high-quality items, which will of course be more expensive to purchase up-front.

• Size Compared to Cabinet or Drawer: Make sure that your hardware fits your cabinet and/or drawers. This means it shouldn’t look oddly small or oversized, but just right for the cabinet face.

• Placement: Another factor to consider when selecting hardware is placement. You want to make sure that hardware isn’t catching on things or in an odd location. Make sure the placement makes sense to the overall function of the cabinet itself.

• Color and Finish: Consider the finish of other fixtures in the room and the color and finish of your cabinets when choosing hardware. Keep in mind that the rules have changed, meaning you can mix and match. If you like black hardware but have brushed nickel fixtures, that’s now okay! It’s really just about what you want to see in the room and what you like. Of course, if you want to match your existing furnishings to create a unified look, that’s okay too.

• Modern, Rustic, or Classic Design: You have the choice between modern, rustic, and classically designed hardware. Keep in mind the overall design of the room, the style of your cabinets, and the fixtures within the room when choosing what style you want to incorporate through the cabinet hardware.

• Maintenance: How easy are they to clean? Finally, when choosing the right bathroom cabinet hardware, keep in mind the ease of maintaining and cleaning them. From spilled toothpaste to dried hairspray, this hardware will end up needing to be cleaned regularly. Therefore, make sure this is an easy process, or it will quickly become burdensome.

Keep the tips listed above in mind to choose the right hardware for your bathroom cabinets. Remember, today’s style allows for a great deal of freedom. You can pretty much choose what you like, without feeling there are certain “rules” to follow. However, the suggestions above should help you foresee any potential problems and make the right call for your space.