The Unexpected Hardware Choice That Levels Up The Look Of Wood Kitchen Cabinets

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Updating your cabinet pulls is a great way to give your kitchen an upgrade on a budget. There are plenty of colors, materials, and styles to choose from, with prices starting at just a few dollars. One great and unexpected hardware upgrade that can make a kitchen look more expensive without costing much is a frequently overlooked see-through design. While most of us tend to think of metallic finishes when shopping for cabinet hardware, acrylic pulls are perfect for adding a sleek, design-forward element to your space. They also pair really well with traditional wood, helping blend traditional with contemporary.

Interior designer Gale Sitomer told Homes & Gardens that she is a fan of translucent pulls, because they can "accent the color of the wood cabinets." To blend the best of both worlds, opt for an acrylic pull with a metallic accent, such as silver (available for as little as $6 on Amazon), bronze, or, as Sitomer recommends, nickel, which can add "a pop of shine to the flat panel door."

Another advantage of acrylic hardware is its lightweight, translucent appearance, which helps prevent it from overwhelming a space. However, if you're unsure about embracing the trend wholeheartedly, interior designer Sarah Tiedeken O'Brien believes it's great in small doses as well. "Use these pulls minimally for a special moment in your kitchen space," she suggested to Real Simple, adding that glass pulls are another great option to achieve a similar aesthetic.

When choosing the type of cabinet hardware that's right for you, the final decision comes down to your preferred aesthetic. Translucent pulls, whether made of acrylic or glass, can add a fun, stylish touch that's not overwhelming and pairs well with practically any type of cabinet finish.

If you're ready to give them a try, the most important step is choosing the correct size. When replacing existing pulls, you can simplify the DIY process by measuring the distance between the centers of the current screw holes and buying the same size. Otherwise, if that's not a consideration for you, a pro tip is to pick pulls that are about one-third the width of any given drawer or one-third the height of a cabinet door. For added ease, you can settle on an average length that works across the entire kitchen. Alternatively, you can tailor pull sizes to better match individual drawers and cabinets. As for longer drawers that go past 36 inches, consider two evenly spaced smaller pulls instead.

Once you have them purchased and ready to install, use a hand screwdriver and avoid power tools, especially on glass pulls, as they are more fragile than metallic ones. Be sure to tighten only the screws, never the pull itself, and avoid over-tightening to prevent cracking.