Part 1: The Top Five Looks
By Kyle Esterley • Filed Under: Custom Cabinetry | Interior Design Trends | Home Decor • 6 min read Last week, the Lead Cabinet Installer at Nissi Home Renovations got a message from a family friend who was attempting a DIY hardware update on cabinets throughout her house. She was asking for suggestions in the way of some currently trending styles that would be easy to recreate. After responding with those recommendations, the team at Nissi thought it made sense to share this information with all of you. It was thus decided that - recent trends in cabinetry hardware fixtures - would make the perfect topic for the inaugural post of the Nissi Home Renovations Blog. Without further ado, here is our selection of the top five ideas in cabinet hardware that we suspect will dominate in the coming year.
1. Matte black hardware. This plating finish has become a standard on the majority of metal cabinet and drawer pulls, handles, and knobs within the past few years.
Most recently, it seems to be popping up in kitchens, bathrooms, and other interior spaces. As a shade, matte black is exactly the same as
black. There are no differences in color, but only in the finish. Since normal black finishes reflect light, they can appear almost glossy; by contrast, matte black finish is not at all reflective, so it has no gloss or luster.
TRY PAIRING IT WITH:
✓ Oak finished cabinets ✓ White, neutral, or light-color painted cabinets 2. Coastal farmhouse hardware. Think rustic, antique, Craftsman, colonial, Shaker, rural, country, folk, boho, weathered.
Those are some of the most defining characteristics of "farmhouse" interior
styles which have become so trendy over the past couple of years that there has emerged a need for new directions within this design movement.
Then, think cottage, lake-house, beach, seaside, oceanfront, marine, harbor, maritime, shipyard, nautical... When these "coastal" influences are incorporated with the first set of style elements listed above, they together constitute the essential elements of coastal farmhouse interior design: a contemporary variant of the traditional farmhouse aesthetic which is becoming an increasingly popular look in cabinetry. Among the most signature hardware materials, finishes, and accessories for
achieving this style are all of the following: flat black cast iron, twisted or hammered wrought iron, dark oil-rubbed bronze, brass, aged pewter, custom antiqued metal finishes — e.g. verdigris, rust, patina, and distressing;
cabinet door latches, nautical knotted or wrapped jute rope handles and knobs, mission style drop ring cabinet and drawer pulls, and cup pulls (aka bin pulls: early 1900s style cabinet/drawer pulls that are enclosed on one side but open on the other) — a traditional farmhouse antique décor staple inherited from the prior design movement.
TRY PAIRING IT WITH: ✓ Shiplap, slatted bar, barn door, reclaimed wood, or louvered door cabinets ✓ Wicker, rattan, cane door, or vintage console cabinets ✓ Knotty pine, hickory, or alder cabinets ✓ White, dark blue, or light blue painted cabinets 3. Crystal-clear hardware.
There is something inherently captivating about solid materials that allow light to pass through them. As with many other things in life,
it was only a matter of time before transparent, see-though cabinet accessories became all the rage, and that time has come.
At the luxury end of the spectrum, handles and pulls as well as knobs of colorless clear crystal or glass — many of which are set within metal bases in a variety of plating finishes — have become an instant solution for "blinging up" an all-white or lackluster kitchen design without sacrificing tastefulness, or for adding a touch of glamour and novelty to nearly any cabinet or drawer. For those on a tighter budget, lookalike fixtures made from reflective transparent acrylic materials are a viable alternative (and one that happens to be more shatter-resistant). Among the synthetic varieties, Lucite is the preferred substitute for glass in furniture, being that it is the tradename for the highest-quality version of acrylic plastic resin.
TRY PAIRING IT WITH: ✓ Whitewashed oak cabinets ✓ Dark stained wood cabinets — e.g. black walnut, dark cherry, mahogany, or ebony ✓ White, charcoal gray, or navy painted cabinets ✓ Black, white, or gray faux marble veneer cabinets ✓ Glass-front cabinets 4. Gunmetal hardware.
Gunmetal is a dark bluish-gray variety of bronze that is an alloy of copper, tin, and zinc. As a metal finish, it is perfect for those who love a metallic or industrial look, but prefer a hint of subtlety.
It is called gunmetal because its mercurial gray color and finish resemble those of modern guns.
TRY PAIRING IT WITH:
✓ Navy, midnight blue, black, white, taupe, or greige painted cabinets
✓ Medium-tone wood cabinets
5. No hardware.
Otherwise known as "handle-less cabinets", this ultra-minimalist aesthetic could be said to constitute the "stealth look" of interior woodwork — inasmuch as that has become a sought-after look, if not a status symbol within the automotive design industry.
In the absence of attached hardware fixtures: flat-panel cabinets may be opened and closed simply by pulling on the top, bottom, or side edge of a front-hinged door. In the case of a horizontal or forward sliding cabinetry scheme, some alternative style of built-in grip may have to be improvised such as by boring a round hole or oblong inset to function as an under-the-radar pull or handle.
When properly implemented, the net result will be a raw, edgy, and clean look with an emphasis on primitive design elements, namely lines and planar surfaces.
TRY PAIRING IT WITH:
✓ Modern cabinets having solid, unembellished, flat-slab doors and sleek contours
✓ Modular or drawer base cabinets with recessed or integrated handles
Final Thoughts
The trends described above are but a small sampling of the latest popular hardware options for modern and traditional residential cabinets that we at Nissi Home Renovations can recommend to our clients.
Considering an upgrade? Drop us a line today to let us know how our team of custom cabinetry experts could advise you further about replacing, extending, or adding to your home cabinets.
—Kyle Esterley is a freelance writer and designer, who also loves woodworking