Decorative pulls and knobs are more than mere accessories. They can define a look and deliver a message. But the massive array of choice in hardware has always been a challenge for cabinet shops. What do you stock or offer? Will hardware on a display kitchen make it look dated, or perhaps just appeal to only one market segment?
When it comes to appearance, smooth matte black has had a long run. But times are changing and as color creeps back into kitchens and baths, decorative hardware is following suit. Bright brass hardware on charcoal or dark blue doors is popular again, but with a tactile twist. The hottest hardware has a hammered, knurled or brushed topography that tingles fingertips. And it’s not just bright metals — even matte hardware is growing bumps and undulations that interrupt those smooth, sleek surfaces. On high-end kitchens, that texture is coming from studios and smithies rather than large foundries or factories. Handmade and highly customized hardware is hot this year, and pieces created for a specific client or space are gaining ground over designer collections.
The mainstream market is catering to this trend by adding a little clash and conflict. Manufactures are creating looks that pair seemingly contentious metals with each other: copper and nickel, or perhaps stainless steel and bronze, are now occupying adjacent spaces. One of these might be used on bases and the other on uppers, or they may each claim a wall or an island. The object here is to add subtle differences to doors and drawers that suggest a mildly eclectic but creative lifestyle.
And size can be a modifier here. There’s a trend toward smaller pulls and knobs that lessen the impact of change, while still providing the designer with a versatile palette. The smaller the knobs, the more likely it is that they will be used to introduce a little drama. So, ceramics and painted patterns are hot, as are custom, thematic shapes that reflect the homeowners’ interests, hobbies or lifestyle.
In five-part doors, the simple appeal of Shaker still tops the charts. That clean look can allow a designer to indulge a playful appetite when it comes to hardware. But the style’s core appeal is a minimalist, uncluttered functionality, and those values are reinforcing a new trend toward having no visible hardware. Touch-to-open and soft close technologies support this, and some designers are also looking backward toward hand-sized notches, finger holes and other solutions that predate modern decorative hardware.
Supply chain woes seem to have lessened significantly over the past year, but just-in-time inventory can still be a challenge when it comes to this highly personal and subjective aspect of design. Homeowners feel that they have more control over hardware than most aspects of a remodel or new construction. Catering to their desires can be daunting because they want to understand trends, and often include the latest technology.
What’s new?
When it comes to hinges, the new Compact Clip from Blum (blum.com) was specifically designed for face frame cabinets, and it lets the installer remove and reinstall doors tool-free. It eases installation with both clip-on technology and three-dimensional adjustability. And it has integrated soft-close Blumotion that’s available in a full range of overlays. A door can be easily removed by pressing down on the clip’s lever and sliding forward to release it from the mounting plate. No matter how many times the hinge is removed from the mounting plate, the adjustments will remain at the factory setting.
Blum’s new MerivoBox metal drawer system uses just a few components and two color palettes to offer a variety of looks. Woodworkers can switch between different heights and designs and the system’s simple, clearly labeled and easily accessible three-dimensional adjustment options let installers achieve perfect alignment on-site. The designer can choose to build a deeper drawer with a closed metal side or design element, or an open space with a gallery rail. The drawer side is designed to reflect light, adding some overall visual interest. And in February, Blum introduced a new pocket door system called Revego with full overlay fronts that can be opened by pressing and gliding each door into a narrow pocket. Single and double door options are available.
Häfele (hafele.com) brought its new shelf lighting system to February’s KBIS show in Las Vegas. Designed for frameless cabinets, it uses LED strips underneath shelves that can be adjusted for height.
The new 4PIL Wood Pilaster System from Rev-A-Shelf (rev-a-shelf.com) uses steel pins between two wooden strips and clever hooks to allow homeowners to adjust the locations of drawer slides. Designed for base cabinets, it works with the company’s 4WDB drawer boxes which have pegboard bottoms, maple pegs and metal dividers to organize items for storage. Blum soft-close slides add functionality, and the pilaster system is stackable for pantry applications. Installation is a breeze with the included template and requires only four screws per drawer box.
Moving experiences
Dynapro from Grass America (grassusa.com) is an undermount, full-extension drawer slide that moves with a slight pull and gentle push. It uses an integrated rack and pinion system that lets the slides move in tandem, and that improves the glide, reduces noise, and prevents the drawer from binding. And Dynapro2.0 undermount slides offer a variety of front locking devices to provide two- and three-dimensional adjustments. The drawer can be adjusted side-to-side, or for height or depth.
When expanding the length of a countertop isn’t an option, how about increasing its depth? A simple solution from Richelieu Hardware (richelieu.com) called the OPLA Folding is a sliding table extension mechanism that can increase the usable surface area in no time at all. Simply pull it forward and then up and an extension will automatically adjust to the height of the main work surface. It includes soft-close and can be installed in cabinets, pantry units or under counters that have a minimum interior depth of 21-1/4" and a width between 18"and 36". The system is hardware only: the panels are made in the woodshop.
The AvanTech You is a new drawer system from Hettich (hettich.com) that completely hides the slides inside the drawer sides in a well-conceived design that is sleek, slim and stylish. It’s quite customizable too, even though it uses a simple drilling pattern and fine tuning for reveal adjustments.
Just over a year ago, Salice (salice.com) introduced the F70 heavy-duty, undermount drawer slide. It comes with a dampening device and an integrated handle-less opening mechanism in the Push version. It also works with Salice’s optional synchronizer kit that lets wider drawers open with minimum effort. It’s six-way adjustable, and there’s an optional tool-free tilt adjustment in the back that does not require removal of the drawer to perform. The F70 is available in lengths from 15" to 30".
Kansas-based TufBuilt Hardware (tufbuilthardware.com) makes hinges, undermount soft close slides, and full extension side-mount ball bearing slides. Three versions of the company’s Inline Soft Close Hinge with Invisible Plate — the 00, 08 and 15, respectively — are designed for full overlay, half overlay and inset applications. Each has a 105-degree opening angle for door thicknesses from 14 to 22 mm thicknesses (approximately 9/16" to just under 7/8"). Tufbuilt is in the process of opening a new manufacturing plant, and the production environment is highly automated.
Fulterer (fulterer.com) is an Austrian manufacturer with facilities in several countries, including the U.S. in North Carolina and California. Its catalog includes roller, ball and stainless-steel bearing drawer slides, concealed undermount slides, and vertical pantry pull-out hardware.
When clients choose decorative hardware such as pulls and knobs, their decisions usually don’t impact the production process too much because they require little more than standard hole patterns and screws. But functional hardware (including slides and hinges) is more often chosen by the woodworker. Depending on the shop’s volume, a trip to one of the major shows such as IWF, KBIS and the AWFS Fair can pay huge dividends. The best way to compare products is to physically handle them. Online catalogs are very useful, but meeting factory reps and woodshop owners in person can help a shop zone in on the best pulls, slides, hinges and more.
Originally published in the May 2024 issue of Woodshop News.
