The Many Choices of Kitchen Cabinet Accessories

It's time to get down to brass tacks, or more accurately, brass knobs. Kitchen cabinet accessories are like an ocean: deep and wide. A sea of choices, if you will. You've got options ranging from ornate bronze designs to no visible hardware at all.

It's time to harness your creative energy. Here, we'll cover the types of accessories you'll run into at the cabinet shop. Yes, some styles go better with certain cabinets, but there is no set rule.

Let's start with the basics...

Knobs and Pulls

You'll use knobs to open cabinet doors and pulls to open drawers. It's that simple. Yet there need be no difference between the two in appearance. Either piece of hardware can perform both functions. Some options in materials are clear or frosted glass, brushed antique metal finishes, ivory, stainless steel, copper, Italian glass and more.

Dampers

Dampers provide two basic services to your cabinetry. On the one hand, they automatically close the drawer, as well as slow that process to prevent loud bangs and damage from slamming cabinets and drawers. They essentially act like a hydraulics system inside your cabinet. For doors, they'll attach to the hinges, and in cabinets, they attach to the glide upon which drawers slide in and out.

Lazy Susans

Lazy Susans are most common corner cabinets. They provide easy access to spices, bakeware anything that may otherwise be hard to reach in those deep corners. They maximize space and prevent stuff from getting lost back there. While it may feel a bit cramped, lazy Susans are fairly easy to install, usually consisting of a vertical rod that mounts to the top and bottom of the cabinet.

Other Accessories

Other kitchen cabinet accessories include towel racks that mount onto the back side of cabinet doors, sliding racks for trash or recycling receptacles, door mount spice racks, cabinet lighting, hampers, organizers and more.

Another valuable resource is your kitchen contractor or cabinet installer. They've no doubt seen a multitude of examples and should provide advice to narrow down your choices and ease your confusion.