Brass
Other metals
Other materials
Changing your doorknobs can be hard; changing cabinet knobs is easy and makes a big aesthetic difference. They’re “the hardest-working guy in show business,” says LikeMindedObjects designer Elise McMahon. They’re a standard size and, in most cases, don’t require anything more specialized than a screwdriver to install. (The exception: If you’re moving a knob’s location or changing a knob to a handle, you’ll need to drill.)
Monica Khemsurov, the co-founder of Sight Unseen and the founder of hardware store Petra, has a few tips. Steer clear of knobs you have to pinch to open: “You want to be able to get your hands around it or under it,” she says. She also recommends unlacquered materials, since knobs are constantly being touched by oily fingers. On high-touch surfaces, lacquers and coatings will “eventually wear off and you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen when the coating is gone,” she says, but a “living finish” allows metal and wood to age naturally. To find the best knobs for your drawers and doors, I put together recommendations from 11 experts, including designers and home DIYers.
