HGTV Star Christina Hall's Pick For The Best Type Of Cabinet And Drawer Pulls

When it comes to a kitchen design, many of us are concerned about the color of the cabinets, counters, and backsplash tiles. After all, these are the features that most people will see first. Interior designers, though, will always stress that it's the smallest details that help pull a room together. In a kitchen, these can be cabinet and drawer pulls. As they come in a wide variety of styles and finishes, these small pieces of hardware can do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to giving your entire kitchen an updated look by elevating and refreshing the design.

As much as they contribute aesthetically, drawer pulls also offer functionality regarding the ease of opening cabinets and drawers. Using them helps prevent the oils and dirt from your hands from transferring onto the front panels of the cabinets, which can damage or discolor the finish, notes Strathmore Design. Like anything, the many options for cabinet and drawer pulls can feel overwhelming. Christina Hall from HGTV's "Christina on the Coast" has a preference that can help homeowners narrow down their choices significantly. In a recent episode, Christina tackles a couple's home and, according to Realtor.com, the designer and clients agree on which type of hardware looks best on their drawers and cabinets.

In this episode of "Christina on the Coast," the interior designer works with couple Berto and Ruby to create a bar area in the dining room, per Realtor.com. As they work through the design elements, Christina Hall shares that she believes handles look more elegant than knobs, and Ruby agrees that she's never really liked knobs either. Handles often appear sleeker and cleaner, and the straight lines help highlight length. It didn't take long for everyone to unanimously decide that handles are the preferred option over pulls.

Even if handles are straighter, that doesn't mean they're boring; they can offer plenty of visual impact depending on the finish you choose. "Brass pulls add a little bit more of the glam factor," says Christina Hall. Silver hardware is more traditional, while black finishes are more modern. You don't have to stick to one finish in each room. Feel free to mix finishes to create a unique and personalized design. The trick, suggests San Diego Hardware, is to choose a dominant finish and use the others as accents. Consider, too, whether the finish is polished, brushed, or satin. Polished finishes are shiny and reflective. Brushed and satin finishes are softer and more matte-like. They also do a better job of hiding fingerprints, which is great for sticky areas like the kitchen.