“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” -Mary Lou Cook

So many of our customers are looking for ways to improve their homes and save money at the same time. To make the investment in your kitchen cost-effective, you can replace the hardware that’s currently on your cabinets at a fraction of the price it costs to rip apart your entire kitchen and replace all of those doors, frames, and shelves. Your kitchen can look new and intriguing even if you don’t have the time or the funds to completely remodel that entire room. Here are five tips to help make your decision a little easier:

Old antique hardware is great for country-style homes.

1. Match your hardware to the decor of your home. Do you have a country-style home or another traditional style? Consider some of the hardware from our signature line; our top ten selling items are good examples to start with. Do you have a contemporary kitchen or bathroom? Consider some contemporary polished chrome or stainless steel hardware!

2. Change the color of your cabinet hardware to look best with your appliances and fixtures. Is that old polished chrome stove out of place and lonely in your kitchen? Consider one of the new polished chrome appliance pulls coming to our line in early 2009, or some stainless steel bar pulls to bring a little pop to that stainless steel sink.

A brushed finish may be better than polished for the bathroom environment.

3. Change the finish of your cabinet hardware. Some of those colors may have become faded or dulled over the years from so much use. Bathroom hardware can become especially dull to the constant exposure to heat, steam, and cleaning products (which we DON’T recommend). Consider updating your bathroom to a brushed finish or something using acrylic, glass, or crystal which can stand up to that demanding environment.

4. Change the style of hardware that you use on your cabinets. Perhaps you just moved into a new home that expands your living space with your expanding family. With small fingers around, maybe you should consider the safety of a secure latch on cabinet doors. If you’d rather have something just to grab onto, consider a high-quality solid brass pull, or a knob for that decorative accent.

This is the only kind of bug you want to see in YOUR kitchen!

5. Change the material of the hardware on your cabinets. Prefer a bit more rustic look? Our stone and marble hardware lines provide an outdoor feeling and natural material, bringing the countryside right inside (except for those pesky bugs!). These are great for outdoor kitchens or patios: natural materials are less susceptible to environmental conditions than other hardware. If you’ve been suffering with cheap hardware that’s not up to snuff, consider upgrading to solid brass or stainless steel.

So go out there and make some new design choices. Bring a little fun into your kitchen, break some rules, and above all, have fun!