Changing door/drawer handles to update kitchen

[beachside]

Hi

I am thinking of changing the kitchen door and drawer handles to modernize the kitchen a little in preparation for possible sale. The kitchen is still reasonably modern but the handles chosen when replaced was at the end of the knob era and commencement of "handles." I can replace the door handles without any problem because the existing screw hole can be utilized for lower handle mount, but drawer handles will not cover knob hole. I can try and hide this to some degree, but will be noticeable.

I have attached some photos of the potential handles from Bunnings selection which I "borrowed" because I hope to buy the chosen one cheaper elsewhere and in bulk -26.

I am interested in opinions on:

• Would the change make the kitchen look a little more modern. I think it would - and add vale above the cost ($5.50-13.76 per handle of those selected, my preferred is $9.90 which is still $257)
• Would the improvement outweigh the negative of the drawer knob holes still being obvious to some extent. (will try white silicon, white caulking, white buttons or caps etc)
• Which handle - see photos where I have rotated handles in each photos.

Original knob shown for comparison and photo of overall look of one side of kitchen.

(Handle 1 in photos might need to be moved up the door 10mm instead of utilizing existing hole which would have handle sit close to bottom of door - base would still cover existing hole on the outside of door.) Photos continued in next post.

 

[beachside]

Photo of handles and kitchen.

I looked at a reasonably modern renovated unit at an open house this morning which had a similar age kitchen with plain matt s/s knobs and it did not detract, but I did notice that they were only knobs and not more modern handles. Handles were on my mind and others would not necessarily notice, although adds to overall look/feel of kitchen.

 

[Perp]

I agree handles are nicer, but 1) without wanting to sound rude , the profiled doors already date the kitchen quite a bit anyway, and 2) unless you're super clever at hiding them, those little holes would really annoy me.

I'd either go for a less protruding and wider handle, so that the handle covers a much wider angle of views and the hole is less visible, e.g.

OR consider a handle that's mounted flush and will cover, e.g. Hettich Mileto

 

[Corey Batt]

http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/bargain_handles?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

Enjoy. For all your cheap kitchen door handle replacement fun.

 

[miss green eyes]

can you spackle up the holes left by the knobs and paint over?
should be possible, given that your cupboards are painted to begin with.
Miine are laminate, not so easy to paint over.

 

[westminster]

This is a single hole handle in that type of range - maybe something like this would be easier?

http://www.earlysettler.com.au/products/hardware/cabinetry/7010-t-pull-handle-ssf.html

 

[wylie]

I like the links provided by Perp and Westminster. I like all the D shaped handles in your first link but they don't look right on the drawer fronts. A knob would look better.

 

[Lou Reed]

Hi beachside,

You are changing kitchen door and drawer handles to maximize profit in sale?

If so,i wouldn't bother,buyers would probably change it anyway,as long as it suits,don't fix something that can be changed.

Cheers 2 cents.

 

[knightm]

Agreed, I like something like the second pic posted by perp.
I have done exactly what you are proposing on a kitchen Reno before including filling the old holes with spak filler and painting white. But I mostly used the existing holes too and it was only on a couple that required filling. It was 70's fake timber number that I painted white for a few yrs before replacing the cupboard doors and benchtops for resale.

It is totally doable and most people won't even notice once it's done and they have lived in it for a while BUT if it's a high end area and it's for resale then it will annoy potential buyers so be careful to do it properly.

 

[knightm]

...looking at that kitchen I would get two diff handles from a matching theme. D shape for the cupboards to take advantage of the existing hole and drill a second one, and then a t shape for the drawers. If you can find them in matching style you avoid the visible hole problem altogether

 

[beachside]

I agree handles are nicer, but 1) without wanting to sound rude , the profiled doors already date the kitchen quite a bit anyway, and 2) unless you're super clever at hiding them, those little holes would really annoy me.

I'd either go for a less protruding and wider handle, so that the handle covers a much wider angle of views and the hole is less visible, e.g.

OR consider a handle that's mounted flush and will cover, e.g. Hettich Mileto

Perp, I agree, profiled doors do date kitchen, but not dramatically like orange Laminex . The problem with choosing handles is that the profiles on the door are a combination of curves and squares. Curved door handles are a bit out of date, square look more modern. Square profile is a bit hard against the curves in the door profile and round handle profile is a bit out of place with the sharper edges in the doors. Large or oversize handles seem to be modern, but I can't go to chunky as these will look of place against the smaller lines in the door profiles. I did consider wide ones to try and hide hole, but when looking down on drawers they would have to be 40mm wide or almost sitting on drawer front. I did consider round bar profile with a narrow "keel" which sits on the drawer and therefore cover hole like your second photo, but I like to get my fingers behind something to pull a drawer out, not grip and pull. I would never buy handles again which have projections like your second photo and suggested by others which resemble T shape because I continually catch pockets etc on some knobs and handles (particularly baggy pockets like on cargo shorts), whereas the handle in the first photo cant. I have doors under my kitchen sink with knobs at just the right position to catch on the material overlapping the fly on shorts and trousers when washing something in the sink, and continually having to reverse off them to get free!!

CJay, thanks for a head start on looking for cheaper handles.

Miss Green Eyes, errrr, doors are not painted, would be disappointed with a finish that textured!!

I will look around to see what I can find to fill in or cover the small holes, something similar to a Phillips screw-head push in plastic plug sort of thing might look like it was supposed to be there rather than filling with anything.

The main question is, is it worth doing taking all into account. The handle I consider closest to improving the look is handle no. 1 which although a little fat has a prestige look being an assembled handle and comprising round and square edges. The others - it would be just changing to a handle without improving the look.

 

[Perp]

Perp, I agree, profiled doors do date kitchen, but not dramatically like orange Laminex .

Oh yes, totally agree.

The main question is, is it worth doing taking all into account.

I vote yes. Any of these options is better than the existing knobs by much more than $257.

 

[beachside]

A forumite saw my kitchen last night and the handles I was trying, he suggested just plain s/s finished knobs. This was what I saw in the kitchen of the open house yesterday.

 

[Perp]

A forumite saw my kitchen last night and the handles I was trying, he suggested just plain s/s finished knobs. This was what I saw in the kitchen of the open house yesterday.

FWIW, I disagree. I don't think that adds anything, really. I don't know that those are significantly more up-to-date than what you have.

 

[miss green eyes]

er to be frank I don't see much of a difference between profiled/unprofiled doors, knobs/long handles.
Perhaps I am viewing it with too much of an 'investor's eye'.
I don't think it would make much (if any) difference to an IP.
Not sure about PPOR or a property for sale.