Avoid Using These Kitchen Cabinet Pulls To Save Yourself A Daily Headache

Swapping hardware is the overlooked fix that can make your kitchen more fashionable and functional, but even the best intended upgrades can go off the rails. The wrong material, size, or finish can make even the relatively low effort and expense versus a larger renovation seem like a waste. Those dastardly T-shaped cabinet pulls you might have noticed in design publication pages lately are high on our list of accessories to avoid. You know the ones; the part you grasp would be the top of a capital T. Designed to grab, it'll also grab you.

Anyone who's ever caught a pocket on a door handle can attest to the goofy boomerang move it effects. Screw those T-shaped handles onto your drawers and that's what you're in for forever — or, at least until you can't take it any more. This design is a particular nuisance in smaller kitchens where space to sweep, mop, prep, and cook food is a little more limited. They'll also catch — and even possibly damage — things like bracelets and watches. Get nabbed by these handles one too many times, and you'll be back in the virtual check-out cart to spend again. Concerns and complaints about the terrible Ts are also whispered in enough corners of the internet that it's best to just avoid them entirely.

The problem with a T-shaped cabinet pull is its untethered ends. Knobs can have a similar effect if they protrude too much. Something like a cup pull, which curves to create a kind of handle, will eliminate this pesky bug. However, many are statement accents, which can become overwhelming if you have tons to install. Edge pulls can have a similar effect and they're often more understated, although your retailer's selection will vary.

Closed loop bar pulls — meaning those without the T-shaped pull perils — are also an elegant solution, and they come in a ton of different varieties, as the concept is very basic. Try them in chrome for a little bit of flash without a huge expense. You can also go for an unexpected kitchen cabinet style upgrade by mixing metals, but the rest of the space must be very coordinated for this to create an intentional enough appearance to, ahem, pull it off.