Cabinet Knob Ideas for Shaker Cabinets

Cherry Wood

• Mushroom-shaped cherry wood knobs are authentic for cherry Shaker cabinets. Cherry wood’s fine grain and developing color were prized for fine Shaker cabinetry, and the economical and handy choice for knobs and drawer pulls were the leftover chunks of wood. The classic mushroom design can be purchased as unfinished reproduction hardware and sealed or stained to match the cabinets. Ideally, cherry wood cabinets are allowed to mellow to a deep reddish hue as they age from sunlight. So treat the knobs as you treat your wood cabinets in order for everything to stay the same color. Cherry wood knobs come with pegs rather than hardware for those who want to fasten the knobs to the cabinets like original Shaker joinery.

Soapstone

• Shakers used what was at hand to make their simple and beautiful furniture. Soapstone was inexpensive and soft enough to be carved with woodworking tools into plain rounded knobs for fine wood cabinets. The shape is flat on top, round on the circumference and large enough to be easily grasped -- very practical for use in the kitchen or bath where hands might be wet and slippery. Reproduction soapstone knobs can be purchased at specialty hardware stores.

Iron Finger Pulls and Bin Pulls

• Unadorned metal pulls for cabinets allow the spare Shaker style to shine. Vary the look with upper-cabinet finger pulls, curved open “commas” that let you snag the door with a single finger when you’re in the middle of kneading a floury loaf of bread. Then use traditional rectangular bin pulls on lower cabinets and drawers so you have more purchase. Iron reproduction knobs, or pulls, look like they came from the village smithy and complement both painted and stained wood Shaker styles.

Clever Craftsmanship

• Forgo cabinet knobs altogether when you design a kitchen in classic Shaker style. Wood cabinets with a plain frame border on door facings are designed to be opened without hardware that sticks out. Invisible indentations for fingers let you flick the cabinets open without yanking on a handle. The kitchen facade is very sleek, drawing attention to the beautiful wood grain and utter simplicity of the design. When the cabinet doors are perfectly hung, they stay open or shut as you position them. If your home tends to shift and settle, a light magnetic closure on the inside of the doors and cabinet frame will keep everything as neat as a real Shaker kitchen.