Evening Latte

Years ago, I purchased a house that was in the final stages of construction, so I was able to choose some of the finishing details, including the cabinet/drawer hardware. I’d never really put much thought into that aspect of a home, but it’s now something I change whenever I can. It also caused me to think a bit more about door handles.

Drawers/Cabinets: Handles over knobs

In my experience, no matter how tightly I torque down a knob, it’s always eventually going to get loose unless I use something like Threadlocker. My assumption is that’s caused by me applying just a little rotational force every time I pull a knob. I’m a person who notices (and is annoyed by) the tiniest play in a knob, so I eventually end up tightening one every few weeks or so.

I now prefer using handles with at least two fastening screw locations. This essentially eliminates the effects of rotational forces and results is far fewer loose connections over time. When I moved into my current home, I bought 60+ handles to replace all the existing knobs on the drawers and cabinetry. In almost five years of use, I’ve never had to re-tighten one.

Exterior Doors: Flat handles

It’s common for me to have stuff in my arms when leaving or coming back to my home, so it’s convenient to have handles I can use to push a door open with an elbow or quickly/reliably pull a door open while my load is briefly shifted to my other hand.

Interior Doors: Oval knobs

I don’t like flat handles for interior doors because their shape means they’re more likely to snag a passing arm or piece of clothing. For households with children, it seems like the sharper edges would also increase the risk of impact injuries.

I like oval knobs slightly more than round knobs because they can be operated more easily with wet/slippery hands. I haven’t replaced the round knobs in my current home because the cost:benefit ratio hasn’t balanced yet (the standard price of the model shown above is $30).

Of course, these preferences are based on functional/pragmatic factors. If you’re going for a certain look, it might make more sense to use something else.