When you are thinking about fixing up your kitchen it is all too easy to just concentrate on the doors. It is true that the cupboard doors are the part of the kitchen which take up the most space visually, but you should never underestimate the power of a great door handle.

When you set out to buy your new replacement kitchen doors, you might be tempted to just reuse the door handles you already had. If you do this you could be missing out on the perfect way to add a bit of extra sparkle to your kitchen. If the” wow” factor is what you are after, carefully chosen door handles are just the ticket.

But what to choose? Do you go for a traditional door handle, a super modern one, wooden or chrome? The choices are endless, but a few rules should help you to make the decision.

• Never mix and match woods. If your doors are oak, you should never use a maple door handle. It will stand out like a sore thumb and could actually end up looking like a mistake.
• If you prefer a traditional country look and you have wooden units, you should choose a round knob. These come in different diameters, so choose according to the size of your cupboard.
• Always make sure all your handles match. Even if you have used a mix and match approach to the colours of your replacement doors, the handles need to be the same.
• For an understated look which won't detract from your doors, go for a long thin bar handle in stainless steel or chrome. These look great with high gloss units, especially in black or white. They also match well with stainless steel appliances.
• Chunkier handles are good for pairing with modern wooden doors. The unit needs to be robust looking to pull off a chunky handle, but you can choose the handle in any material you wish.
• Fancy handles are a statement on their own and as such they need to be matched with plain kitchen doors. The Zurfiz range of matt and gloss doors would work well with a square knob or even a Swarovski bar handle. This will add a touch of luxury to your home which is rarely seen in a kitchen.

Where to place your handles

It is fairly standard in most kitchens to position your handles in the centre of a drawer and to the bottom left or right of a kitchen door. But with the number of different shaped handles now available, there are just as many options available to you on where to place them.

There is nothing to say that a door handle cannot be placed along the length of the bottom of the door or for the drawer handle to be placed running along the top.

Some doors will lend themselves to the position of the handle simply by their design. But feel free to experiment and practice opening and closing the door a few times to get a feel for how it will be easiest to use.

Fitting your handles

Making sure your handles are in the correct position on your door is essential. Each door needs to match perfectly with the rest and getting this right can mean lots of tedious measuring. Unless you buy a jig of course.

A handle jig will help you to position your handles in the right place each and every time. It will allow you to mark exactly where to drill the holes required for the screws and will prevent any costly mistakes. Plus it will save you money, if you thought it was only a job for the professionals.