Designer-Coded: Where An Interior Designer Buys Cute Cabinet Hardware For Less

As an interior designer, I think it's a mandatory professional requirement to be hopelessly addicted to great cabinet hardware, and I take my job very seriously. Besides being an essential tool to get into your cabinets without clawing off the door finish over time, hardware is like the jewelry: A little hint of sparkle, personality, and pizzazz to take your design to the next level. Unique knobs and pulls go a long way toward elevating the aesthetic of your space with that careful attention to fine details.

When it comes to sourcing these cool statement pieces, retailers like Anthropologie, Rejuvenation, and Signature Hardware have made access to hardware with an unexpected, unconventional design point of view more accessible to the masses, featuring knobs and pulls with extra-special details like beautiful backplates, quirky silhouettes, and vintage finishes. Unfortunately, despite their attractive inventory of hardware options, your wallet pays the price for the brand name and ready retail access. For just the one budget-line item in a refresh or renovation, I can attest to the fact that this seemingly small detail can add up quickly and give people real sticker shock, especially in a larger kitchen project.

This is precisely why I want to share a great money-saving tip for you — there's another retailer that sells incredible-looking alternatives reminiscent of Anthropologie and other higher-end shops for a fraction of the cost: Amazon. By searching for the right keywords, you can score some seriously spectacular hardware finds, whether it be a convincing, hard-to-distinguish dupe, or something unique with similar style vibes. So before closing your eyes and hitting "add to cart" at that expensive, trendy store, look on Amazon for options that check all the same boxes without making your wallet weep.

This may not seem like rocket science (it's not), but the easiest way to discover specific affordable Amazon hardware options reminiscent of higher-end retailers is to narrow in on effective search terms. Did you know you can just search the brand before the item (i.e., "Anthropologie knob") and Amazon's algorithm is typically smart enough to give you stylistically relevant shopping options, even when the brand isn't sold on Amazon? Even if the real deal is listed, there will be similar alternatives that pop up which are usually more affordable. It's a great way to be inspired by something unexpected but stay within the style parameters you like.

Alternatively, if you have a more specific vision for what you want, simply add color, style, material, texture, or shape add-ons to your search to hone in on the right aesthetic. The more specific your keywords, the easier it makes locating those amazing upscale dupes. If you aren't sure what word to search for on Amazon, look at the original retailer's website to see how they describe the hardware you covet.

For example, I love the funky imperfection of a crackle glaze porcelain knob from Signature Hardware, but haven't wanted to invest over $17 apiece for them. Lo and behold, a quick Amazon search revealed the Perilla Home Pink Oval Ceramic Knobs (also in round for a closer dupe), only $26 for a set of six! I bought those, plus an unexpected alternate option I fell in love with during the search: CLCTK Champagne Crystal Oval Cabinet Knobs in a pack of eight for $26. (Incidentally, these were a dupe of Anthropologie's pricier Thea knobs.) To round out the look, I purchased two contenders for complementary door pulls, each running between $14 and $16 for the pair. Let's install some cabinet hardware, shall we?

While it's certainly less difficult to defend the merits of updating your cabinet hardware when you're spending $40 on Amazon versus hundreds at a brand-name retailer, I still want to show you what a difference a small upgrade like this can make. Let's head to my guest bathroom, where most things have been untouched since we moved in years ago. My eyeballs can only stare at the same generic bargain bin silver knobs the seller used IN EVERY SINGLE ROOM when we bought it ... so here's where we started.

Erika Dale/Static Media

Note the change between that image and the one above it. It took me only $40 and 10 minutes to liven the place up. And yes, I ended up choosing the crystal knob that surprised me, as well as the Lake & Loom Parkrose Brushed Brass Pulls (set of two). If you were shopping brand name, this little refresh would have easily cost hundreds. But by shopping Amazon's selection of luxe-inspired picks, I gave the space new life for less than the cost of my takeout order.

Here are just a couple other examples of the kind of Amazon dupes you can find, focusing on some of Anthropologie's cool looks. Fan of Anthropologie's Mother of Pearl knobs at $16 a pop? Amazon has a nearly identical, well-rated dupe: the Perilla Home Mother of Pearl Decorative Knobs, for only about $7 each. Or maybe you love the look of a brass flower knob like the Rose ($24 each) or Hibiscus Brass Knob ($11 each) — Amazon has the Perilla Home Gold Antique Flower Knobs for only $4.38 cents a piece. Using smart search terms on Amazon will lead you right to the hardware look you drool over for so much less.