IKEA Has A New Easy-To-Install Hardware Solution That Updates Old Cabinets

Because I am a professional woodworker, I could easily forgive you for thinking I would hold IKEA furniture in contempt. But that is not the case at all. I am really impressed by the engineering and creativity in their designs. In fact, my personal taste runs toward modern design. This is especially true when it comes to innovative IKEA products that I can put to use in my custom woodworking. Recently I became aware of the retailer's LATMASK clip-on door handles. They of course are designed to work well with IKEA furniture, but they are also a great option for upgrading existing, dull-looking cabinets. Intended for use both as door handles or drawer pulls, their clean lines work with many different cabinet styles and designs. Hardware ideas can take your cabinetry to the next level good.

These powder-coated aluminum LATMASK handles are designed to work on ¾-inch-thick cabinet doors and drawer fronts. That would include nearly all standard cabinetry, as ¾-inches is the default thickness both in industrial and custom cabinetry. The one caveat to consider is that these new clip-on handles have a ⅜-inch flange that slides behind the door or drawer front. This will not be a problem for cabinet doors, but if your drawer fronts do not have at least ⅜-inches of space above the drawer boxes, the handle/pull will not fit properly.

There were a few things that came to my mind when I first saw these handles (in addition to "that is wicked cool"). As you can see in the image, the handles are designed to slide over the edges of your doors. Which means you'll need sufficient space between mating doors for the handles, so everything closes completely. For example, there is no space for them on the wooden cabinet doors in the very top photo. On European cabinetry, like IKEA or other frameless cabinetry, adjusting the space between the doors (an opening pros call a reveal) is simple as pie. There are adjustment screws on their hinges that do the job just using a screwdriver. Cup hinges, sometimes called European hinges have also been commonly used on most commercial and custom cabinets since the 1990s, and adjust in the same way. However, if you are working on older cabinets with something like traditional lip-hinges that do not have that capability, you may need to use a little DIY elbow grease to open the reveal sufficiently to accommodate the handles. This is unlikely — the handles may work perfectly but it's best to be prepared. I estimate that you'll need a minimum of ⅛-inch reveal.

Aftermarket hinges like these are a true boon to those of us who upgrade and repair furniture. LATMASK handles are available in three colors: white, blue, and black, as well as orange (currently unavailable for delivery and at many stores). In fact, they're just one of several exciting new IKEA products launched recently. But as a DIYer with access to spray cans of paint, don't let the available colors limit your choices. I already have some great ideas regarding how I'll be using these handles in the future.