Ours doesn't have hardware either and I dont' find it to be an issue for us. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I have the same thought about my own kitchen. Yours cabinets are more attractive than mine and I like the knob-less look of yours. My thoughts about yours are to leave it alone and shop for a good cleaner/conditioner for the surface. If you are getting the cabinets dirty with cooking hands, you will probably get the knobs dirty as well and if you add knobs the whole thing will be more difficult to clean.
...my $0.02 worth...

Knobs, pulls, and hardware will almost always keep your cabinets cleaner. And it's almost always easier to keep hardware cleaner than cabinets. In some cases I've demanded that landlords install pulls on kitchen cabinets, especially if they were painted because it extends the life of the paint job. I'm a hardware person 100% because I don't like cleaning and this decreases the amount that I have to clean.

Wow... 28 cabinet doors... jealous!

I vote "yes" for hardware in this case-- function over form in the ktichen! Although I personally like the looks of hardware-- makes the cabinetry have a more finished appearance.

Think of it as the jewelry for your kitchen. A little accessorizing in appropriate taste for your space can go a long way to finishing the room.

I'm currently renting, and though I LOVE our kitchen, it's the first one I've ever been in without hardware. Not having a handle to pull open drawers is driving me CRAZY.

The thing to be careful of is to not to get pulls that extend past where they attach to the drawer. In my experience, you will invariably catch your clothing on it, creating pulls in sweaters and the like. But besides that, I agree with lynell- It's jewelry for your kitchen!

I agree with the pro-hardware stance, especially on the drawers. My drawers don't have handles and it's incredibly obnoxious, especially on the ones closer to the floor. I rent, so I can't put them on myself, but I would in a heartbeat.

get the hardware. I picture having batter covered hands while trying to open the drawer with the spatula, eww! Batter all over the drawer, if there were a handle I could use just my little pinky to open the drawer, much less mess if any at all (my pinkys tend to stay out of the mess). And, while the drawers and cabinets may open very easily now, over time things tend to stick more, and that would be very annoying without knobs/handles.

Absolutely hardware! When I moved into my house all the cabinets that had no pulls were grimy from 20 years of use. I had to do a major clean-up job, and then I added hardware pulls to everything. Now it stays clean, and also looks great.

rephrase: "...while trying to open the drawer where the spatula resides."

Plus you don't have to get boring brass pulls - I'm an architect and can safely say there are thousands of cool options out there.

I'm in the minority on this one, but my parents' house has very similar dark espresso cabinets and they opted for no hardware. I thought it'd annoy me, but it really doesn't. It's not that hard to open a drawer or a door without pulls — it's not like they're flush against the rest of the cabinet. I vote for no pulls. It looks cleaner + you have less things to bump up against + it's cheaper anyway. If your hands are dirty, I wouldn't be opening the drawer anyway without washing or wiping my hands off...even if there's a pull on it.

As a woman with nails, I can say that I abhor cabinets without pulls or handles. My mother has a kitchen without either, and I can't count the number of times that I've lost grip on the bevelled edge of a drawer, only to snag my nails.

That. Hurts.

I vote for hardware, and echo previous poster that it's like jewelry for your kitchen. Nice hardware can really pull a design together. When I was re-doing my kitchen, the best hardware in terms of quality and aesthetics was at Restoration Hardware. It was pricey, but 3 years later I am still so in love with it.

I can see bright, shiny chrome knobs and bin pulls on your cabinets.

I'm with the hardware crowd. Yes, I do pull drawers open with dirty hands. Sometimes the pace of cooking demands it, especially when I've got more than one thing going on the stove and the oven timer is ringing. I need what I need and I need it NOW. Your cabinets look great sans hardware, true, but a kitchen that looks good but doesn't work is for non-cooks who just mix drinks and open take-out packages in there.

Add some hardware! I got mine at Ikea and I love it, but I agree that Restoration Hardware (and even Home Depot) has some very cool selections.

I grew up in a house without hardware on the cabinet doors, and we opened them by catching the bottom of the door with the top of a foot. I would say yes to hardware on drawers, though.

If you like the slick look of no hardware, why not get something low profile? We got handles from IKEA for our condo cabinets that hook over the top and just the little bit sticks out over the top for you to grab. They're also on the foolproof side as far as installation since they attach to the back of the doors.. make a mistake, just move over and drill again!

We got these ones (or something similar.. they have a couple different but very similar ones):

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/80153659

Leave them alone unless you're planning on having a baby soon. You need them to babyproof.

On the other hand, it does take toddlers a long time to figure out how to open a door without a handle.

The no-handle cabinets have been the norm in tract homes until recently--it's a small way for the builder to save some bucks. I had to deal with similar cabinets and I added the long, stainless bar pulls from IKEA--they aren't expensive--and it made the cabinets look quite contemporary. If you decide to do it, create a template for the drawers and one for the doors so you get placement the same on all of them.

I'm a hardware person, too. It makes the cabinets easier to clean, and can give you a cheap(er), fast way to change up the look of your kitchen. Hardware is also generally a lot easier on people with dexterity issues or joint pain - although that's not a consideration for most of us.

But they're your cabinets, so if you like the look and don't find a little extra clean-up, why not?

I like hardware, if only to avoid trying to open the wrong side of the cabinet. My parents and friend both don't have hardware, and I always have issues figuring which side is the right side to open with specific cabinets. I also don't have handles, just a groove along the bottom of my cabinet doors, and my boyfriend does the same thing with my 5 cabinet doors next to each other. I wish I could put handles on mine!

I just moved into our "new" house and there is no hardware. I will put on hardware - for me, its easier and cleaner with them on. In addition, with so many hardware choices in design, color, and texture they can be incorporated into your design and make a statement themselves.

I don't care a bit about function, I have to admit -- but hardware would make those cabinets look sooo much nicer! I am just a strong believer that hardware contributes necessary class and personality to almost all kitchen cabinets, and certainly to all traditional-style cabinets. And if it helps keep them clean too, fantastic!

I've had doors and drawers that were designed not to have handles, and those have a hidden slot that allows a person to get a grip without leaving smudge marks. A lot of homes, though, seem to have traditional, normal cabinets on which nobody bothered to put handles.

Knobs or handles will be made of a material that's easier to keep clean and will limit the scope of the mess. You know you want 'em.

Kristine, as a kitchen designer who has held a lot of hands through that soul searching experience many, many times.....
The Correct Answer Is: whatever you feel deep in your gut. It will be right for You.

Also, please do not hang your dish towels on the cabinet doors like that. The oil from your hands as well as oil and detergent residues left on the towels as well as moisture will wreak havoc on the finish. Will also void the finish warranty from 99.9% of all cabinet manufacturers.

If you are going to install hardware yourself, especially on 28 doors, spend a little extra and buy a jig that helps you drill the holes in the same place each time. I tried to get three drawer pulls lined up by measuring and drilling by hand and it's pretty obvious.

WOW! thanks for all the input! I'm amazed at the wide range of opinions out there!

I have to add, after submitting this question a few weeks ago, I went on a cleaning spree in my kitchen and I decided to clean and oil all the cabinet doors, front and back, and drawer fronts since they were looking so grimy. It took me TWO DAYS!!!! one day of about 4-5 hours, then i had to stop because my fingers hurt so bad (from getting in the grooves on the fronts). Then the next day another 3 hours! I know they needed it but, I think that experience put me in the pro hardware camp!

@1790 thank you for the advice. I did not know that! Do you have any other suggestions for me to keep the towels handy? I bake and cook A LOT and I am VERY messy so my towels are always needed!

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions/links!

-Kristine!

Hardware, at least in my household. I have arthritis, and cannot open a door or drawer unless it has hardware. It makes my fingers hurt to even think about it!

One of the many ways that builders cheap out.
Get the hardware. It looks unfinished without it, because it is.

I vote for hardware.

I moved into a house without hardware and after years of handling, the finish had worn away from the spots that were frequently handled. The rest of the cabinets still look good but those wear spots are magnets for the buildup of oil and grime.

@ Kristine,
At my own house the system is:
Paper towels for hands and counters (I know, I know, the environment. We rationalize this by practicing Extreme Recycling for everything else as well as limiting baggies and incoming waste.)
Cloth towels for everything else, and mine hang on the dishwasher handle and the stove handle. These get changed out every morning, I'm a little concerned about microbiology.
Option: There are magnetic curtain rods that are designed for door windows. You can use these on the fridge as a towel hanger, they are extremely strong.
Chef aprons for cooking and baking. These are on hooks on the wall.
Have fun shopping for hardware, a site I recommend (without compensation!) is MyKnobs.com.
They have a great sample policy.
http://www.myknobs.com/samplypolicy.html
Best of Luck!

Fascinating discussion but I'm definitely a NO hardware person as I don't like the visual clutter. I'm writing about this and was looking to see if there's a term for cabinet styles that don't require hardware.

if any one wants to see the transformation i have pictures up on my site! thank you all for the input. i really appreciate it!!!!

http://craftsandcooking.com/?p=205

I'm with tinagleisner - no hardware looks simple and visually cleaner. I think everyone will regret the knobs and pulls as the look reverts back to no hardware.

Found a great site for your knobs at Cupboard Door Handles