Nero Cabinet Hardware

Nero Mecca Cabinet Hardware Buying Guide

Nero's cabinet hardware is the Mecca range of stainless steel handles and knobs from Nero, made to sit alongside Nero tapware. It has pull handles in three sizes, a T-pull, two sizes of round knob and a long appliance pull, mostly in PVD finishes such as Brushed Bronze, Brushed Nickel, Gun Metal and Brushed Gold. The sections below explain what each piece measures, what stainless steel and a PVD finish are, how the finishes differ, and how to match them to tapware. They then cover size choice, fitting and replacing a handle, and care. If you searched for Nero Mecca tapware, that range has its own page at Nero Mecca tapware range. For the whole brand, start at Nero tapware, and for handles of every maker and material, cabinet handles.

What Nero cabinet hardware is

The pieces on this page share the Mecca name, the same stainless steel construction and a plain, narrow profile, with the pull handles and the T-pull 12mm wide. The aim is a set of cabinet hardware that matches the finishes of the tapware, so a vanity can carry a basin mixer and its handles in one finish. The finish names are shared across the range: Brushed Bronze, Brushed Nickel, Gun Metal, Brushed Gold, and other finishes by colour such as brass, black, chrome and white. Which finish is on which piece varies, so check the product page for the piece you want.

The pieces, measured

The fixing distance is the gap between the two screw holes, overall length is the full length of the handle, and projection is how far it stands off the door.

• The Nero Mecca 130mm Pull Handle is 130mm long and 12mm wide, projecting 34mm, on a 96mm fixing distance. The Nero Mecca 200mm Pull Handle is 200mm long on a 160mm fixing distance, and the Nero Mecca 330mm Pull Handle is 330mm long. The cabinet thickness is 15mm to 35mm for the pulls, and screws are included.
• The Nero Mecca T-Pull Handle is 50mm long and 12mm wide, projecting 32mm.
• The Nero Mecca 26mm Knob is 26mm across and projects 26mm, and the Nero Mecca 36mm Knob is 36mm across and also projects 26mm.
• The Nero Mecca 520mm Appliance Pull Handle is 520mm long and 20mm wide, projecting 50mm, on a 416mm fixing distance, for cabinet thickness of 15mm to 25mm.

Stainless steel in a handle

Stainless steel needs at least 10.5 per cent chromium, which forms a thin protective film that repairs itself even when scratched, and type 316 adds molybdenum for pitting resistance. Grade 304 has 18 to 20 per cent chromium and 8 to 10.5 per cent nickel and no molybdenum, while grade 316 has 16 to 18 per cent chromium, 10 to 14 per cent nickel and 2 to 3 per cent molybdenum. The rule is to use 316 wherever chlorides are present, such as marine, pool and coastal settings.

What PVD is

Most Nero Mecca cabinet hardware is PVD. Physical vapor deposition is a group of vacuum methods for making thin films and coatings, in which the coating material is turned into vapor and condenses on the part. Varying the process produces a range of colours on stainless steel, including finishes that resemble brass or bronze, and uses include interior hardware and fixtures. PVD coatings are sometimes harder and more corrosion-resistant than electroplated coatings, and most have excellent abrasion resistance.

In handle terms, PVD colour is bonded to the base at a molecular level in a vacuum chamber and is significantly harder than traditional plating, while powder coating is paint-based and more prone to chipping. That is why a PVD handle can wear better than a plated one in daily use, though no coating lasts forever, and a coating can still wear at the places the hand touches most.

The finishes

Finishes sort by style. Warm metals such as brushed brass suit traditional and transitional rooms, black is bold and modern, and nickel is cool and neutral. The Mecca finishes sit across those groups.

• Brushed Bronze is a warm, mid-tone metal. See bronze cabinet handles.
• Brushed Gold is the warm gold finish of the set.
• Brushed Nickel is a soft, cool grey metal: a soft metallic silver with a slight warm grey undertone and a low satin sheen, with a surface that disguises fingerprints. See brushed nickel cabinet handles.
• Gun Metal is a dark grey, darker and moodier than brushed nickel, with cool undertones. It suits modern, industrial and minimalist spaces and resists fingerprints and water spots better than shinier finishes. See gunmetal grey cabinet handles.

Finish names vary between makers, so a Nero finish should be checked against a sample and not matched by name to a handle from another range.

Matching handles to Nero tapware

The reason to buy handles from the same maker as the tapware is the finish. The rule for combining metals is to limit a room to two, repeat each at least twice so it reads as a choice, and carry the same finish through the house. Coordinated finishes need not be identical, and two or three finishes that share undertones or material qualities work well. A Brushed Bronze mixer with Brushed Bronze handles is therefore a match, while a Brushed Nickel mixer with Gun Metal handles is a deliberate contrast between a lighter and a darker grey.

The pull handles

The three pull handles cover small, mid and long fronts. The one-third rule says a pull is about one third the width of the drawer front, so a drawer about 600mm wide takes a pull of about 200mm, which puts the 200mm pull in the right range. The 130mm pull on 96mm centres suits a narrow vanity drawer or a small door, and the 330mm pull suits a wide drawer or a tall door. The 34mm projection leaves room for the whole hand. See cabinet pull handles.

The T-pull and the knobs

Knobs are gripped with the fingers, take a single screw, and suit small to medium doors and drawers and light use. Most cabinet knobs run roughly 25mm to 38mm across, and the 26mm and 36mm Mecca knobs sit inside that range, the small one near the bottom and the large one near the top. The T-pull at 50mm is a short pull that is 12mm wide and projects 32mm. Drawers under 300mm wide take a pull of 70mm to 100mm or a 25mm knob, so the 26mm knob is the right size for a narrow drawer and the 36mm knob suits a standard door. See cabinet knobs.

The appliance pull

The 520mm Appliance Pull Handle is the large piece. An appliance pull is typically larger and sturdier than a standard handle because it takes frequent use, the weight of the door and the suction from built-in fridges and freezers. Standard cabinet pulls are the wrong choice for appliances, since they usually lack the strength and thickness needed, and longer pulls give better leverage on tightly sealed doors. The Mecca appliance pull is 20mm wide and projects 50mm on a 416mm fixing distance, which is wider and deeper than the pull handles. See appliance pull handles.

Choosing by room

Bathroom vanities suit the 130mm and 200mm pulls and the knobs, in the finish that matches the tapware. Wipe and dry bathroom fittings more often than those in other rooms, because steam and moisture leave marks. See bathroom vanities and furniture for the cabinets they fit. Kitchens suit the 200mm and 330mm pulls on drawers, knobs on doors and the appliance pull on the dishwasher or fridge, and wardrobes and laundries suit the same pieces.

Choosing a size

A widely used rule: a pull is about one third the width of the drawer front. For fronts between roughly 450mm and 700mm wide, 128mm, 160mm or 224mm centres suit, and beyond that, 256mm or 320mm centres, or two pulls, suit better. The Mecca centres of 96mm, 160mm and 288mm cover small, middle and wide fronts. Undersized pieces feel disconnected and oversized hardware dominates unnecessarily.

The placement rule is simple. A pull or knob sits 40mm to 60mm from the edge that opens, near the bottom corner of upper doors and the top corner of lower doors. Pulls sit horizontally on drawers and vertically on doors. A projection of 26mm to 34mm leaves room for the hand, but check clearance wherever two doors open close together.

Replacing handles, and fitting

If you are replacing existing handles, match the fixing distance. A new pull with the same distance goes into the old holes without drilling. Measure from the centre of one screw hole to the centre of the other, not from the edge of the handle. A 96mm handle will not fit 128mm holes without new holes.

Screws are included, and two screw lengths are supplied with the pull handle. Use the length that bites into the handle and stops short of the door face. The cabinet thickness is 15mm to 35mm for the pulls and 15mm to 25mm for the appliance pull, so check your door against those figures.

Caring for PVD stainless steel

Care protects the finish. For gunmetal, clean with warm soapy water and a soft microfibre cloth, avoid harsh chemicals and abrasives, and dry fixtures after use to limit watermarks. For stainless steel, use a soft cloth, wipe with the grain, rinse and dry, and keep bleach, chlorides, acidic cleaners and steel wool away. Put cleaner on the cloth and not on the hardware, and dry the handle immediately to prevent water marks. Wipe the grip area more often than the rest of the handle. In a coastal home, wash stainless steel lightly and regularly with soap or mild detergent in warm water, rinse with clean cold water and wipe dry, and avoid abrasive cleaners and any product containing chlorides or bleach. A rule of thumb is to wash it whenever the nearby windows are washed.

Related pages

For the whole brand, see Nero tapware and the Nero Mecca tapware range. For other types and materials, see cabinet handles, stainless steel cabinet handles and appliance pull handles.