Butterfly Hinges Perfect for Cabinet Upgrades

Try these symmetrical, surface-mount hinges on inset cabinet doors in need of a style metamorphosis

Butterfly Hinges

Named for their ornamental, mirror-image leaves, or wings, butterfly hinges have been allowing everything from cupboards to shutters to trunks—anything with a door or a flap or a lid—to gracefully swing open and closed for centuries. “While these hinges enjoyed a peak in popularity from the 1870s to the 1930s, some forms can be traced back as far as medieval England, or more recently, to colonial America,” says hardware historian and architectural consultant Bo Sullivan. Today they are a quick way to give kitchen cabinets and other built-ins a decorative boost and a shot of vintage style. Here, 10 we lit upon that are sure to please.

Scalloped Edges

Hardware Hut $2.23 per pair

Made of: Steel with an oil-rubbed-bronze finish

Size: 2⅜”W x 2¼”H

Highlights: This decorative winged shape is a classic.

To the Point

Gothic-style butterfly hinge with elongated leaves and bronze finish. — Andrew McCaul

House of Antique Hardware $4.29 per pair

Made of: Steel with a bronze finish

Size: 3¾”W x 1¾”H

Highlights: Elongated leaves give this faithful reproduction Gothic flair.

Pro Tip: With surface-mounted hinges like these, the hardware is always on display, so choose screws that are a close match with the material and finish for a polished look.

Wrought Look

Cast iron butterfly hinge with sculptural wrought iron appearance. — Andrew McCaul

Signature Hardware $5.95 each

Made of: Cast iron

Size: 2⅛”W x 3⅜”H

Highlights: This shapely style, with roots in the Middle Ages, boasts dramatic, sculptural lines.

Expert Insight: Hardware historian and architectural consultant Bo Sullivan notes that butterfly hinges have deep roots: “While these hinges enjoyed a peak in popularity from the 1870s to the 1930s, some forms can be traced back as far as medieval England, or more recently, to colonial America.”

Historically, the iron version of the butterfly hinge was traditionally fastened with handwrought nails driven through red leather washers, a detail that added both function and authenticity to early American furniture and cabinetry.

Ornate Appeal

Victorian butterfly hinge with fleur-de-lis decoration in lacquered cast iron. — Andrew McCaul

House of Antique Hardware $7.09 per pair

Made of: Lacquered cast iron

Size: 2⅛”W x 1¼”H

Highlights: This hinge’s fleur-de-lis decoration is pure Victoriana.

Squared Away

Angular butterfly hinge with antique copper finish for Craftsman interiors. — Andrew McCaul

Butterfly hinges are a type of symmetrical, surface-mount hinge—meaning they attach directly to the face of the cabinet and door without requiring a mortise to be cut. This makes them a quick way to give kitchen cabinets and other built-ins a decorative boost and a shot of vintage style, as noted by the editors of This Old House Magazine.

Van Dyke’s Restorers $7.07 per pair

Made of: Steel with an antique-copper finish

Size: 2⅜”W x 1¾”H

Highlights: This angular style would suit a Craftsman interior.

Serpentine

Signature Hardware $7.95 each

Made of: Hand-forged iron with an ebony finish

Size: 1 5⁄8″W x 2¾”H

Highlights: This Gothic- style hinge boasts the look of hammered metal.

How to Tell It’s Handmade: According to This Old House Magazine, variations in the iron’s thickness, file marks on the edges, and irregular shapes are telltale signs of handwork. Pieces with obvious hammer marks were likely made after the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s, when perfectly formed, die-cut factory hardware came along and craftsmen began leaving these marks to show that their work was handmade.