A well-designed kitchen, bath, or laundry space is a beautiful thing. Every detail is well thought out and adds to the overall tone. Even the tiniest detail like cabinet door knob placement can make or break a space. Get it right and you’ll create a space that is cohesive and welcoming. Get it wrong and you’ll end up with a space that just looks off and unbalanced.

So where do cabinet knobs and pulls go? It’s a question we don’t usually ask ourselves until the moment we need to actually install cabinet hardware. Don’t worry if you’re not quite sure – this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about hardware, placement, and proportions.

Often in home and kitchen decorating, the smallest detail can make biggest unexpecting difference in look and impact. And don’t be surprised when I say that kitchen cabinetry hardware is one of them.

Being mindful of the subtle details and layering based on aesthetics and functionality is something very important in creating beautiful looking homes. That’s how you put together the potential aesthetics of a room.

Cabinet knob placement is important for more than aesthetics – although creating a visually appealing space is reason enough to get it right. Proper placement is also necessary for function.

Different types of knobs and pulls have been designed for different functions, so it’s important to put them in the right spot on your cabinets so they can do their jobs.

Perhaps you’re renovating an existing space or planning a new build, or maybe you want to add hardware to cabinets that don’t have any – this post is for you!

Even if you’re just looking for a quick update to freshen up your space, changing out your existing hardware is a quick, easy, and fairly inexpensive way to bring new life to your space.

Changing out your cabinet hardware is like changing into a pair of sparkly new earrings. It’s refreshing! Knobs, pulls, latches, and handles are the jewelry for cabinets. We all know that the right jewelry completes an outfit. It’s time to let our cabinets shine!

Types of Cabinet Knobs and Pulls

There are several different types of cabinet hardware, each with a distinct style and function. Knowing what they are and what they do is helpful in not only choosing your hardware, but in determining where to place it on your cabinets as well.

Knobs

All of us know what a knob is, so there’s no need to explain it. The exciting thing about cabinet knobs is how far they’ve come in recent years. Sure, you can still find plenty of options for classic, round cabinet knobs. Many of them are beautiful!

But there are also so many options for other shapes – geometric, hexagon, T-shaped, square, cylinder, and more! They’re no longer only metal, either. You can find them in almost any material – glass, acrylic, crystal, natural stone, wood, even leather.

Another plus of the knob is that it only requires one screw, so only one hole. If you’re not quite ready to commit to a certain length pull, or you just don’t want to drill extra holes into your beautiful cabinets, then knobs may be the choice for you.

Pulls

Cabinet pulls are another great option. They are easy to grasp and hold on to, so they can greatly add to the overall function of your space. There’s also style to consider – and pulls have a lot of style! They come in almost any length and design you can imagine, from curved and classic to sleek and modern and everything in between.

One factor to consider with cabinet pulls is the size of your cabinets. You want your pulls to be the right size proportionately to your cabinet door or drawer. Remember, it’s okay to use different length pulls to fit your drawers. Choose a style, then use it in different sizes as needed.

Cup Pulls

Cup pulls are just what their name suggests – a pull in the shape of a cup. You slip your fingers up and underneath the cup to grasp it. They are highly functional and add a lot of style to a space.

Cup pulls have a timeless quality to them. They come in many different shapes and sizes, so they can go well with just about any design style. Traditional, farmhouse, even modern – there’s a cup pull for all of them! They are a beautiful, elegant finishing touch to any cabinetry.

A cream kitchen with shaker cabinets, in a kitchen cabinet knob placement guide.

Where to Use Knobs and Pulls

Traditionally, kitchen cabinet knob placement has been knobs for cabinet doors and pulls for drawers. There are many ways to install cabinet hardware, however, and it really all comes down to personal preference – with a few general design tips to keep in mind.

For example, pulls can be used interchangeably on both doors and drawers. This works well in modern installations when the pull is a simple, straight design. It also works with other styles – farmhouse, cottage, transitional – especially if the pulls are slightly more stylized.

Knobs can also be used on drawers, especially in bathrooms to add more delicate detail. Remember that a single knob will look best on a smaller drawer, whereas it will look disproportionate on an extra long or deep drawer.

On the Drawers.

Just like how you have several ways to go for the door, there are also various patterns for placing handle on drawer of a kitchen cabinet. The most popular one is placing it on drawer’s front right in center. This brings a lot of symmetrical aesthetic to your entire kitchen. However, reaching the bottom drawer can be a problem due to this placement.

Another way to place handle is by centering it on top drawer. While for all the lower drawers, place it on top rails. This brings a nice combination of formal and functional. However, some would mind the unbalance. It’s also helpful for taller members of the household to reach lower drawers for opening through this format.

What You Should Not Do:

There are more than a few mistakes that people tend to do while placing knobs and handles on the kitchen cabinet. Especially when it’s their first time deciding such decorating and placement factors. Just calm down and take your time. Your absolute attention is very necessary here.

The first mistake that people do is not caring much about right tool for installation. Using just any cheap plastic tool or outdated ones is going to deeply cause trouble for this type of project. In most cases, using incorrect tools will end up eating your entire day for this cabinet hardware installation process. Sometimes it takes more than a day. And so, using high-grade tools is very important to speed up the process and provide right results.

Another huge err that first-timer makes is prioritizing style over function. If you prefer the handle of knob in a certain way for placement that looks gorgeous but makes reaching it hard, then prioritize functional point more. By placing handle or knob in an odd manner that will make it less practical to open door or drawer is the last thing you want to do. So, don’t fall for just styling but pay attention to the resultant function as well.

Conclusion

And that was all about where to put knobs and handles on kitchen cabinets. There are so many types and styles of kitchen cabinet these days. On top of that, people have different design schemes for their kitchen.

And all these factors will highly impact on such hardware placements. So more than anything or anyone, it’s you and your kitchen cabinet that will decide the beneficial placement of a handle or knob.

The ones I have discussed seems to work for most kitchen cabinets. You want to explore and play with these ideas to figure out a suitable placement that will match your kitchen cabinet plus décor the best.

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