The Ultimate Cabinet Handle Placement Guide

Knobs and pulls are typical cabinet hardware found in every home. It can be a daunting task to decide whether to buy cabinet knobs or pulls for your kitchen as each type brings a specific aesthetic to the table.

Knowing how each type contributes or takes away from your vision and functionality is of great importance. Information on cabinet pulls and knobs can give you a different perspective and broaden your horizons on how to utilize them so that your perfect kitchen is not just a dream, but a reality.

Let us talk about cabinet knobs and pulls in more detail!

Cabinet Knobs Vs Pulls

Handles are basic kitchen hardware that come in the form of knobs and pulls. They have to be pleasing to the eye and perform well when opening cabinet doors and drawers. Below you will find the list of their features that will help you decide which one you should choose and why.

Knob Advantages:

1. Available in simple (round, oval, and square) and complex shapes.
2. Manufactured from different materials, like wood, metal, brass, stainless steel, etc.
3. Invokes diverse aesthetics depending on their style – from ornamented knobs and classic visuals to simple knobs and a modern feel.
4. Affordable and easier to install and replace than pulls – they usually need one screw.

Knob Disadvantages:

1. Embellished knobs are difficult to clean, which may compel you to replace them after a while.
2. Not suitable for people with weaker hands, as they are harder to grab and pull.
3. Can catch on your clothing due to their design.
4. Square and other non-round knobs may rotate and ruin the aesthetic appeal due to loose screws.

Pull Advantages:

1. Promote different aesthetic looks: sleek pulls provide a minimalist style, while adorned pulls produce luxurious visuals.
2. Offer an additional visual impact with their elongated forms.
3. Easier to grasp and open doors, as they deliver more leverage.
4. Suitable for heavy cabinet doors or drawers.

Pull Disadvantages:

1. Require more effort to install, as they use two screws and you will need to level and mark the handle position.
2. Difficult to figure out the right cabinet pull size – the undersized pull offers no visual impact, while the oversized pull draws too much attention.
3. Leave installation holes visible when the new pull size replaces the previous – which ruins the cabinet's aesthetic.

After deciding which ones are a better fit, it is time to place knobs and pulls on your cabinetry. A rule of thumb is to use knobs if hinges are present on cabinetry, but if cabinetry displays a side, like in a drawer front, install pulls. This is the practical approach, but you can experiment and find what works best for you.

Cabinet Knobs Everywhere

One option when choosing cabinet hardware for your kitchen is to install cabinet door knobs on all your cabinetry. Knobs, being smaller than pulls, use their concentrated form to their advantage. Their subtle appearance allows the cabinetry to shine. As such, kitchen cabinet knobs are always a good choice for your home.

Cabinet Bar Pulls 

Another way of complementing your home is to only use kitchen cabinet handles and pulls. Cabinet door pulls resemble traditional handles. Unlike knobs, cabinet pulls utilize their various lengths to provide a different aesthetic appeal. The elongated form of modern cabinet pulls gives your kitchen cabinetry a glamorous and elegant touch.

Knobs on the Upper Cabinets, Pulls on the Lower Ones

You can make your hardware vibrant if you mix kitchen cabinet handles and knobs. This allows you to reap the advantages of both of them. Putting knobs on upper and pulls on lower cabinetry will create a balanced look, which can be perfect for your kitchen.

Knobs on Cabinets, Pulls on Drawers

A different placement of cabinet pulls and knobs is also possible. Use kitchen cabinet door knobs as one aesthetic theme, and mix it with cabinet hardware pulls on drawers as another. This particular blend of cabinet pulls and knobs remains functional and pleasing to the eye, allowing you to elevate your kitchen style to a new level.

Double-Stacked Cabinetry

In case your home features double-stacked cabinetry, you can place kitchen cabinet door knobs or latches on the top row. For the rest of your cabinetry, you can use kitchen cabinet door pulls or knobs as a contrast to the top-row hardware. As knobs and latches are smaller, they will fit well with the proportional cabinets at the top. This will ease the visuals of the upper section, preventing it from looking heavy.

Depending on Style

The particular style you are going for will have an impact! And whether traditional or modern cabinet knobs and pulls are a better fit for your kitchen depends on this.

These are the most common kitchen aesthetic styles used in the U.S. today:

• Intricate kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls are the ideal choices for traditional kitchens since their aesthetics rely on heavy decoration for a strong visual impact.
• The main selling point of modern kitchens is their minimalism, so the simplicity of stainless steel cabinet knobs or pulls will work the best.
• The personalized style of transitional kitchens features both cabinet knobs and pulls in a special fashion to create unique design solutions.
• Farmhouse and rustic kitchens display antique cabinet knobs with many details that give the space a warm and homey feel.
• The slim and unadorned cabinet handles promote a sophisticated feel to contemporary kitchens with their sleek and unadorned look.

Size of Cabinet Knobs or Pulls

After making up your mind about which cabinet knobs and pulls you are going to use in your kitchen, the next step is to select their size. You should be careful when selecting the size of cabinet hardware knobs and pulls, as it impacts the kitchen's visuals and practicality.

Knobs

A typical knob size is 1-2 inches. That is why you can't go wrong with selecting the 1-1/4 inch size for your cabinet hardware knobs, as they will fit most standard cabinetry (12-36 inches). 

In case you have opted for a minimalist style, you can install stainless steel cabinet knobs of a smaller size. They are a perfect fit for any modern kitchen. If you are looking for a stronger visual impact, larger sizes are your bread and butter.

Pulls

Pull size marks the distance between two screw holes, from one center to another. A good standard to follow is for pull size not to exceed 1/3 of the width of a drawer. Some apply this rule of the thirds on pulls to the length of a cabinet door, but it is mostly disregarded. In other words, this is where your personal taste will have the biggest role.

One way to deal with pull size is to select one size of drawer and cabinet pulls and apply it to all cabinetry. In such cases, kitchen cabinet pulls of 3-3/4 inches are a good choice since they are aesthetically pleasing and fit well enough on most drawers. Stainless steel kitchen cabinet pulls of 5-6.5 inches are also an optimal pick, if you want to elevate your style. In case your drawers are 24 inches wide or greater, you can choose to either use two smaller pulls or a larger one. 

Keep in mind: the more elongated the form of cabinet handles and pulls is, the more of a contemporary look they provide. As such, if you opt for the pull size that is the length of the cabinets or the width of drawers, you will invoke the flashy and ultramodern look.

Consistency is Key

Regardless of the personal taste and the choices made when selecting cabinet pulls and knobs, what is important is to remain consistent. Keeping the same style, size, and configuration will contribute to a cohesive, and perhaps envious, interior design.

Pull and Knob Placement on Drawers and Cabinets 

Once you've selected your kitchen cabinet knobs or your modern cabinet pulls it is time to install them on your cabinetry. This is the part where the combination of style, size, and use of kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls comes to play.

If you are not sure where to place your cabinet knobs or pulls, you can always use a painter's tape to test the placement. Cut long strips for pulls and circles for knobs and play with them to figure out the composition that works best for you.

Cabinet doors

For cabinet doors, you should install knobs and pulls opposite the hinges to improve leverage and to make sure the opening of the doors is easy.

Paneled doors

Typically you should place cabinet door knobs and their installation holes on the rail’s edge for a contemporary look or displace them from a rail to deliver a classical aesthetic. If you've opted for elongated modern cabinet knobs, it's their top that is aligned with the cabinet's rail. These particular positions make it easy to install knobs and provide a touch of elegance to your kitchen.

Pulls are commonly set vertically, since it's practical and offers a good visual look. If you are installing square cabinet pulls on the paneled doors, their placement will depend on whether it's for upper or lower cabinetry. For upper cabinetry, your pull's bottom should align with the cabinet's rail, while for lower cabinetry, your pull's top is the one that is in line with the rail. However, be careful when setting pulls so they don't extend into the rail, as this will diminish their aesthetic appeal.

Slab Doors

In case of installing cabinet knobs and handles on slab doors, you should place them at an equal distance from the side and the bottom, for top cabinets. For lower cabinetry, the equal distance is from the side and top of the cabinet's slab door. The distance of cabinet knobs and pulls from the slab's two edges should be about 1 to 4 inches, but the optimum is 2 inches. But consider that for vertically set pulls, you'll want their end to be in this position.

Drawers

Drawer pulls are usually set horizontally on drawers as they are functional and offer an elegant look.

Paneled Drawers

It is a standard practice to center drawer pulls and knobs when mounting them on panels. This specific arrangement offers you the most aesthetic and harmonious visuals. If you are looking for a more practical placement of the kitchen hardware, the better option is to install modern cabinet pulls and knobs within the top rail. This particular location allows easier reach and better cabinetry operation, especially for large and heavy drawers used for trash cans and other appliances.

Slab Drawers

For a modern appeal and great functionality, place stainless steel cabinet pulls and knobs towards the top of slab drawers. Another good option is to center drawer cabinet pulls and knobs on shallow drawers and install them near the top of deeper drawers. This combination offers an attractive look and practicality in one package.