Fun fact: if you’re attracted to shiny drawer pulls and knobs, this could mean you have a lot of goals.
Choosing the style of cabinetry hardware you want in your home can be a fun opportunity to express your personality and tastes. But, the real work begins once you get home and have to decide where to mount them on your cabinets.
Before you pick up a drill, stop and take a moment to read this short guide on cabinet hardware placement. If you get the placement wrong, your cabinets will look odd, they won’t be super functional, and you’ll wind up with a bunch of holes to fill if you have to move the hardware.
Read on to avoid all this and get hardware placement on cabinets right the first time around.
Shop by Size if You Need to Match Existing Cabinet Hardware Placement
If you’re wondering what size cabinet hardware to get, there are no set rules when it comes to sizes. However, if you are replacing hardware on existing cabinetry, you may want to buy cabinet hardware in the same size as the originals.
This way you can match the holes on the new hardware exactly to the existing screw holes, and you won’t have to drill new holes or fill the old ones.
To do this, measure from center to center on the existing screw holes. Compare this measurement to any new handles you are getting for an exact match.
Guidelines for Perfect Hardware Placement on Cabinets
Placement of cabinet hardware isn’t that complicated once you have a rough guideline to follow.
For kitchen cabinet hardware placement, place knobs between 1/2″ – 4″ from the middle bottom corners of the door on your uppers. If you are using handles, position them vertically with the bottom end falling in this area.
Do the same for bottom cabinet doors, except position your knobs or handles at the top center corners.
For smaller drawers, you can place your hardware in the exact center. Or you can center the hardware but shift it up more towards the top of the drawer front. This places the drawer knobs or pulls at an easier height to grab.
If you’re dealing with some very long drawers, you can opt for one large handle in the center, or place smaller knobs or pulls on each side.
Don’t Forget About the Screws
Cabinet hardware placement isn’t the only thing you need to think about. When planning out the mounting of any new hardware, consider what screws you are going to use.
For instance, if you’re opting for a set of wrought iron rustic door pulls and you pair them with shiny steel screws from the hardware, the final result will look very off.
Instead, we’d recommend opting for decorative screws. If you’re not sure what decorative screws are, check this out.
Matching your screws to your hardware is essential, and decorative screws can help you pair the right screws with bespoke styles of cabinet hardware.
Now You Know How to Nail Cabinet Door Hardware Placement
Cabinet hardware placement can make or break the look of a room. Cabinet hardware is like jewelry. If you place it wrong, it’s going to look just as strange as an ear piercing that’s too close to the edge of your ear.
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