Where To Place Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

The placement of kitchen cabinet hardware, such as pulls and knobs, might be an afterthought for some kitchen renovations but the Design Team at Brunswick Cabinets and Countertops believe hardware and its placement greatly affect the overall look and functionality of your kitchen.

Here are the general guidelines our Lead Designer Cindy Bennett-McCune has for placing cabinet hardware:

Consistency

Maintain consistency in the placement of hardware throughout the kitchen. Keep the same placement on all cabinet doors and drawers.

Placement for Pulls

For cabinet pulls, a common placement is to center them vertically on the cabinet. However, personal preference and the style of your cabinets can influence an upper or lower placement. Centering pulls horizontally is also a common choice.

Placement for Knobs

If you’re using knobs instead of pulls, they are often placed on the drawer front. Again, personal preference and the style of your cabinets play a role.

Consider Functionality

Think about how you use the cabinets. Place hardware where it’s most comfortable and convenient to reach. For example, if you have a pull-out trash bin, you might want the handle close to the top for easy access.

Your Preferences and Design

These are our general guidelines, but ultimately your preferences and the specific design of your kitchen may influence your choices. It’s important to note, we study the trends and report on them each year with our Coastal Trends of Brunswick County publication and the trends in hardware placement change over time, so it’s essential to choose a style that you like and that fits the overall style of your kitchen.

Designer Cindy’s Preferences

Designer Cindy has shared her personal preferences to give you an idea of the considerations you should have when selecting hardware. She also says ” They are the jewelry in your kitchen …go wild!!”

• I do not like knobs for lower cabinets at all because you get your clothes hung up on them.
• If I use a knob it is typically on an upper wall cabinet, especially the small stacked cabinets.
• Pulls are my go-to for all applications.  size them accordingly with drawer widths. Doors can have pulls proportioned to the height of the doors.