Cabinet Hardware Placement: Where to Put Pulls and Knobs

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Where do cabinet pulls and knobs go? On a door, set the hardware on the stile, on the side opposite the hinges. On a drawer, center it, or use two once the drawer is wider than 24 inches. The rest of this guide walks through each placement, plus a few tricks designers use to get it right the first time.

When renovating your kitchen or bathroom, few design choices pack a punch like cabinet hardware. The hardware you choose will make your space elegant or casual or whimsical or bold. Hardware is so effective at transforming a space, many designers recommend replacing dated hardware for an instant, low-budget renovation.

When viewed as a whole, your cabinet hardware creates a visual pattern that ties your design together throughout the space. If just one knob or pull is misplaced, the entire pattern will be off. After you buy your door and drawer pulls and knobs from Van Dyke’s Restorers, use the following strategies to expertly place your cabinet hardware.

Knobs

In the past, knobs were the most traditional cabinet hardware. Today, knobs are still a staple of the popular traditional style. But new materials, such as wood, glass and leather, give the ordinarily demure knob a modern twist.

The knob’s style versatility is good news for homeowners who want an easy-to-install hardware option. With only one screw, knobs’ placement is easier to get right than other cabinet hardware.

Pulls

Many homeowners prefer installing pulls on their cabinet doors and drawers because they’re easy to hold and come in a variety of colors. Pulls are a good choice for large, heavy doors and drawers.

Pulls are commonly combined with knobs. Generally speaking, upper cabinets and drawers will always have knobs with lower drawers having pulls. In this combined scheme, lower cabinets can be knobs or pulls.

In modern design, pulls are used on both the upper and lower cabinet doors and drawers.

Cup Pulls

Cup pulls, shaped like an upside-down cup, are generally used only on lower drawers. They come in a variety of styles and instantly dress up the cabinets’ look. Browse our bin pulls and cup handles.

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Cabinet Terminology

While cabinets come in a variety of styles, there are two basic types of construction that affect cabinet hardware placement.

The first type of cabinet construction is for traditional and contemporary cabinet styles. With this type of construction, cabinet faces have a center panel surrounded by a raised frame.

Rails refer to the horizontal pieces of the raised wood frame.

Stiles refer to the vertical pieces of the raised wood frame.

The second type of cabinet door construction is simply a solid door without the embellishment of rails and stiles. Modern design favors the clean lines achieved by cabinets made with these simple cabinet doors and drawers.

Where to Place Cabinet Pulls and Knobs

Like everything else in home design, you have more creative latitude in your cabinet hardware placement than in the past. Use the following guidelines for the most aesthetically pleasing look.

Cabinet Pull and Knob Placement on Upper Doors

On upper cabinet doors, install the knob or pull near the bottom of the door, on the side opposite the hinges. Set it on the stile, the vertical piece of the door frame, or where the stile would be on a solid slab door. A good starting point is two to three inches up from the bottom edge.

Cabinet Pull and Knob Placement on Lower Doors

On lower cabinet doors, flip it. Install the knob or pull near the top of the door, opposite the hinges and on the stile, about two to three inches down from the top edge.

A tip from our mounting guide: try not to tuck a knob right into the corner of the door frame, because a corner placement can weaken the cabinet’s joint. For base cabinets, our Mounting Cabinet Hardware guide recommends the upper third of the door. On many traditional cabinets, a knob centered on the stile also looks right and gives you good leverage.

Cabinet Pull and Knob Placement on Drawers

Drawers less than 24 inches wide get one knob or pull, centered. Wider drawers should have two. To find the spots, divide the drawer front into thirds and center a knob or pull in the first and last third.

Cabinet designers also like to mount a knob slightly above the vertical centerline of a drawer. It looks centered when you view the cabinets from above, standing at the countertop. Our mounting guide suggests starting at 1/16 inch above center and adjusting from there. For more help with wide drawers, see Mounting Two Knobs on Wide Drawers.

SHOP FOR KNOBS AND PULLS

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Tips for Perfect Cabinet Hardware Placement

On the surface, it seems cabinet hardware is simple and straightforward. In reality, small mistakes are common, and you only get one chance to get it right. The following tips will help prevent mistakes when placing your cabinet hardware:

• Hang the doors before attaching the hardware. If you attach the hardware while the doors are set on the floor, you run the risk of attaching to the wrong corner or side.
• Check your placement before you drill holes. Use wall putty to attach your hardware to your doors and drawers in your desired position. Step back and take a look to make sure the hardware is placed in the best position.
• Use a cabinet hardware jig to create a uniform look. With a jig, you set your placement once and repeat it on every door and drawer. See our how-to for making a jig for aligning holes for cabinet pulls.
• Measure, measure, then measure again. Avoid making careless mistakes by going slowly and triple-checking your measurements.
• Match the hole spacing before you order pulls. If you’re replacing old hardware, measure from the center of one mounting hole to the center of the other, so the new pulls line up with the old holes. Our guide to determining the boring of a pull shows how.
• Ready to mount? Our Mounting Pulls guide covers the steps once your holes are marked.

Cabinet hardware takes center stage in a kitchen or bath remodel, and where you place it matters as much as what you pick. Take your time, test your spots with putty, and use a jig, and you’ll get a clean, even look you’ll enjoy every day. When you’re ready, browse our cabinet knobs, cabinet handles and pulls, and glass knobs and pulls.

SHOP FOR KNOBS AND PULLS

More Cabinet Hardware Guides

• How to choose cabinet hardware
• Mixing knobs and pulls on kitchen cabinets
• Pairing hardware finishes
• Cabinet hardware by design style
• How to make a jig for aligning holes for cabinet pulls

Cabinet Hardware Placement FAQ

Where do you put pulls on cabinet doors?

On the stile, on the side opposite the hinges. Put it near the bottom of upper doors and near the top of lower doors.

How far from the edge should a cabinet knob be?

A good starting point is two to three inches from the bottom edge of an upper door or the top edge of a lower door. Keep it off the corner joint of the frame.

How do you place pulls on a wide drawer?

Use two. Divide the drawer front into thirds and center a pull in the first and last third. Drawers less than 24 inches wide get one, centered.

Should a drawer knob be centered?

Slightly above center usually looks best. Our mounting guide suggests starting at 1/16 inch above the centerline.

What is a cabinet hardware jig?

A template that lets you set the placement once and repeat it on every door and drawer. See how to make one.

Should I hang the doors before attaching the hardware?

Yes. If you attach the hardware while the doors are on the floor, you risk drilling the wrong corner or side.