A Guide to Installing Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

Mistakes made when drilling cabinet doors and drawer fronts for hardware installation can result in unanticipated replacement costs. It is for that reason KnobDepot has provided this brief introduction to hardware decision making; however, we always recommend that you seek the guidance of an experienced kitchen designer or the opinion of an experienced cabinet installer who can make the appropriate recommendations. 

Hardware Location:

Knobs and pulls must always be installed on the side of the cabinet door opposite the side where the hinges are installed - no exceptions! And while placement is often based upon your personal taste, most installers will place wall cabinet hardware 3-4" above the lower non-hinged corner and, on base cabinets, 3-4" below the upper non-hinged corner. 

If drawer fronts have a raised center panel, make sure that the height of the center panel is tall enough to accept the knob or pull you are choosing. For example, a knob with a base dimension of 1 1/4" will not fit properly on a 1" high raised panel.

Also, measure the length of the drawer front raised panel to ensure that your pulls are short enough to fit.

Lastly, if you are replacing the hardware on your existing cabinets, the new hardware pulls must have the same center to center measurement as the old handles had. "Center to Center" is the distance from the CENTER of one screw hole to the CENTER of the other screw hole. If these measurements do not match up, you may consider using a "Backplate" to cover one or both of the existing holds when the new pull is installed.