Cabinet Hardware Installation: How to Choose the Right Size and Placement

Installing new cabinet hardware isn't as hard as it sounds. With the right tools and a few simple preparations, you can even add hardware to brand new cabinet doors without messing up. Here are the things you should know about size and placement, as well as a tool to help you get the job done accurately.

Choosing the Right Size and Placement for Cabinet Knobs and Pulls

If you're outfitting drawers, choose one knob or pull if the drawer is less than 18 inches wide. If it's more than 18 inches wide, you'll need two. Space them about 1/6^th of the length of the drawer from each end. Make a slight adjustment with spacing until you're comfortable.

Omnia Stainless Steel Pull

You should choose knobs with a diameter no more than 1 ½ inches, and no less than 1 inch. You can ignore this rule if you plan on using wood knobs, which can be a little bigger. Always match the size and style to your drawers as well as the cabinets.

1 1/2 inch Allison Knob


Richelieu Hardware 1 7/8 Maple Knob

Always place pulls or knobs in the horizontal center of a drawer, and slightly higher than the vertical center. If they are centered vertically, they will appear slightly too low. Imagine standing in front of the drawer, looking down at it. It would appear too low, and also feel a little too low when you grab it to give it a pull.

Corner template - Image from Lowes.com.

Use a Template to Position the Knobs or Pulls

Don't be intimidated by the thought of adding new cabinet knobs or pulls to your cabinets. There are transparent templates that will help guide you for exactly where to make the holes.

These templates are sold at hardware stores. There are templates that fit around corners, or straight ones, depending on where on the cabinets you drawers you want to place the hardware.

To use a template, place it up against the edge of the cabinet, identify where you need to make the hole, in relation to the edge of the cabinet. Being able to see through this template makes it very easy. Mark through the hole in the template with a pencil. Do this so that the hole/s will be in the exact same spot on each cabinet door.  

Top 3 Essential Pieces of Home Hardware for Keeping Your Home Organized

Being able to organize your home neatly is a huge part of decorating, and keeping a home in general. Many who live in small apartments run into the task of getting their things put away in the limited room that they have. You don't need to resort to keeping your things in ugly storage bins, however!

There are many ways to keep your things organized, without sacrificing aesthetic, or your home decorating style. This is where the jobs of several types of home hardware come in. Here are a few types of home hardware that don't sacrifice form for function when it comes to keeping your space organized.

Label Card Holders

Just screw one of these onto the front of a drawer and write down what is contained in that drawer. These are particularly useful in offices and even closet drawer organizers, where there are many drawers that each hold a specific set of items. There are many different styles of label card holders to choose from.

 

If you already have pulls or knobs on the drawers, you can get just the label holder that functions as a label holder (above). If you need knobs or pulls, there are some great label holders that have one attached.

 

Small Wall Shelves

Free standing shelves are nice if you have the room, because you can forgo putting holes in your walls. Sometimes wall shelves are a necessity in small spaces, to keep things up and out of the way. These are especially useful in bathrooms and bedrooms.

 

You could choose to get a shelf, or set of shelves as shown on the above left, or just a few brackets to hold up a board as a shelf. Put them around your bathroom counter to keep it from getting cluttered, by your bed or your dresser.

 

Medicine Cabinets

They don't have to just be for your bathroom. If you need a mirror in a small bedroom, or anywhere else for that matter, (mirrors make small rooms appear bigger), medicine cabinets can also be used as hidden storage. Keep small things tucked away, but in quick reach.

 

Kids Room Decoration Inspiration from Home Hardware

A child's bedroom should be a safe and fun sanctuary for every child. The theme and decorations should reflect the child's unique personality, or a parent's imagination. When we choose a decoration theme for a child's room, or help them choose, we can let our imaginations run wild.

If you're having a hard time picking a theme, it's always helpful to look at some elements, like home hardware, that you can build on. Sometimes the colors, specific aesthetic and theme are all right there in the knobs or pulls.

A room fit for a fairy princess.

 
The great thing about choosing something like butterfly cabinet knobs or heart-shaped home hardware, is that you can also pair them with anything else that is cute and whimsical. You can also pick them out in whatever color you want, which can help you decide on a color scheme.



You could take a cabinet knob, cabinet pull, or even a decorative hook theme and use the colors and design motifs in the rest of the decorations. For example, if you like the decorative hook shown above, you could pick out flowers that look like it, as well as hearts.

A jungle safari.

What child doesn't love animals? You can mix the different animal pulls together on a dresser for great jungle safari or wild theme. Maybe your child wants to focus on just one type of animal? There are turtles, bears, monkeys, deer, elephants and much more -- even dinosaurs!

The Old West

Depending on your child's age and tastes, elements from Western-themed home hardware might be right up their alley. The knobs and pulls, as well as hooks come in rustic-looking finishes and detailed shapes. Choose a running horse, a bull's or cow's head or even just home hardware that looks like its made from old leather or wood.

Out in Space/Futuristic

Whimsical space decorations are perfect for the future space explorer. Many kids love celestial designs, so these moon and star cabinet knobs would be a lot of fun adorning a dresser or any organizer.