Architecture Blog

{Cabinet Knob: Schaub, in satin brass | Cabinet Cup Pull: Schaub, in satin brass | Cabinet Latch: Emtek, in satin brass}

Cabinet hardware is one of those little things that often goes overlooked during a renovation. It is, however, is akin to the jewelry of a space – instantly bringing a little sparkle. And though the aesthetics are important, the functional component here is huge. It’s one of the kitchen items that we interact with most frequently in a kitchen. They’re constantly being touched, pulled, and prodded, and I believe it deserves thoughtful attention.

In recent years I’ve begun sourcing and placing my cabinet hardware early on, often even designing an entire kitchen around my findings. In summary: when it comes to good design, picking and placing your cabinet hardware shouldn’t really be an afterthought. But this doesn’t have to be stressful! I have an easy cabinet hardware placement guide that I’m going to share below.

In the past, I’ve talked about how in most cases I feel like kitchens should have a mixture of cabinet knobs and pulls, and that continues to be true. But I’ve never really expanded on exactly where you should place each one so that they make the most sense for your space, aesthetically and functionally.

I’ve partnered with Emtek & Schaub to divulge some of my “insider secrets” to cabinet hardware placement. Emtek is a purveyor of some of the most beautiful luxury hardware on the market; we used them in our kitchen reno (my mom’s too!) Of course, there are oodles of cabinet hardware placement variations out there, and design rules are often meant to be broken. But if you want to go for a classic, timeless kitchen look, the following four cabinet hardware placement guides will never lead you astray.

N•1
| Pulls on Lowers,
Knobs On Uppers |

NOTES
:: I prefer smaller knobs (1″ or so)
:: Place knobs 3″ from bottom of cabinet
:: Place pulls 3″ from top of cabinet
:: For drawers wider than 24″ use two smaller pulls

N•2
| Pulls on Uppers,
Knobs On Lowers |

NOTES
:: I prefer smaller knobs (1″ or so)
:: Place knobs 3″ from top of cabinet
:: Place pull 3″ from bottom of cabinet
:: Scale your pulls – larger cabinets get longer pulls, shorter cabinets get shorter pulls
:: For drawers wider than 24″, use two knobs

N•3
| Pulls on Cabinets,
Knobs on Drawers |

NOTES
:: I prefer smaller knobs (1″ or so)
:: Scale your pulls – larger cabinets get longer pulls, shorter cabinets get shorter pulls
:: For drawers wider than 24″, use two knobs

N•4
| Pulls on Drawers,
Knobs on Cabinets |

NOTES
:: I prefer smaller knobs (1″ or so)
:: For drawers wider than 24″, add two smaller pulls
:: Exception: If you have a full height or large cabinet door (ie a pantry), you can consider using a pull instead of a knob

{Cabinet Knob: Schaub, in satin brass | Cabinet Cup Pull: Schaub, in satin brass | Cabinet Latch: Emtek, in satin brass}

If you’re on the hunt for cabinet hardware of your own, I encourage you to check out Emtek or their sister company Schaub. They’ve made a name for themselves in the industry for good reason. I’ve used them abundantly over the years, on sponsored project and non-sponsored ones alike, and stand firmly behind their luxe hand-feel and premium quality. It’s a joy to use them all around.

Thank you to Emtek & Shaub for partnering with me on this post