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How many knobs per drawer?

11 years ago

In our kitchen remodel we're going "all knobs". We'll have a variety of drawer widths and heights, all with raised panels or applied moldings. We have no problem (we think) using one knob where the horizontal space between the raised panels or moldings is less than 12-15" or so (with a maximum drawer width of about 21") and the total height of the drawer is no more than 6" or so.

Our main question is regarding larger drawers. For example, we'll have a couple of drawers 30" wide x 12" high with the free space between the raised panels that is 24" wide x 6" high. Off the tops of our heads, we think we need two knobs in this 24" x 6" space about 18" apart rather than one knob centered. Comments?

Following the same logic on a 27" wide x 12" high drawer, we'd have two knobs 15" apart. Comments?

Again following the same logic on a 24" x 12" high drawer, we'd have two knobs 12" apart. Comments?

Again following the same logic on a 21" x 14" high drawer, we'd have two knobs 9" apart. Comments?

The obvious question is when, given any drawer's width available for knob placement, does one switch from two knobs to one (if, indeed, two knobs are used in the first place).

Finally, given that some of these drawers will have other drawers immediately above them that are only 6" high that might normally need only one centered knob, should we also use two knobs on them for symmetry (assuming the use of two knobs on the lower drawers)?

As always, your opinions are welcomed!

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Comments (6)

ILoveRed
11 years ago
Here's a pic that might help. This kitchen really caught my eye.
lisa_wi
11 years ago
Something that I've done before is taken my cabinet drawings and penciled in knobs in different areas, different sizes, shapes, etc. and see what I think. Its a quick way to get a feel for the look. Another option would be to use painters tape and stick it on the cabinets after they are in. I did that in our last house for the basement wetbar to decide what length barpulls we wanted on the cabinets.
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How large are your drawers? From what I understand, if your drawer is larger than 24" you can use two knobs, one on each side of the drawer. So, if you use two knobs, you should go with the smaller knob and then you could use the same knob on both drawers and doors. In my kitchen I used pulls on my lower drawers and doors and knobs on my upper cupboards. And on my refrigerator, I used larger pulls than on my cupboards. You have many options. However, to answer your question, I would use the same size knobs throughout.
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I have 30 in the master bath. And three drawers with hidden knobs. 18 (I think) in the master closet...no wait 22 with the drawer pulls. 8 in the library (one built in) two in the powder room, 5 in the downstairs bath, three in the laundry room, 50 in the kitchen...so, 135? Give or take a couple? Now ask how many extras I have...(close to the same number LOL E gads wait, the giraffes on the laundry closet are two more, then DS's room....three there....and the cat house has two...ok I'm going to quit counting :oP
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I have two pulls on my 36" pots and pan drawers and 30" dish drawers. I also had the same concerns as you because I had decided I wanted to be able to open ANY drawer with just one finger, regardless of size or weight. I decided the keys were a)the pulls needed to have something to hang onto easily, so I chose strap pulls, and b)the sliding mechanism needed to be perfectly smooth; the heavy duty glides with blumotion that my cabinetmaker used fit the bill.
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Beth, I know what you mean about the hinged door on a super susan. I don't know if I would care for that either - even though I don't have a problem with the hinged doors on my easy-reach uppers. But I don't think I've ever seen a super susan with doors that rotate around with the tray. I had two lazy susans with rotating door, and I hated them. There wasn't a lot of room, and on the one on which I put a crock pot and a couple of other heavier things, the shelves eventually slipped on the pole, and had to be readjusted (every year or so). I went with an unpopular solution here on GW - I angled the base cabinet, and put in a full super susan. My kitchen is custom, so I was also able to put a drawer above. Since my kitchen doesn't have room for a lot of drawers, I wanted all I could get! My Susan holds lots of small appliances, colanders (it's near the sink), and I can tuck small, hardly-used things back on the shelf, behind the turntables It's one of my favorite things about my new kitchen. sorry about the sideways - I can't get it to post straight on a Mac.
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Annie Deighnaugh
11 years ago
DH is an engineer and he would only allow one handle in the middle of a drawer, even the wider ones. His reasoning was you are only going to pull on one most of the time and if it's not in the center, it will cause the drawer to cant and create issues...either with the drawer or its operation. So one in the middle it is.

I did use handles on the drawers though...not knobs...I used knobs on the small glass-front decorative uppers that are above the regular upper cabinets and the lower doors.

Old pic...prior to backsplash, new paint, et. al.
clarygrace
11 years ago
Ditto what Annie (and her DH) said. We did knobs on doors and pulls on all drawers. Our pulls are mostly 6"; and we have four 8" for the large pot drawers and for our dishwashers. They are all centered for stability in the pulling action. We have a hydraulic lift door for our appliance garage and there we used two 6" pulls (one would have sufficed), it was done for decor purposes, since the door is wide and has two panels.
Bobby99
11 years ago
Red_lover, I would love to pin your kitchen pic onto one of my Pinterest boards, but I'm still not clear on the etiquette of doing so. Is it your pic, and if so, may I credit you and pin it to my board? Or do you have the link to the photo, and would you be willing to share it?

I haven't seen anything quite like that wall of cabinets before, and I love the colours :)
janralix
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions and pictures. We think we'll go with two knobs on drawers that will require spacing the knobs >18" apart, but we'll sketch it out first...or try something on a piece of wood to see how it looks and feels. Of course, we could have done that before our OP, but we always want to tap into the knowledge base here first!

Thanks again!

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