What size for drawer handles and pulls?

15 years ago

Have a double question to ask!

We are nearing completion of our little house and I have been begun looking for kitchen hardware, the problem I don't know what size. Our cabinets and drawers all vary in size. The uppers are 36"H.

So, do we use 1" or 1-1/4" knobs? Drawer pulls are available in 3", 4", 6" and 8". Or do the handles vary in size based on the width of the cabinets?

I found an ebay auction with 3" handles that I like a lot, but is 3" too narrow for arched handles??

Thanks again GW readers, you're always a great help!!!

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Comments (5)

glad
15 years ago
i have 5" pulls on everything. some people vary the sizes according to drawer size, but i have no drawers longer than 24", so it works for me. another option for longer drawers is to use two instead of one longer one. i think i'd personally prefer one long one, though.
Buehl
15 years ago
I have 4" pulls on all drawers....from 18" to 36" wide. But, I have two pulls on all drawers 30" and wider.

If you plan to have only one pull on wider drawers, then I would consider the 8" pulls on wider drawers and 4" or 6" on narrower drawers.

As to knobs, we have the birdcage so our knobs are elongated...they're, I think, about 1.5" wide by 2.5" to 3" long. I'm guessing b/c I'm not home to measure...I can measure Sunday if you're interested.

Knobs:

Pulls (mix of 1 & 2 per drawer, depending on width):

(Still no paint!)
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I will second what pussuskattus suggested...although it is definitely more work/time, we found that it was very worthwhile to mock up the drawers and try out our handles that way. We ordered various sample sizes of our handles and DH cut some scrap wood planks in the lengths of our drawers. We then just placed the handles on each board and it was VERY quick and easy to determine which size to go with. It was surprising what we found...definitely some different outcomes than what we had thought before mocking up. There would be no need to cut wood, though...could easily just use posterboard or scrap cardboard from a shipping box. And the ribbon idea would be easy, too. Would save the step of buying the pulls if you don't know for sure yet what you want. Good idea for next time! Good luck with your search on the vintage pulls!
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Pebbles, the picture doesn't show up...Do you have it hosed on a photo-sharing site? I find 3" pulls a little tight for my hands- have you and your DH tried these on for size? Is the 5 Inches the handle width or the distance between screws? My handles are ~ 5 inches wide with 4 inches between the posts- I wanted to stick with standard widths, ie 3 or 4" between posts to make it easy to switch if anyone wanted to change the hardware years down the road.
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As you are finding out, there are as many different opinions as there are posters, so the right answer is likely that there is no right answer! Go with what you like the look of, and as far as resale, cabinet pulls are such a minor part of your house that I really doubt they will make or break a sale. In fact, I doubt that most people will even notice.
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Go pick up a couple of different size pulls (handles) at a home improvement store. Take them home and see what you think looks and would feel right on the cabinets. This is just for size, not for what you would really put on there. If the cabinets are not in yet, go to the cabinet displays with your samples and check it out. Whatever you choose, try to get a sample in your hand before you order them all or have them installed. I fell in love with a certain knob. Unfortunately, the matching pull had very little space for your fingers. I ended up choosing a different pull by the same manufacturer in a slightly different style but the same finish. I used knobs on almost all the cabinet doors (the hardware I picked was not cheap, and using pulls everywhere would have been very expensive, there are a lot of cabinets). On the normal sized drawers, I used 4" pulls (Center to center hole measurement). I have two stacks of wide drawers, and I used two 6 3/4 pulls on each of those drawers. I also used the larger pull on the trash pullout and a tall pantry door. I have dark raised panel furniture looking cabinets so I think it looks nice, and I like the way they feel. If you have shaker or a more modern type cabinet, using the same size pull size on everything might be a better choice so you get a sleek consistent look. I did not put pulls on the dummy drawer below the sink. I did not want anyone to mistakenly try to open it, and felt that it would be in my way when working at the sink.
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suzieca
15 years ago
Go to a store and look at the various sizes and try them as if you were using them. Since you open/close doors & drawers a lot I think it's important to get ones that fit your hand and feel good. Some of the 3" pulls I tried were way too small for both my hand and DH's too. And some just didn't feel 'right' to me. I ordered one of each that I thought might work from a website. I'm glad I did because the ones I thought would be ok weren't. Good luck. HTH
brunosonio
15 years ago
I second suzieca...it's going to be a combination of what fits your hand and what you think look good on your drawers.

We have all deep drawers in our base cabinets, and some are up to 33" wide. I used 7" pulls on everything, and 1" knobs on the upper cabs.

What you can do is go to HD or Lowes, buy a bunch of cheap knobs and pulls in various sizes, bring them home, tape them to the drawers and doors, and see what you like. Then you can return them all for a refund. And who knows, you might even find some you like! One of the problems of buying more custom pulls is that many times you cannot return them. Or you have to deal with an internet company, which can take time.

I was about to drop up to $2500 on custom pulls for our kitchen, then discovered some I liked at Lowes. Only ended up spending $250, and they look just as good. Remember, in the end, no one really looks at your knobs and pulls...if they do, either they are too overwhelming or the rest of the kitchen is underwhelming, LOL.
cabinetbob
15 years ago
There aren't any rules when it comes to kitchen knobs and pulls! It's your kitchen - you see it every day - if it looks good to you then what else matters?

One thing to remember though is that eventually you may want to change whatever you choose. With knobs that isn't a problem. But with pulls having 2 holes to drill you will be limited to the same center to center (c/c) distance for replacements. Most pulls designed for the North American market have 3.5" c/c. Most European designs use metric 96mm (about 3.75") or 128mm (about 5") c/c.

Here is a link that might be useful: this site has some very reasonably priced items

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What size for drawer handles and pulls?

Comments (5)

glad

Buehl

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suzieca

brunosonio

cabinetbob

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