skip to main content

Home Decorating Design Dilemma Kitchens

How long should my cabinet pulls be? (Pictures included)

Taryn MacDonald

8 months ago

Having a very difficult time selecting the lengths of my cabinet pulls. Generally, I prefer pulls over knobs and I like pulls that are proportional to the length of the drawer or cabinet

My main dilemmas are:

On the right side of where my stove will be, I have 3 drawers that are 31 inches wide. On the left, 3 drawers that are 24 inches wide. I originally abided by the rule of your pull being roughly 1/3 the length of the drawer, and had planned for 12 inch pulls on the 31 inch drawers and 8 inch pulls on the 24 inch drawers. However, I was told that my pulls should be the same length on either side of the stove so that the look is balanced and symmetrical. The problem is, the 12 inch pulls look too big on the 24 inch wide drawers, and I believe the 8 inch pulls will look too small on the 31 inch wide drawers.
I have heard that you should not have more than 3 pull lengths at the absolute most. However, my trash drawers are 12 inches wide and the small drawer in the area where the microwave is located is 15 inches wide. If I had 5 inch pulls on these drawers and on the small cabinets above the fridge and stove and under the sink, 8 inch pulls on all my upper cabinets and lower cabinets, and then three 12 inch pulls on the pots and pans drawers, is this too many lengths being incorporated?
Should I consider knobs on the smaller cabinets instead?
Any thoughts on hardware colour are welcome too. This is a difficult decision!

Many thanks in advance!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

badgergal
8 months ago
There is no law that says you pulls have to be the same size on esch side of your stove and you can have more than 3 sizes of pulls if you want. I used 4 sizes of pulls in my kitchen and no-one has ever commented (or mostly likely even noticed) that I have 4 sizes.

I have 10” pulls on my upper and lower doors but decided to try and have my pulls be about 1/2 the size of my drawer widths. Here is the drawer stack under my cooktop with drawers that are approximately 24", 36" and 18" wide.

The pulls are approximately 13”, 19” and 10” end to end.

On the short cabinet above my fridge, I used a 6” pull

and I used 6” pulls on the small drawers below

I’m sure what ever size pulls you decide on will look fine in your new kitchen
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
8 months ago
Related Discussions
How do I include pictures in my message?
Q
Comments (6)
Once you upload your picture(s) to Photobucket, hover over the thumbnail and you'll see a list of four options (Email & IM, Direct link, HTML code and IMG code) Cursor over the third option, HTML code, and click in the beige box to the right. Once you click, it will show "Copied". You are then ready to paste it directly into the text of your post, wherever you want the photo to appear. Like this, When you preview the message, you should see your photo. You don't need to put anything into the boxes below where you type your message, just into the body of the message itself. I hope that makes sense!!
...See More
How long should cabinet pulls be?
Q
Comments (12)
Kris_ma, I love your kitchen! What kind of backsplash is that? I think it looks super sharp going to the ceiling between those two windows. sherean, I'm having a problem getting into photobucket to link a picture that really show's our pulls well, but our mostly finished kitchen thread has some pics. Best of luck in your decision. Here is a link that might be useful: our kitchen with pulls
...See More
How tall per this kitchen picture should cabinets be?
Q
Comments (3)
I would leave enough space for the trim below the windows and then a few inches of space before the crown molding. So, if the bottom of the window is at 10', I would have the top of the crown at about 9'6" (3 1/2-4" for trim and then a few inches for painted space).
...See More
How should I update this kitchen? Pics included
Q
Comments (7)
Your kitchen really reminds me of mine before we started our renovation. I have some before pics to share below, sorry they are so dark, but the kitchen was dark, I guess. But just notice the change the painted cabinets made.... My hardwood is in the foyer with only a 30" doorway where the floors meet. I could have gone with hardwood but decided not to, we are doing cork plank flooring. I don't think you should start a new hardwood floor in your kitchen unless it matched. I can tell you one of the biggest changes for us was painting the existing cabinets a shade of white. It took a long time. (there is a lot of information on how-to available on GW). But in my opinion it was so worth the effort. We moved our fridge too which opened up the stove wall for more cabinet space--huge difference. If you put a small island in the middle, you could hang a nice light fixture over it as well as changing the overhead light over the sink to a pendant as previously mentioned. Just last night we completed the recessed lights--wow. My kitchen has never been so bright! These were done in existing drywall, so you could do that too. We also are doing under cabinet lights--that might be something to think about. I think the drop in sink would be nice too. Are you keeping the counters, they seem pretty neutral. Mine were seafoam green. Not so neutral. Here are some pics of before and during (we still aren't done) for you to get an idea (remember--new floor isn't down yet). Sorry, I haven't gone around and taken photos from same spots exactly as in the before shots, but it is to give you an idea....
...See More
PRO
JAN MOYER
8 months ago
last modified: 8 months ago
Nine and six is fine!! Just two sizes gives you unity aplenty.

19 of the 6 inch and 7 of the nine inch by my count : ) DONE.

Trust me.....if you were paying me for the design and the hardware, I'd tell you exact same thing !

NINE inch pull on all the wide ( 24/31 ETC ) lower drawers , and a SIX inch on all upper/lower doors and and narrower lower drawers.

The "one third" police do not exist and therefore will not come.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
8 months ago
I also like proprtional pulls and very simple ones This pic is a great visual . I use painters tape to get the proportions right and I like Lee Valley stainless pulls they come in a huge number of sizes .The big thing is that they do not all need to even go in the same directionThe orange wall kitchen is mine
chispa
8 months ago
You are way overthinking this!

There are no "rules", just some guidelines to help people who are doing something for the first time.

Most choices come down to individual taste and ergonomics.
Taryn MacDonald
Original Author
8 months ago
@chispa It is something I’m doing for the first time lol. 🙈 But I agree that I’m probably overthinking it!
PRO
JAN MOYER
8 months ago
last modified: 8 months ago
You're WAY over thinking it. Just pick a pull you love in 6" and 9" ( scroll up to my earlier )

Why? Because you are totally focused on the flanking drawer bases at the M.I.A range.

When you center a nine inch pull, on 24" there will be 7 3/4 inches each side exposed.

When you do the same pull on 31"? there will be 51/2 inches exposed each side of pull. Will you or anyone ELSE be staring at that difference. No. NO they will not, and neither will you.

The six inch suits ALLLLLL the rest, irrelevant to cabinet heights and the smaller drawer widths.

I'd pick them and move on....happily

Related Stories

KITCHEN DESIGN Get a Grip on Kitchen Cabinets With the Right Knobs and Pulls

Here's how to pair the right style, type and finish of cabinet hardware with your kitchen style

DATA WATCH 7 Big-Picture Kitchen Remodeling Trends Happening Now

By Mitchell Parker

See the latest on cabinets, sustainability, spending, pro hiring and more from the 2023 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study

LATEST NEWS FOR PROFESSIONALS 7 Big-Picture Kitchen Remodeling Trends Happening Now

By Mitchell Parker

See the latest on cabinets, sustainability, spending, pro hiring and more from the 2023 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study

KITCHEN STORAGE Pulling Power: Clever Drawer Tactics for a Kitchen

It’s not how many drawers you have in your kitchen; it’s how they work for you

KITCHEN DESIGN 8 Top Hardware Styles for Shaker Kitchen Cabinets

By KitchenLab Interiors

Simple Shaker style opens itself to a wide range of knobs and pulls. See which is right for your own kitchen

KITCHEN DESIGN Top 9 Hardware Styles for Flat-Panel Kitchen Cabinets

By KitchenLab Interiors

Accentuate this simple cabinet style to best advantage in a modern or contemporary kitchen with the right pulls or latches

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: A New Farmhouse Pulls Off an Old Look

By Jennifer Blaise Kramer

A couple build their long-imagined Maine home from scratch by using classic New England thinking

KITCHEN CABINETS 6 Hardware Styles to Pair With Deep-Blue Shaker Cabinets

By Becky Harris

Have you settled on your kitchen cabinets but haven’t decided on knobs and pulls yet? Consider these gorgeous options

LIFE Paint a Wall! And 6 More Ideas for the Coming Long Weekend

By Laura Gaskill

Use Presidents Day weekend to take on a big project, see a movie and practice kindness with others (including a pet)

KITCHEN DESIGN Pros Share Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Finishes They Love Right Now

By Bryan Anthony

Brushed metal, leather, knurled and acrylic pulls are among the cabinet hardware finishes making a splash in kitchens

Sponsored

More Discussions

Sending an SOS-Pls help decorate my shelves.

10

Help with Studio Apt

52

Backsplash - changing grout color

24

Please recommend good matching upholstered chairs for table

29

Free Standing Gas Range

3