How to Choose Cabinet Hardware: Knobs & Pulls

Cabinet hardware is a small detail with a big impact. It's often the last thing people think about in a kitchen remodel, and the first thing people notice when they walk into a room. Whether you're outfitting brand new cabinets or refreshing an old kitchen with new hardware alone, here's how to choose knobs, pulls, and handles that actually work for your space, and where to find them without paying retail markup.

Knobs vs. Pulls: What's the Difference?

Cabinet knobs are the small, single point hardware pieces typically used on doors. Cabinet pulls (sometimes called handles) are longer, with two mounting points, and are traditionally used on drawers where a bit more grip is helpful.

The traditional rule is simple: knobs on doors, pulls on drawers. It's a classic combination that works in almost any kitchen and gives your eye a subtle visual rhythm as it moves across the cabinetry.

A growing number of homeowners are using pulls throughout the entire kitchen, on doors and drawers alike, for a more unified, streamlined look. On wider drawers, especially pot and pan or trash pull-out drawers, longer pulls also tend to be easier to grab and more functional day to day. There's no wrong answer here. It comes down to the look you want and how your kitchen gets used, which is exactly why we carry knobs and pulls in a full range of sizes rather than just one or two options.

Choosing a Finish

Hardware finish does a lot of work to set the tone of a kitchen. Warm gold tones, matte and brushed metals, and black finishes remain the three directions most homeowners land on, because each one pairs cleanly with nearly any cabinet color rather than fighting with it.

That's exactly how we built our own hardware collection. Every knob and pull we carry comes in three finishes: brushed Nickel/Stainless for a soft, traditional look that hides fingerprints well, Gold for warmth against white, sage, or wood cabinets, and Midnight Black for contrast and definition. If you're not sure which finish to choose, order a cabinet door sample and look at it under your actual kitchen lighting. Finishes can read very differently under warm versus cool light bulbs.

Getting Placement Right

Hardware placement is one of those details that's easy to get wrong and hard to unsee once it's on. As a general guideline, knobs on doors are placed near the corner closest to the counter or opening edge, while pulls on drawers are typically centered, either horizontally on smaller drawers or vertically on tall cabinet doors.

Before you drill anything, measure twice and consider asking for help. This is exactly the kind of detail our design team walks customers through every day.

Shop Cabinet Knobs, Pulls, and Handles

Our hardware collection is built to cover every option above in one place. Choose from a round knob (7/8"), a square knob (1-1/8"), or pulls ranging from 3-3/4" up to 12-1/2" to fit anything from a small drawer to a wide pot-and-pan pullout. Every piece is solid zinc construction and ships with cut-to-length screws included, so there's nothing extra to buy before you install. 

Not sure what will look best with your cabinet color and layout? Our in-house design team offers a free design service and can walk you through hardware pairing along with your full kitchen layout, at no cost. Prefer to plan it yourself? We give DIYers access to the same DIY tool our design team uses. And however you choose to plan your project, our support team is made up of real people who are ready to help, not a chatbot standing between you and an answer.

Shop cabinet knobs, pulls, and handles now, or reach out to our design team to find the perfect finish for your kitchen.