Cabinet knobs vs pulls (edited: PIP added)

[Deleted]

How did you select your cabinet knobs/pulls?  Is going all pulls personal preference?  Are the pulls/knobs for your kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabs from the same collection?  Is it the same collection for the kitchen?  I'm wondering if you did mix/match pulls/knobs collection.

H really likes to have the same cabinet pull we have at our current house.  Unfortunately, they only have 1 size.  I believe it's 5.5in OC.  We have cabinets that are narrow (like the spice rack pullout).  We would also need a bigger pull, appliance pull.

Do you prefer all pulls, all knobs (maybe except where an appliance pull is needed), or mix?


ETA:  PIP below.

[Blueper]

Unless you have an ultra-modern kitchen with straight pulls, I like a combo of the two with knobs on top and pulls on the bottom.

[decoraholic]

We did knobs for cabinets and pulls for drawers and pullout shelving cabinets. They are from RH so the finish matches, but they aren't from the same line. I did get one smaller pull for a small pullout cabinet, so it matches the rest of the pulls, just shorter.

We probably won't be matching our bathroom hardware to our kitchen. The vanity we ordered for our current bathroom reno came with hardware that we'll probably use for now, and even if we replaced the hardware I can't justify another $50-70 on RH knobs/pulls for it, which is a bummer because I love their cabinet hardware. I'll probably get something cheaper if we do replace the hardware.

[Deleted]

Thanks. Kitchen is not finish yet (missing glass in upper cabs, backsplash, upper cab bottom trims to hide lighting, more panels, 2nd oven, etc). But here's a PIP. Any recommendation on what you think would look good? I'm exhausted in choosing. lol. Anyway, I need ideas



Here's the main tile for backsplash:



The back of the niche will have a 2-tone diamond travertine mosaic.

Here's the pull we used in the entire kitchen at current house.

[FoxInFiji]

It's all personal preference but I like a mix of knobs and pulls and various sizes because the pulls and knobs should be sized with the drawer/door they are on. It's more visually pleasing that way. A tall pantry door should have a larger pull than an upper cabinet which should have a larger pull than a small drawer.

When I drew out our bathroom vanity and storage cabinet I saw it looked a lot better to use pulls on the big deep drawers in the storage cabinet and knobs on the small drawers of the vanity right next to it. I even bought smaller knobs for the two drawers under the sink so they stuck out less (no catching on clothes when you lean over the sink) and fit the small doors more proportionally. I used knobs and pulls from different collections but in the same finish and from the same manufacturer so it looked uniform.








Master bathroom plan with hardware shown:

Using the same size pull/knob on the tiny vanity drawers and the big storage drawers would look odd.


I wouldn't use the same hardware in the kitchen and the bathroom.  There are so many awesome choices for hardware using only one (and only one size at that) would be boring.  Since you're kitchen is already built maybe try some painters tape to visual the size and location on some of the drawers/doors in question.

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2013 11:23:23 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

It's all personal preference but I like a mix of knobs and pulls and various sizes because the pulls and knobs should be sized with the drawer/door they are on. It's more visually pleasing that way. A tall pantry door should have a larger pull than an upper cabinet which should have a larger pull than a small drawer.

When I drew out our bathroom vanity and storage cabinet I saw it looked a lot better to use pulls on the big deep drawers in the storage cabinet and knobs on the small drawers of the vanity right next to it. I even bought smaller knobs for the two drawers under the sink so they stuck out less (no catching on clothes when you lean over the sink) and fit the small doors more proportionally. I used knobs and pulls from different collections but in the same finish and from the same manufacturer so it looked uniform. 

Thanks.  Very good points especially on clothes catching on a knob.  Didn't think about that.

On the pantry pullout, not sure what to do with it since it's ~15" wide and as tall as the refrigerator, 2-panel.

[FoxInFiji]

Jan 29, 2013 11:02:28 GMT -5 d0ri said:

Thanks. Kitchen is not finish yet (missing glass in upper cabs, backsplash, upper cab bottom trims to hide lighting, more panels, 2nd oven, etc). But here's a PIP. Any recommendation on what you think would look good? I'm exhausted in choosing. lol. Anyway, I need ideas

I would do knobs on all of the upper cabinets because they are easier to grab from below (the pulls in your old house for example you had to grab from the center because the top and bottom were too shallow to fit your fingers behind) and I like the look of less hardware up there.  Definitely use knobs on the upper row with the glass panels at least...unless the glass panel and the door below are all one door.

For the drawers I would use pulls in 1-2 sizes based on the width of the drawer.  The ones I'm see in this picture look pretty uniform so you might be able to get away with all one size on those.  I might use a wider handle on the drawer below the oven if that cabinet is wider than the others.

For the doors in the lower cabinets I'd use knobs.

For the spice rack pull out I'd use a knob.  It's hard to tell is there a tall pantry pull out next to the fridge?

What is the style you're looking for?  This kitchen seems too traditional for pulls like your old house had.  What color are you thinking?  Is there any inspiration pictures with handles you really like? 

[FoxInFiji]

Jan 29, 2013 11:29:12 GMT -5 d0ri said:

Thanks.  Very good points especially on clothes catching on a knob.  Didn't think about that.

On the pantry pullout, not sure what to do with it since it's ~15" wide and as tall as the refrigerator, 2-panel.

On the pantry pull out I personally like an extra long pull.  Sometimes called an appliance pull when they get past a certain size.  But a bigger 8-10" pull would look good on that. 

OK a couple of the other things I considered when I picked hardware...LOL can you tell I kind of love this stuff? 

 - smaller knobs or pulls under the sinks that have less projection

 - for cabinet doors near the wall make sure the hardware won't hit the wall when fully open

 - pulls that are actually big enough to fit your whole hand in and your knuckles behind.  Big pet peeve of mine.  When I ordered the hardware for our master bedroom dresser, closet, and nightstands I found a kitchen design center that had the collection on display and I found the smallest size pull wouldn't meet those requirements but the two larger size pulls were perfect.

 - consider if you want decorative/unique hardware.  Cabinet latches for the very upper cabinets for example.  Part of how I picked the bedroom hardware was I liked the ring pull and was thinking of using it on a door in the dresser.  Then I found the knobs and pulls and loved the whole collection.



It's the Amerock Blackrock collection.  I loved the simple yet still craftsman look (not the hammered everything you see on hardware meant to be craftsman) and the fact that it came in a black iron finish to match the light fixture in the space.   

 - coordinate with other elements in the space.  I don't know if you'll have anything like this in the kitchen but in the main bathroom I picked the pulls because they has the same band detail as the towel bar and robe hooks. 

(pull posted in previous post)

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2013 11:35:33 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

I would do knobs on all of the upper cabinets because they are easier to grab from below (the pulls in your old house for example you had to grab from the center because the top and bottom were too shallow to fit your fingers behind) and I like the look of less hardware up there.  Definitely use knobs on the upper row with the glass panels at least...unless the glass panel and the door below are all one door.

For the drawers I would use pulls in 1-2 sizes based on the width of the drawer.  The ones I'm see in this picture look pretty uniform so you might be able to get away with all one size on those.  I might use a wider handle on the drawer below the oven if that cabinet is wider than the others.

For the doors in the lower cabinets I'd use knobs.

For the spice rack pull out I'd use a knob.  It's hard to tell is there a tall pantry pull out next to the fridge?

What is the style you're looking for?  This kitchen seems too traditional for pulls like your old house had.  What color are you thinking?  Is there any inspiration pictures with handles you really like? 

The glass panel and door below are one door.  Does this affect your recommendation of using knobs?

The drawers vary in sizes.  Don't remember exact measurements since they're custom but they're somewhere around 8", 12", 15", 18", 24", and 30".  Can't remember if there's a 27".

There's only 4 cabinet doors (except the ones below the overhang in the sitting area.  there's 6  down there which I think better to use a less noticeable hardware, so a knob?) which are at the sink cabinets.  Everything else are drawers or some type of a pullout.  Since there's only 4, won't they look odd to be different?

Yes, there's a tall pantry by the fridge.

Not sure what style I like.  Someone on MM suggested vintage like the following RH pulls (and the matching knobs):

RH vintage pull

Color?  I'm thinking satin nickel or maybe polished.  The island light is an RH polished nickel. 

[spankswife]

A - your kitchen is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

B - I prefer knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. Sometimes the drawers are too heay for a knob. Although, because your cabinets are very tall, a pull would look nice too, sort of emulate the length. I might try to find something that compliments your fridge door handle, sort of rounded. And it goes with the round lights... I also like the cup pulls on the drawers

[FoxInFiji]

Jan 29, 2013 11:57:32 GMT -5 d0ri said:

The glass panel and door below are one door.  Does this affect your recommendation of using knobs?

The drawers vary in sizes.  Don't remember exact measurements since they're custom but they're somewhere around 8", 12", 15", 18", 24", and 30".  Can't remember if there's a 27".

There's only 4 cabinet doors (except the ones below the overhang in the sitting area.  there's 6  down there which I think better to use a less noticeable hardware, so a knob?) which are at the sink cabinets.  Everything else are drawers or some type of a pullout.  Since there's only 4, won't they look odd to be different?

Yes, there's a tall pantry by the fridge.

Not sure what style I like.  Someone on MM suggested vintage like the following RH pulls (and the matching knobs):

RH vintage pull

Color?  I'm thinking satin nickel or maybe polished.  The island light is an RH polished nickel. 

I'd just put a knob at the bottom corner on the upper cabinets and call it a day.  Just an FYI knobs are normally placed in the center of the vertical part of the frame and centered where the edge of the bottom part of the frame ends and the center panel meet.  It's not centered in both the vertical and horizontal part of the frame.  So the knob is just a little above that point which makes the door easier to open.  Does that make sense?  So for your extra tall doors I'd check to see if that's an easy spot to open from or if you need it a little higher than that. 

So the unofficial rule of sizing drawers is anything over 30-36" needs two pulls or one extra long one.  I'd keep it simple and just stick to single pulls on drawers.  With all those sizes I'd group some of the sizes together.  For example 24 and 30" drawers would get one size pull (like a 6" size) and the 12-18" drawers would get one size smaller (4-5" size).  The 8" wide I'd probably use a knob for since that's pretty small.  My vanities have 9 1/2" wide drawers for reference and I think they look better with a knob but you could go with a tiny pull (the 3" size...but note they won't fit your whole hand or knuckles behind). 

I think any mix of knobs and pulls will look fine since you're using both in a lot of spots.  It's when you only use knobs in one to two spots that it can look odd.

I love the look of bin pulls but not the functionality in a kitchen.  I find that I grab all of our drawer pulls from the top since they are below me and a bin pull wouldn't allow me to do that. 

What is the finish on the lights and faucets?  I'd probably go with one of those for a hardware finish.  I love polished hardware.  It seems like of all the places you see fingerprints and water spots cabinet hardware isn't one of them so it's a fun place to add some shine.  We used polished nickel in the master bathroom and it really slimmed down our choices (which could be good or bad LOL) so I would probably start there.  Chrome or brushed nickel is much easier to find. 

Eh I'm not a fan of hardware with mixed materials.  I like RH's options but not their prices.  Here's a few of options I've looked at:

Hickory Hardware Studio


This one is very popular in kitchens and can be found at big box stores and online.  Pictures here and here. 


Something a little more traditional looking my work better with your cabinet style. 

Schaub Company and Classic Brass both have a lot of nice traditional options.  Both carry a lot of polished nickel.
schaubandcompany.com/products-styles.php?styleID=2
www.classic-brass.com/main.asp?page=1158

Schaub Company options:


I've always loved these window sash pulls and they come in lots of sizes and appliance pulls as well.  A bunch of people carry these.  RH has a nice set.

Classic Brass options:



HD's Martha Stewart line:

www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202241370/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053#.UQgJZGdJ2Xo
These have a limited number of sizes though and I couldn't fit my hand in this size.

I also really like Amerock and Emtek.  Both carry appliance pulls with most of their lines. 
emtek.com/cabinet-knobs
www.amerock.com/decorative/pull.html

This guy is kind of fun and unexpected:

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2013 11:54:18 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

On the pantry pull out I personally like an extra long pull.  Sometimes called an appliance pull when they get past a certain size.  But a bigger 8-10" pull would look good on that. 

OK a couple of the other things I considered when I picked hardware...LOL can you tell I kind of love this stuff? 

 - smaller knobs or pulls under the sinks that have less projection

 - for cabinet doors near the wall make sure the hardware won't hit the wall when fully open

 - pulls that are actually big enough to fit your whole hand in and your knuckles behind.  Big pet peeve of mine.  When I ordered the hardware for our master bedroom dresser, closet, and nightstands I found a kitchen design center that had the collection on display and I found the smallest size pull wouldn't meet those requirements but the two larger size pulls were perfect.

 - consider if you want decorative/unique hardware.  Cabinet latches for the very upper cabinets for example.  Part of how I picked the bedroom hardware was I liked the ring pull and was thinking of using it on a door in the dresser.  Then I found the knobs and pulls and loved the whole collection.



It's the Amerock Blackrock collection.  I loved the simple yet still craftsman look (not the hammered everything you see on hardware meant to be craftsman) and the fact that it came in a black iron finish to match the light fixture in the space.   

 - coordinate with other elements in the space.  I don't know if you'll have anything like this in the kitchen but in the main bathroom I picked the pulls because they has the same band detail as the towel bar and robe hooks. 

(pull posted in previous post)

Pantry pullout --- It's ~15"Wx72"H, 2-panel, one panel on top of the other.  Where would you put a 8"/10" pull?

Dishwasher panel ---  Do you think an 8" pull is big enough?

Tilt out sink cabinet tray (also called sponge tray?)  ----  Pull or knob???

RE less projection knobs/pulls under sink --- Won't they look odd to be different?  Just wondering.  Maybe not. 

Decorative/Unique?  We actually prefer simple, not intricate, easy to clean hardware.

I like the Blackrock collection.

What collection/brand are the last 2?

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2013 12:01:48 GMT -5 spankswife said:

A - your kitchen is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

B - I prefer knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. Sometimes the drawers are too heay for a knob. Although, because your cabinets are very tall, a pull would look nice too, sort of emulate the length. I might try to find something that compliments your fridge door handle, sort of rounded. And it goes with the round lights... I also like the cup pulls on the drawers

Thanks spankswife.  I hope it's a kitchen that won't go out of style, at least the cabinets.

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2013 12:52:00 GMT -5 FoxInFiji said:

I'd just put a knob at the bottom corner on the upper cabinets and call it a day.  Just an FYI knobs are normally placed in the center of the vertical part of the frame and centered where the edge of the bottom part of the frame ends and the center panel meet.  It's not centered in both the vertical and horizontal part of the frame.  So the knob is just a little above that point which makes the door easier to open.  Does that make sense?  So for your extra tall doors I'd check to see if that's an easy spot to open from or if you need it a little higher than that. 

So the unofficial rule of sizing drawers is anything over 30-36" needs two pulls or one extra long one.  I'd keep it simple and just stick to single pulls on drawers.  With all those sizes I'd group some of the sizes together.  For example 24 and 30" drawers would get one size pull (like a 6" size) and the 12-18" drawers would get one size smaller (4-5" size).  The 8" wide I'd probably use a knob for since that's pretty small.  My vanities have 9 1/2" wide drawers for reference and I think they look better with a knob but you could go with a tiny pull (the 3" size...but note they won't fit your whole hand or knuckles behind). 

I think any mix of knobs and pulls will look fine since you're using both in a lot of spots.  It's when you only use knobs in one to two spots that it can look odd.

I love the look of bin pulls but not the functionality in a kitchen.  I find that I grab all of our drawer pulls from the top since they are below me and a bin pull wouldn't allow me to do that. 

What is the finish on the lights and faucets?  I'd probably go with one of those for a hardware finish.  I love polished hardware.  It seems like of all the places you see fingerprints and water spots cabinet hardware isn't one of them so it's a fun place to add some shine.  We used polished nickel in the master bathroom and it really slimmed down our choices (which could be good or bad LOL) so I would probably start there.  Chrome or brushed nickel is much easier to find. 

Eh I'm not a fan of hardware with mixed materials.  I like RH's options but not their prices.  Here's a few of options I've looked at:

Hickory Hardware Studio


This one is very popular in kitchens and can be found at big box stores and online.  Pictures here and here. 


Something a little more traditional looking my work better with your cabinet style. 

Schaub Company and Classic Brass both have a lot of nice traditional options.  Both carry a lot of polished nickel.
schaubandcompany.com/products-styles.php?styleID=2
www.classic-brass.com/main.asp?page=1158

Schaub Company options:


I've always loved these window sash pulls and they come in lots of sizes and appliance pulls as well.  A bunch of people carry these.  RH has a nice set.

Classic Brass options:



HD's Martha Stewart line:

www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202241370/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053#.UQgJZGdJ2Xo
These have a limited number of sizes though and I couldn't fit my hand in this size.

I also really like Amerock and Emtek.  Both carry appliance pulls with most of their lines. 
emtek.com/cabinet-knobs
www.amerock.com/decorative/pull.html

This guy is kind of fun and unexpected:

Knob location ----  My imagination is not working right now.  LOL.  If you can, do you mind PIP?  Thanks. 

Thanks for the pull sizing guidelines.

Finish of lights and faucets ----  The island lights are polished nickel.  The faucets are SS.  Good to know that polished cabinet hardware don't show fingerprints/water spots!

I like the look of the classic brass hardware.  What's the collection/brand?

[FoxInFiji]

Here's a graphic of the knob location I was trying to explain:


This is the corner of a door frame (ie. the raised part on a shaker style door). The knobs are usually placed just above the center of bottom (horizontal) portion of the frame. There is no hard fast rule that says they have to be there but it might help with the weight of the tall upper doors you have.

Well our polished hardware in the bathroom isn't showing fingerprints/waterspots anywhere near as much as the shower fixture is. It think it's because they aren't a big surface area so if they do have fingerprints you can't tell. LOL.

Classic Brass 1151 is the knob. Classic Brass 1857 is the pull. They were the second runners up for our master bathroom and come in polished nickel. I've seen a few of their displays in person and they are a nice quality.

Sponge tilt out depends. Is it supposed to look like a drawer with sink doors below? If it's supposed to look like a drawer I'd probably put a pull there and knobs on the doors below.

Re: projection. So you know I'm super anal right? Yeah OK so I just ordered both of the available sizes they are barely noticeably smaller and have barely any difference in projection...like a 1/4" for ours now that I look it up LOL. If you look really close at the walnut vanity picture the knobs on the doors under the sink are the smaller size and all other knobs are the bigger size.

The Classic Brass 1151 only comes in one size:
www.classic-brass.com/main.asp?page=2726

Oh I almost forgot about these guys which I really like.

They come in the standard two size options. The bigger ones are easier to grab.

The Blackrock also comes in a satin nickel finish as well and in my search for pictures before I bought them it seems to be used in a lot of kitchens as well. It has a round or square knob and lots of pull lengths including some appliance pulls.




There's a pantry door example for you but those are double doors. Hmm I've never done a kitchen so I'm not sure about the pantry but here is a discussion with some pictures for you:
ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0813312221150.html

For the dishwasher an appliance pull would be great but Classic Brass doesn't have any in that style. I guess I would go with the biggest handle you can find that matches if you want to use them. Schaub & Company has some appliance pulls. This one comes in PN and isn't bad:



www.myknobs.com/ss881pn.html

Maybe you go with pulls that match that for the rest of the kitchen. Or even mix in a similar looking appliance pull from a different manufacturer. Odds are no one will notice. It just depends on your personal preference...again these are all just suggestions I'm trying to help out. Go with what you like!


What collection/brand are the last 2?

You mean the robe hook and towel bar end? They are Gatco Max.

[Deleted]

FoxInFiji --- Thanks for the diagram.

Sponge tilt out looks like the upper drawers.

This reminds me. The upper drawers (of the base cabs) have recessed panels because if we used raised panel as well, the raised part would be too narrow. I'm thinking the hardware should be different from the raised paneled drawers below??? WDYT?

[Deleted]

Regarding the appliance pull, H seems okay to have it different from the others.

[sratsey]

Your kitchen is GORGEOUS. I love the giant, industrial lights over the island.

We have knobs on doors and pulls on drawers. They're from the same collection. On wide drawers I have two pulls.
On my dishwasher panel I just used a pull. We have an appliance pull on the fridge panel because the panel is huge. That's the only thing that came from a different collection.

[FoxInFiji]

Jan 29, 2013 16:58:29 GMT -5 d0ri said:

FoxInFiji --- Thanks for the diagram.

Sponge tilt out looks like the upper drawers.

This reminds me. The upper drawers (of the base cabs) have recessed panels because if we used raised panel as well, the raised part would be too narrow. I'm thinking the hardware should be different from the raised paneled drawers below??? WDYT?

No I'd keep the location of the handle in the same spot wherever you decide.  Ignore the difference in panel types.  If you stay away from the smallest handles and knobs they have that extra room to get your hand behind so if you put the knob/pull in the center it should clear the frame.  I worried about that for the bathroom vanities because they are all recessed and the drawers are so small but they worked out great. 

Maybe do a little searching on GW for a DW handle post.  I'm sure there are some.  I don't know if different types/brands require the handle to be in a certain spot or if there is a benefit to have a bigger pull or not.  Maybe for hanging a dish cloth on if you did that?  IDK