Cabinet Knobs, Pulls and Handles – What is the Right Choice?

The most important thing to decide on is the type of handle.

Whether a pull or a knob, the type of handle you choose should be one that you want to stay with. While you can always change out the hardware, the holes that held them will remain. On painted Cabinet Doors, these holes are possible to hide, but on wood cabinet doors, hiding those spots can be very challenging. You can always fill it with a matching putty, but it’s best to hide it if you can’t re-use it.

With that in mind: A knob can be changed to a handle, and you can either reuse or cover over the original hole, but a handle cannot be switched to a knob without leaving a hole or two exposed to view. A handle can be replaced with hardware the same length or longer, but a shorter handle will expose the marks.

Knobs vs Pulls: What to use where?

A broad rule of thumb is that if it has a hinge (cabinet door), use a knob, and if it has a slide (drawer front), use a pull. This is a rule that can be safely broken, though, so if you want to do all pull or all knobs, go right ahead. All knobs are great for a vintage look, while all pulls can be either used for traditional or contemporary designs.

Finishing Touches
The finish on your knobs or pulls doesn’t have to exactly match your faucet or lighting finishes within your kitchen or bath, but they should complement each other.

Staying On Budget
As we mentioned earlier, as long as you know what type of handles you want where you can trim some dollars now and upgrade later. We don’t recommend sticking with cheap hardware, because in the long run, you get what you pay for. That being said, it can be worth paying to take your time and shop around or save up for the perfect hardware for you.