OUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHOOSING CABINET PULLS FOR YOUR KITCHEN DRAWERS

If you are in the market for pulls for your kitchen, you probably already know that selecting the proper size pull for your kitchen drawers can be tricky.

That's where we come in!

Over the years of selling cabinet hardware, we have compiled a list of common questions about cabinet pull sizes for drawers.

In this, our ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHOOSING CABINET PULLS FOR YOUR KITCHEN DRAWERS; we are going to tackle some of your burning questions about cabinet pulls and drawers.

 

First, WHAT ARE CABINET DRAWERS?

This might seem obvious - but we think we should distinguish between a drawer and cabinet door.

Selecting cabinet hardware for your cabinets is different for doors and drawers. Check out our guide on HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SIZE PULL FOR YOUR CABINET DOOR.

Okay - so this article is about DRAWERS - so what is a cabinet drawer?

Well a cabinet drawer is a box shaped moving compartment that slides in and out of the cabinets. The box has a front face frame - or the drawer front - and that is where the pull is attached.

The width of this part of the cabinet is very important part of cabinet hardware selection, because that is where the measuring is done.

 

ARE ALL KITCHEN DRAWERS THE SAME SIZE?

No, not all drawer sizes are going to be the same width.

Kitchen drawers may vary in size in the same kitchen. You might have small drawers beside appliances like the range or dishwasher, while longer base cabinets may have a bank (stack) of large pots and pan drawers.

Here are some common drawer size widths.

Do Kitchen cabinet Drawers always get a pull?

Generally, yes. Drawers are just easier to use when you use a pull handle to open them.

 

How do I know what size pull will look good on my drawer?

While there is no set "rule" to determine the size of your cabinet pull for your kitchen drawers, we generally recommend starting out with the 1/3 guideline.

 

What is the 1/3 guideline?

The guideline is an easy measuring guide used in cabinet hardware selecting.

 

WHY USE THE 1/3 GUIDELINE FOR CHOOSING DRAWER PULLS?

Cabinet hardware sizing is all about PROPORTION, BALANCE, and SCALE. And the easy 1/3 guideline is a great jumping-off point.

 

HOW DOES THE 1/3 guideline work?

The 1/3 guideline means that the pull's overall length is approximately 1/3 of the length of the cabinet drawer.

 

 

To figure out what a third of your drawer size is, all you have to do is divide the width of your drawer by 3. But remember, we said approximately!

 

 

Should I always use different size pulls for different size drawers?

The quick answer is NO...but read on because there is more to this answer.

Kitchen cabinet pull placement comes down to a personal choice, and when deciding what size pulls you should use on your cabinet drawers,  there are generally TWO, equally attractive options.

 

1. ALL THE PULLS THE SAME SIZE
   
2. ADJUST THE PULLS TO THE SIZE OF THE DRAWER

Option Number 1: All pulls the same size:

It is just what it sounds like. All the pulls on every drawer will be the same size no matter of the drawer width of the drawer face.

 

WHAT SIZE PULL SHOULD I USE IF ALL OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE THE SAME SIZE?

For common drawer sizes we find that cabinet pulls in the 3" hole spacing to the 5" hole spacing are a good fit. That means they will be about 4" to about 7-1/2" overall length.

For more information on cabinet pull measuring, you can check out this article, where we give you a quick (very easy) guide on how to measure your cabinet pull handles.

 

 

In this kitchen pictured below, you can see that all the pulls are the same size. Notice how the same size pulls are mounted on drawers of varying widths? It is a really balance cohesive design that works well. For references, these pulls are all 5" hole spacing, or 7-3/8" overall length.

 

These pulls are are about 6 inches overall and work great on the "all pull the same size" method of cabinet hardware placement.  

 

 

OPTION 2: Pull Size Varies with drawer width

This option allows for you to modify the size of the pull to suit the size of the drawer. And this is where that 1/3 guide comes in really handy when choosing pulls for this design option.

In this variation, it means that wider drawers would have longer pulls, and smaller drawers would have shorter pulls.

 

 

See how this picture below illustrates how different size pulls look on drawers with different widths. This customer modified the size of the pull to the size of the drawer - and it creates a balanced cohesive look.

 

 

Okay, now lets take a look at some of the "specialized" drawers like long drawers or oversized drawers that are out there. What to do with those?

 

What size pulls should I use on oversized kitchen drawers or drawers that are 36 inches or wider?

 

Well, for those longer drawers you basically have THREE Options for pull placement:

• One long pull - using the 1/3 proportion (1/3 guideline)

• Two smaller pulls

• One pull - any size - not using the 1/3 proportion (1/3 guideline)

 

 

Let's take a look at each one and give you real life examples of the pull placement on the larger drawers. 

 

Option one: Wide drawers and one long pull

For this look you would use the 1/3 guideline to find a pull that is proportionally scaled to the size of the drawer. Generally the pulls would be at least 10 inches long.

If  you are going for one long pull on the wide drawers, then you may want to consider choosing European bar pulls for your kitchen. These pulls typically come in longer lengths, like 10 inches overall and are gorgeous!

 

Euro bar pulls come in many different sizes and finishes, so they are great for changing up the sizes on your cabinet drawers. This pull measures at 10" overall length so it is a nice size for those 36" drawers - as it measures about 1/3 - and doesn't exceed that.

 

This picture features a kitchen with a long cabinet pull placed on wide drawers. The bank of drawers on either side of the range are not only functional, but beautiful too!

 

Option two: Wide drawers and two pulls

For oversized drawers, having two pulls mounted on one drawer is an excellent option not only for design but also for function. Wide drawers are often deep and hold a lot of stuff, and sometimes they can get heavy. Consider what you will use the drawer for, and it may help you decide pull placement.

To get your  approximate size of each pull, just divide the length of the drawer by two, which will give you the 1/2 size of the drawer, and then refer back to your 1/3 guideline and go from there.

 

These gorgeous white shaker drawers sport a pair of 5-inch cabinet pulls in the brushed gold finish. The two-pulls-to-one drawer look is both attractive and practical. 

 

 

 

Option three: Wide drawers and one smaller pull:

 

 

As we mentioned, it is not uncommon to keep all drawer pulls the same size throughout the kitchen. This balanced, cohesive look is popular and looks great and yes, they still look great on the wide drawers. 

For this look, don't fret about the 1/3 rule, and keep all your cabinet pulls the same size - and it will look fantastic!

 

The cabinet pulls in this cheery kitchen are all the same size and strike a balanced look on long drawers and shorter drawers alike. 

 

 

 

WRAP UP

Well, there you have it. Our "how to" for choosing the right size pull for your kitchen cabinet drawer. As you can see it is all about proportion, scale and personal preference

We hope that this guide about cabinet pull handles helped to answer some questions about cabinet pull placement and sizing and gave you a jumping off point.

 

 

 

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