7 Designer Tips To Consider Before Swapping Your Pulls and Knobs

In home improvement, small details can make a big difference. One simple change that can really update your kitchen or furniture is swapping out the knobs and pulls. These small pieces come in many different styles, shapes, and colors, and each one can add its own special touch to your home. But picking the right knobs and pulls isn't just about how they look; you also need to think about how they work and fit with your furniture.

Table of Content

  1. Avoid Non-Round Knobs
  2. Matching Metal Finishes
  3. Replicate The Knob's Diameter
  4. Consider The Knob Base
  5. Make it Cohesive With The Style of The Piece
  6. For Pulls: Measure From The Center of The Screw to The Center of The Screw
  7. Trimming Excess Screw Length

1- Avoid Non-Round Knobs

You want to avoid anything that's square or oval because when they aren't perfectly straight, and over time they will loosen and turn around, you can clearly se it, unlike a round knob that always looks like a circle, whether it's a little bit loose or always tight, any other shape will betray the fact that it's not perfectly straight.

2- Match Metal Finishes

Make sure that your metal finish that you're choosing for the knobs aligns with the metal finish for the piece itself if there are components that are metal.

3- Replicate The Knob's Diameter

Pay attention to is the diameter of the current knob and replicate it, because the proportion is correct, it looks good, you want to replicate the diameter of the knob, many times the knob is 1.25 inches, that's pretty much the most common knob size that is found when replacing knobs.

4- Consider The Knob Base

Often people forget the base of the knob. When you take a knob off, sometimes you find that the base is kinda dug in the material, you may also find in a painted nightstand for example, that when you remove the knob, it's not consistent all the way underneath, the color under the pre-existing knob is a little bit different that the paint color. You may also find that there's some damage under the knob or you just never know. So you wanna make sure you pick a new knob that has a base diameter that's larger than the base diameter of the previous knob, that way it covers any imperfections.

5- Make it cohesive with the style of the piece

Cohesiveness in design ensures that the new knobs enhance the overall look of the furniture. Same thing for pulls. For example:
- For a modern kitchen with grey shaker cabinets, consider brass pulls to provide a subtle yet stylish contrast to stainless steel appliances and chrome sink faucets. This combination creates a balanced and visually appealing look.

- In traditional settings, glass or crystal knobs can be paired with white shaker cabinets to create an elegant and timeless style. This approach adds a touch of sophistication while maintaining the overall cohesiveness of the design​.

- For rustic or farmhouse-style kitchens, nickel or chrome hardware often complements the natural wood tones and adds a touch of durability and simplicity to the design​

6- For Pulls: Measure From the center of the screw to the center of the screw

  • when you're changing pulls, you have a little bit more homework to do, you need to open that drawer or cabinet, and measure from the center of the screw to the center of the screw, that's the actual size that will be listed when you're shopping for new pulls, a lot of times people measure the outside of the handle, from one edge to the other outer edge, but the problem is you don't wanna be drilling new holes, you wanna use the pre-existing holes and just find something that will slide in perfectly.

7- Trimming Excess Screw Length

When you replace the knob, but the part of the screw that's on the end of the knob that would go through the hole is a lot longer than the drawer face, so you have all this extra kind of flat head screw sticking out beyond the back of the dresser, which means that your jewelry is gonna get caught on the area, your socks are gonna get caught, it's just a messy look inside, you can ask my handy man to cut it or trim it.

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