New hardware is one of the quickest ways to refresh a kitchen, and installing it yourself takes more patience than skill. The whole job comes down to one thing: putting every hole in exactly the right place. Measure once, build a jig, and the rest is repetition.
What you’ll need
- Tape measure and a small square
- Pencil and painter’s tape
- Drill with a small pilot bit and a bit matched to the hardware screws (often 3/16 in.)
- A scrap of wood or a store-bought hardware jig
- Screwdriver, plus a scrap block to clamp behind the door
Where to put the hardware
There’s no law here, but these placements are what most kitchens use because they fall naturally to hand.
| Cabinet | Typical placement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Drawers | Centered on the drawer front (or on the top rail of a Shaker front) | Balanced and easy to grab |
| Base doors | Near the top corner on the opening side | Within reach without bending |
| Wall doors | Near the bottom corner on the opening side | Within reach from below |
| Tall / pantry doors | Around counter height, roughly 36–42 in. from the floor | Comfortable standing reach |
| Small doors (above ovens, fridges) | Centered vertically, near the opening edge | Easy to reach overhead |
Tip
Tape it up first
Stick your pulls to a few doors with painter’s tape and live with them for a day. It’s much easier to change your mind about size or placement before there are holes.
Step by step
1. Find the screw spacing
Pulls are sold by center-to-center distance: the space between the two screw holes, commonly 3 in., 96 mm or 128 mm. If it isn’t listed, measure it on the pull. Knobs need just one hole.
2. Mark the first door
Lay painter’s tape where the hardware goes and mark the hole centers on the tape. Check that the pull is square to the door edge and the right distance from it.
3. Build (or buy) a jig
Drill your hole pattern through a scrap of wood with a lip that hooks over the door edge. Now every door gets the exact same placement, and you can flip the jig for left- and right-hand doors. Adjustable hardware jigs do the same job.
4. Drill from the front
Start with a small pilot bit, then step up to the final size. Drilling from the face keeps the visible side clean; clamping a scrap block behind the door stops the back from splintering as the bit exits. You can always enlarge a hole, never shrink one.
5. Attach the hardware
Hold the pull on the front and drive the screws from the back until snug. Don’t over-tighten; stripped threads in the pull are hard to fix. If the screws are too long for the door thickness, use the break-away or shorter screws most hardware includes.
6. Repeat and clean up
Work through doors of the same size in batches, then drawers. Wipe off dust and tape residue as you go.
Good to know
Replacing old hardware?
If the new pull has a different spacing, the old holes will show. Choose a pull with the same center-to-center, or use a backplate to cover the old holes.
Choosing hardware before you install? Our cabinet hardware guide covers styles, sizes and finishes.