Cabinet Pulls for Doors and Drawers
A pull is two-point hardware — it mounts with two screws set a fixed distance apart, called the drill centers or center-to-center. That spacing is the single most important number when shopping for pulls: it has to match the holes already drilled in your cabinet, or you're patching and re-drilling.
Finding your drill centers
Measure between the centers of your two existing screw holes, not the edges. Common spacings run 3", 3-3/4", 4", 5", and 6-5/16", though European and modern cabinet lines sometimes use metric spacing like 96mm or 128mm. If you're drilling new holes rather than matching old ones, drawers under 24" typically take a 3" to 4" pull; wider drawers and most doors look better with 5" to 8".
Styles and finishes
Bar pulls are the modern default — a straight bar mounted on two posts, sized from 3" up to well over a foot for oversized drawers. Cup pulls read more traditional, especially on furniture-style cabinetry. Wire pulls use a thinner bent-wire profile for a lighter, transitional look. Full-size appliances with panel fronts usually need appliance pulls, which run longer and mount to a panel rather than a door.
Pulls vs. knobs
Doors swing on a hinge, so a single-point knob is enough to open one. Drawers slide straight out, and a wider drawer is easier to open with two hands spread across a pull. The common kitchen pairing is pulls on drawers, knobs on doors — browse the full pulls and handles selection to compare across brands, or order a free sample before committing to a finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size pulls should I use on shaker cabinets?
Shaker doors and drawers have flat center panels wide enough for almost any length, so sizing comes down to proportion rather than clearance. A good rule of thumb is a pull roughly one-third the width of the drawer front — 3" to 4" on a narrow drawer, 5" to 6" on a standard 24" drawer, and 8"+ on oversized drawers or islands. Doors typically take a single pull mounted vertically near the opening edge.
What are standard drill centers for cabinet pulls?
The most common spacings are 3", 3-3/4" (96mm), 4", 5", and 6-5/16" (160mm), with European cabinet lines often built around 96mm or 128mm metric spacing. Measure center-to-center between your existing screw holes before ordering — a pull with the wrong spacing won't mount without drilling new holes.
Can I mix knobs and pulls in the same kitchen?
Yes — pulls on drawers and knobs on doors is one of the most common kitchen combinations, since a two-handed pull suits a sliding drawer and a single knob is enough for a swinging door. Keep the finish and general style consistent between the two so the room reads as one set rather than two mismatched purchases.
How many pulls do I need for my kitchen?
Plan one pull per drawer front and one per door, then add two or three spares for future replacements. A typical 10-cabinet kitchen with a mix of doors and drawers usually lands between 15 and 25 pieces total — count your actual doors and drawers rather than estimating, since panel-front appliances and pull-out trash bins are easy to miss.
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