Was it first the knob and then the handle? Or vice versa? We don’t have a clue.

But the fact is, both knobs and handles are the far most popular furniture hardware to have on your kitchen cabinets today. Sure, there are cabinets with milled handles. And even motorized push back hinges that automatically open the doors for you. But most kitchens are still heavily dependent on having a proper “device” to open and close it.

The handles and knobs are there for several reasons, but one thing is sure. It’s the functionality to open and close the cabinet or drawer that is the most important.

Sure, it should look good and align with the rest of the kitchen. But there is no point in having either a knob or a handle if you can’t open the cupboard to fetch your favourite coffee mug in the morning.

But let’s break down the physics of the “normal” kitchen today. You have various drawers, cabinet doors and sometimes integrated, larger appliances like dishwashers or refrigerators. What does work best, and where?

Smaller handles or knobs on shorter drawers

First basic rule. The shorter drawer, the trimmer can the grip you use to open it be. Knobs, almost as common in kitchens as handles, work perfectly on smaller drawers or the top cabinet doors. Those doors and drawers are often light weighted and easily opened.

At the same time, wide handles would look too big and un proportionally on smaller drawers.

Firm grip on heavy and oversized doors

More oversized doors need more pull strength. Its fundamental physics, the better grip you have on something, the easier it is to pull it. The same goes for kitchens. A small, wooden knob is not ideal for a full-height built-in refrigerator. Make sure to adapt the size of the handle to its drawer or cabinet. The wider the handle, the better grip and ability to open it is. If you are thinking of using profile handles, then make sure the “lip” of the handle has a good enough angle and height.

Remember, a kitchen is made to last for 10-20 years. Imagine if you would be bothered about the lack of grip every time you had to open the refrigerator. That would bother you at least four times every day for ten years. People get mad for less.

Position the handles the right way

Different to knobs, the way you position the handle makes a huge difference. While a knob looks almost identical, placed vertical or horizontal, the handle gets a far different position.

Cabinet doors

The general rule for cabinet doors placed below chest height is to mount the knobs and handles in the top corner. While all cabinet doors above chest height should have the handle or knob mounted oppositely in the bottom corner.

Make sure to place the handles and knobs in the corner that opens.

The best is to position handles vertically, although horizontally can also work. Try out what feels more natural for you.

Drawers

Place the handle or knob top centre on drawers. Avoid having them centre vertically. It’s more natural to have it on the top side of the drawer—both from an aesthetic look and functionality. Wider drawers that are more and more common today might functionally work better with a handle rather than a knob.

Full-size cabinet doors

Integrated refrigerators or pantries where the door goes from the bottom of the kitchen to the ceiling require larger handles. A knob on these is, in general, nothing to recommend. The wider grip, the better. Our suggestion is to start from the centre of the height and align the handle in the middle. That way, everyone in the family, regardless of their size, can grab the door quickly. Make sure to align every grip on the same height if you have more than one full-size cabinet door.

There is no “One size fits all.”

Sure, 30 years back, no one put energy into making furniture hardware different. You were stuck with a few other models, and many times, it was the same knob that went on every drawer. Today is different. Most of the knobs have matching handles. And the opposite around. Make sure to combine them. Most of our furniture hardware can be combined with several knobs and handles.

Summary

Pointed down to a few simple bullets to remember when you decide where to place the handles and the knobs:

Larger drawers work better with wider handles
Heavy, built-in appliances should have at least handles and not knobs.
Small drawers and top cabinets work better with knobs
Place handles top centre on drawers
Place knobs and handles in the top/bottom corner of cabinet doors, depending on if the cabinet is in the lower part of the kitchen or the top part.
Don’t be afraid to combine knobs and handles in the same kitchen.