Replace handles for your old kitchen cupboards
Swapping your handles is the fastest, cheapest way to transform a kitchen — no renovation, no fuss. The only thing you really need to get right is the fit. Here's how, step by step.
New hardware changes the whole feel of a room in an afternoon. And it's genuinely easy: since cupboard handles were standardised back in the 1980s, finding a modern replacement that fits your existing screw holes is simple — once you know the one measurement that matters.
What you'll need
- A tape measure or ruler (millimetres)
- A screwdriver
- Your new handles or knobs
The one measurement that matters: CC size
CC stands for centre-to-centre — the distance between the middle of one screw hole and the middle of the other. Match this and your new handles drop straight onto the existing holes. No new drilling, no filler.
The most common sizes are 64, 96, 128 and 160 mm. Measure and get 98 mm? You almost certainly have CC 96 — a couple of millimetres either way is just a slightly off-centre drill hole and nothing to worry about.
There's a neat logic to those numbers: kitchen cabinets are built on the 32 mm system — the furniture industry's long-standing standard — so the common CC sizes are simply multiples of 32 (64 = 2×32, 96 = 3×32, 128 = 4×32, 160 = 5×32). Once you know that, your size is easy to recognise.
1Measure the CC size
Open the cupboard or drawer and measure, on the back of the door, from the centre of one screw to the centre of the other. Work in millimetres. That number is your CC size — write it down.
2Check behind the old handle
Before you commit to a style, take one handle off and look at the door underneath. If there are marks, scratches or a shadow where the old handle sat, choose a new design with a base large enough to cover it. If it's clean, you're free to pick any shape you like.
3Filter our range by your CC size
Now the easy part. Head to our handles and use the CC-size filter to show only the pieces that fit your cabinet doors. Everything you see will drop straight onto your existing holes.
4Choose your look
With the fit sorted, narrow down by the things that make it yours — material, colour, finish and brand. Not sure whether to go for solid brass, a stainless-steel look, or warm wood? Our guide to handle & knob materials explains how each one looks, feels and ages.
5Match your knobs to your handles
Most kitchens use both — handles on drawers, knobs on doors (or the other way round). Once you've found handles you love, it's easy to complete the look: pick knobs in the same material and finish so everything ties together.
6Check the door thickness & order
One last check before you order: measure how thick your cupboard doors are. We include the standard M4 machine screws that fit doors of 16–19 mm — if yours are thicker, just let us know and we'll pop longer M4 screws in with your order.
That's it. Your new handles arrive with everything you need to fit them, and an afternoon later your kitchen looks brand new.
Shop handles & knobsA few last tips
Measure more than one handle. On older kitchens the CC size is usually consistent, but it's worth checking two or three in case a previous owner mixed things up.
Order one first if you're unsure. If you're torn between finishes, order a single handle to try against your doors before buying the full set.
Take a photo. A quick picture of your kitchen makes it much easier to judge how a colour or finish will look before you commit.