You’ve diligently, primed, painted, and rehung all the doors and there is one final step between you and the finish line – installing the hardware. (Check out my post on How to Paint Cabinets Like A Pro!)
I don’t know about you but the thought of drilling holes into that gorgeous, clean finish is daunting enough but what if you make a mistake? Can you fill the hole and cover it? How much longer will it take to repaint those spots? And what if the hardware isn’t straight when you do finally get it installed?
This tutorial and video is your pain-free guide to drilling perfectly placed kitchen hardware holes the first time, every time. And with this method, you’ll never risk drilling through that pristine new paint job. I’ll show you my best secrets to filling old cabinet hardware holes so they are completely undetectable!
Cabinet Knob And Handles Placement: How And Where To Place Them
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When I started painting furniture and cabinets, I remember searching through video tutorials of one of my favorite furniture painters. I just knew she would have an easy way to ensure precision holes in cabinet doors and furniture.
To my surprise, there were no videos on how to install cabinet handles and it didn’t take long to find out why. She said in one tutorial that she hired out hardware installation to professionals.
How To Install Hardware On Cabinet Doors And Drawers
Because I didn’t want to go to the trouble and extra expense of hiring that out, I started experimenting with furniture projects and found the easiest way to drill cabinet hardware PERFECTLY. (And as a recovering perfectionist, I don’t throw around the “p” word lightly!)
With this tutorial, I’ll show you how to install cabinet handles without all the stress and in a fraction of the time.
This process is fast and easy using a cabinet hardware jig. I prefer this aluminum jig that doesn’t bend and helps you make perfectly placed holes every time: My Favorite Cabinet Hardware Jig
Kitchen Cabinet Hardware Ideas Easy To Recreate
Painting your own kitchen cabinets is a huge undertaking but the work is so worthwhile once you experience the satisfaction of seeing the new look of your kitchen! No project can change the look of an entire room the way painting cabinets can transform a kitchen.
But whether you are painting old cabinets or installing new cabinets yourself, hardware installation can be difficult because if it’s not done precisely, you WILL be able to tell. Since all of your handles are lined up in a row, it will be obvious if one isn’t straight.
Say you drill a hole in the wrong location. You can drill a new one of course but filling and repainting the old hole is not only an additional step, but there’s a good chance you will be able to see where the old hole was patched.
Zinc Alloy Kitchen Cupboard Pulls
But no worries! I am with you every step of the way to show you how to install cabinet knobs and pull handles perfectly the first time.
The most important tool when learning how to install cabinet handles is a cabinet hardware jig, which helps you drill perfect holes quickly and painlessly. I love the fact that it actually attaches to each door or drawer so it frees up my hands to drill the holes.
You won’t believe how much faster the process goes with this cabinet jig as it takes ALL the frustration out of installing cabinet hardware.
The Top Knobs Guide To Decorative Hardware Placement
This hardware jig template is mostly aluminum which prevents bending when I’m trying to align the jig to mark holes on my cabinet doors. Also, its mounting holes are incredibly accurate in ensuring that each of your door holes is in the exact same location on all the other doors.
Unlike a plastic template or piece of cardboard, this hardware jig can adapt to any knob or handle. It can be adjusted to any hardware no matter if I’m drilling holes for cup pulls, extra-long drawer pulls, appliance pulls, or European hardware with little room for error. I can also use my jig on any furniture drawers or doors
Cabinet Hardware Jig – I picked this particular jig because it was mostly aluminum and had the best reviews on Amazon. I loved how easy it was to adjust but it also stayed tightly in place as I went quickly from drawer to drawer making holes: See Hardware Jig Reviews and the Current Price Here
Ravinte 5 Pack 5 Inch Cabinet Pulls Brushed Brass Stainless Steel Kitchen Drawer Pulls Cabinet Handles With Drill Mounting Template 5”length, 3” Hole Center
Awl – This is a handy tool that I also use a lot for hanging pictures but you can also use an ice pick. Click here to see the price of this awl on Amazon.
Power Drill – This is my favorite drill that comes in a set. My husband actually got it for me at Christmas and I love the shared batteries between all the tools: Milwaukee Driller Driver Set (See the Current Price Here.)
Small Level – I like using my torpedo level to double-check the first handle before using my jig on the rest. You can get one like it here: Torpedoe Level (See the Current Price Here)
Naubea Gold Drawer Pulls, 5 Inch Adjustable Cabinet Pulls, 6 Pack Glass Dresser Handles For Bathroom, 5
Wood Filler – I’ve used a few different brands and am always happy with this one in particular: Elmer Wood Filler (See the Current Price Here) Don’t use this to fill wood grain – just hardware holes! See why here: Aquacoat Grain Filler Review (COMING SOON)
Putty Knife– You’ll need something to smooth out the wood filler like this Putty Knife on Amazon. (If you are filling your wood grain and are using my Aquacoat Grain Filler Tutorial next, you can use the plastic squeegees for this step.)
Don’t forget to check out my Full Tutorial on How to Paint Cabinets Like a Pro with a FREE Cabinet Painting Roadmap!
How To Clean Kitchen Cabinet Knobs And Pulls
New hardware is like the icing on the cake of any kitchen cabinet makeover. When you’ve spent so much time painting your cabinets, the last thing you want to do is put the old hardware on your newly painted cabinet doors.
To avoid the high cost of new cabinet hardware in kitchen design stores and even home improvement stores, be sure to check out the selection of knobs and handles on Amazon: Amazon’s Selection of Cabinet Hardware.
As you can see in the video, I highly recommend that you drill your hardware holes before you prime and paint your cabinets! Mistakes happen! But if you make a mistake drilling a hole in the wrong place, it’s SO much easier to fill it BEFORE you paint.
Guide For Hardware Positioning
The alternative is to fill, sand and repaint an extra hole on your newly painted cabinets and there’s a good chance you won’t be able to completely disguise your patch job.
Another big advantage to drilling holes before you paint is to get the drawer fronts to line up perfectly with the holes in the front of the drawer. Since the hardware hole has to go through both pieces of wood, leaving the draw fronts on while drilling ensures a perfect hole all the way through.
Personally, I felt it was easier drilling holes for the doors as well while they were hanging. That way you can get an idea if the holes are lining up to the doors next to it.
Cabinet Hardware Placement Guide
But if you are coming to this post AFTER painting your cabinets, NO WORRIES! You are in the right place and the cabinet hardware jig is just what you need to install all your hardware! The good news is that everything in this post still applies.
Yes, when pre-drilling holes before painting, the paint will partly cover the new hardware holes. Fortunately, the paint comes out easily when you put the screw through the hole for installation.
Cabinet hardware comes in a variety of different styles and finishes. Take some time to look through Pinterest or Google to see and compare different sizes of hardware as well. Once you get your hardware in, hold up the handles to the cabinet doors to see what you prefer in terms of placement.
How To Install Kitchen Cabinet Handles
A big trend with cabinet hardware is to use longer handles on drawers (especially) and doors. With long handles, you will definitely be able to tell if they aren’t straight, so using this jig is so important to make this project go smoothly.
Depending on your hardware, there are some basic standards that can serve as a guideline for hardware placement. After sifting through a sea of articles on this topic, here is what you need to know based on the most common positioning used by professionals today.
The general rule for proper cabinet knob placement is that the bottom edge of the knob should line up horizontally with the top edge of the bottom molding.
Cabinet Hardware Installation Guide At Cabinetknob.com
The is the same as above for knobs. The bottom edge of the handle should line up horizontally with the top edge of the bottom molding.
Important Tip: Notice mine don’t line up exactly but it was only ¼” off. This is not an exact science and it is absolutely not worth drilling new holes if the old ones are close enough. I promise no one will come to your house and think bad
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