Buying Cabinet Hardware for a Whole Kitchen: Plan Your Order
Buying hardware for every cabinet in a kitchen is a bigger order than picking one knob you like. This page walks you through counting, assigning, measuring, and checking an order before you place it.
Short answer: count every cabinet front, assign hardware to each one, then verify before you order.
- Count your doors, drawers, pantry doors, and any appliance panels.
- Decide what goes on each front: a knob, a pull, two pulls, or an appliance pull.
- For replacements, measure the center-to-center spacing of your existing holes.
- Choose your styles and finish so the whole set works together.
- Total your quantities, convert them to packs where products are sold in packs, and confirm each product's details on its listing.
Kitchen Hardware Planning Worksheet
Fill this in before you shop. Count each cabinet front, decide what hardware it gets, and the totals tell you exactly what to order. Print the page or copy the table into your notes.
| Cabinet front | How many? | Knobs needed | Pulls needed | Existing center-to-center (if replacing) | Product name or SKU | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet doors (upper and lower) | ||||||
| Standard drawers | ||||||
| Wide drawers | ||||||
| Tall pantry cabinets | ||||||
| Island fronts (if different) | ||||||
| Appliance panels | ||||||
| Spare pieces (optional) | ||||||
| Total quantity to order | Then convert to packs where the product is sold in packs | |||||
Your actual quantity depends on your cabinet layout and design plan. Some fronts get one piece, some get two, and some (like false drawer fronts at the sink) may get none or a decorative piece only.
How to Calculate Cabinet Hardware Quantities
Here's a worked example for a hypothetical kitchen with 18 doors and 9 drawers.
Assumptions: every door gets one piece of hardware, and every drawer gets one pull.
| Item | Count | Pieces each | Pieces needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doors | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| Drawers | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| Total | 27 fronts | 27 pieces |
Many cabinet knobs and pulls at RTAKB are sold in packs of 10, so convert pieces to packs and round up. In this example, 18 door pieces means 2 packs (20 pieces, 2 extra) and 9 drawer pulls means 1 pack (10 pieces, 1 extra). Pack sizes vary by product, and some items, such as many appliance pulls, are sold individually. Check the quantity on each listing.
When the total changes: say 3 of those 9 drawers are wide and you want two pulls on each. That's 6 standard drawers × 1 pull + 3 wide drawers × 2 pulls = 12 drawer pulls, or 2 packs of 10. Appliance pulls, special cabinet designs, and different placement plans change the count the same way, so update the worksheet as your plan changes.
New Kitchen vs. Replacing Existing Hardware
Replacing hardware in an existing kitchen
Your existing holes set the rules. For every pull you're replacing, measure the distance from the center of one screw hole to the center of the other, and compare it with the product's listed center-to-center measurement. They need to match unless you plan to fill and redrill holes or use a backplate.
- Center-to-center spacing is the distance between the mounting screw holes. This is the number that has to fit.
- Overall length is the full length of the pull from end to end. It's always longer than the center-to-center measurement and affects the look, not the fit.
For example, the Amerock Blackrock pull below lists 5-1/16" (128 mm) center-to-center and 5-15/16" (151 mm) overall length. Measure every cabinet run, because older kitchens sometimes use more than one hole spacing. If you're switching from knobs to pulls (or pulls to knobs), plan for new holes and how you'll cover the old ones.
Hardware for new cabinets
With new cabinets you can choose any size, but choose the hardware and confirm placement before anyone drills. Have the hardware on hand, or at least its listed dimensions, before installation day. A paper or tape mock-up on a door and a drawer helps confirm the size before you commit.
For detailed help choosing pull lengths, see our cabinet pull size guide.
Plan Hardware by Cabinet Type
The right piece for each front depends on its proportions, how comfortably you can use it, and your design plan. These are common approaches, not rules.
| Cabinet type | Common approach | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Upper cabinet doors | Knobs or shorter pulls, usually near the bottom corner | Pieces you can reach and grip easily overhead |
| Lower cabinet doors | Knobs or pulls, usually near the top corner | Consistency with nearby drawer hardware |
| Standard drawers | One pull, centered | A comfortable grip for daily use |
| Wide drawers | One longer pull or two pulls | This choice changes your quantity, so decide it before ordering |
| Tall pantry doors | A longer pull, or an appliance pull on heavier doors | A size and spacing that suits a tall door |
| Kitchen island | The same set as the perimeter, or a planned contrast | Whether the island's hardware should match or stand apart |
Coordinate the Complete Order
A consistent kitchen doesn't require every piece to be identical. What makes a whole-kitchen order look planned is that each choice has a reason. A few ways to keep it together:
- Shop within one collection. Many brands make knobs, pulls in several sizes, and appliance pulls in the same design, which makes mixing types easy.
- Assign hardware by role, for example knobs on doors and pulls on drawers, and apply that consistently around the room.
- Check finish availability across every piece. A finish offered for the knob may not be offered for the appliance pull, so confirm it on each listing before you commit.
- Record SKUs, not just names, so every line in your order matches the exact size and finish you planned.
Still deciding on hardware types? Read knobs vs. pulls and mixing cabinet hardware finishes.
Choose Finishes With the Whole Kitchen in Mind
Your hardware finish sits next to your cabinet color and countertop, and it's seen alongside your sink, faucet, lighting, and appliances. Hardware doesn't have to match all of them, but it should look intentional with them.
Finishes in our current cabinet hardware catalog include satin nickel, polished nickel, polished chrome, matte black, black bronze, oil-rubbed bronze, golden champagne, and champagne bronze. Not every finish is available for every product, so confirm the finish options on each product you plan to buy.
For finish ideas by kitchen style, see how to choose cabinet hardware finishes and matching your faucet, sink, and hardware.
Pre-Order Verification Checklist
Before you place a large hardware order, confirm each of these on the individual product listing:
- Correct item and variant
- Correct finish
- Correct quantity and pack size
- Center-to-center spacing, when relevant
- Overall dimensions
- Mounting requirements
- Included screws and mounting parts, as listed
- Current availability
- Shipping information
- Return terms
Our shipping policy and return policy cover the store-wide terms.
Example: One Collection for a Whole Kitchen
The Amerock Blackrock collection shows how one design can cover doors, drawers, and appliance panels. All three pieces below list Black Bronze, Golden Champagne, Satin Nickel, Polished Nickel, and Oil-Rubbed Bronze among their finishes. Each card's details come from that product's listing. Confirm current finishes, availability, and specifications on the product page before ordering.
Amerock (Pack of 10) Blackrock 1-5/8in (41mm) Diameter Knob
- For cabinet doors
- 1-5/8" (41 mm) diameter, 1-5/16" projection
- Pack of 10
- Zinc; #8-32 x 1" truss head screws listed
- 8 finishes listed
Amerock (Pack of 10) Blackrock 5-1/16in (128mm) Center-to-Center Pull
- For drawers or doors
- 5-1/16" (128 mm) center-to-center
- 5-15/16" (151 mm) overall length
- Pack of 10
- 7 finishes listed
Amerock Blackrock Appliance Pull 8in (203mm) Center-to-Center
- For appliance panels, pantry doors, large drawers
- 8" (203 mm) center-to-center, 9-3/8" overall
- #10-24 screws in six lengths, with washers
- Zinc base
- 5 finishes listed
Looking for more appliance pull options? Browse appliance pulls or all Amerock hardware.
FAQ
How many cabinet knobs and pulls do I need for my kitchen?
Count every door and drawer, then assign hardware to each one. One piece per front is a common starting point, but wide drawers with two pulls, appliance pulls, and fronts with no hardware change the total. Use the worksheet above, then round up to full packs.
Should all kitchen cabinet hardware match?
Not necessarily. Many kitchens use a planned combination, such as knobs on doors and pulls on drawers from the same collection. What matters is that the choices are consistent around the room.
How do I replace cabinet pulls without drilling new holes?
Measure the center-to-center distance of your existing holes and choose pulls with the same listed center-to-center measurement.
What is the difference between overall pull length and center-to-center spacing?
Center-to-center is the distance between the two screw holes, and it determines fit. Overall length is the full end-to-end length of the pull, which is longer and affects appearance.
Should wide drawers have one pull or two?
Either can work. It depends on the drawer's width, the pull length, and your design. Decide before ordering, because two pulls per drawer changes your quantity.
Should I order spare cabinet hardware?
It's your call. Some buyers keep a few extras in case a piece is damaged or a cabinet is added later. When products come in packs, rounding up often leaves you with spares anyway.
Can I use knobs on doors and pulls on drawers?
Yes. It's a common combination. Choosing both from the same collection and finish helps them look like one set.
What should I check before placing a large cabinet hardware order?
Confirm the item, variant, finish, quantity and pack size, center-to-center spacing, dimensions, mounting requirements, included screws, availability, shipping, and return terms on each listing.
Ready to Plan Your Hardware Order?
Fill in your worksheet, then check each product's spacing, finish, and pack size on its listing before you order.
Shop cabinet hardwareRelated Kitchen Questions
Product specifications, availability, finishes, pack sizes, pricing, and manufacturer information can change. Confirm the current details on each product page before purchasing. Planning a large order? Email sales@rtakb.com.