Chic on a Shoestring Decorating: How to Change Your Kitchen Cabinet Knobs or Handles


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How to Change Your Kitchen Cabinet Knobs or Handles

Hello friends!  Is your kitchen looking a little out of style but you can't spend a lot to fix it up?  One inexpensive change you can make that can have a pretty big impact it is to change your cabinet handles and/or knobs.
glazed kitchen cabinets

People seem to forget about this little detail that can really make such a difference for not a whole lot of cash.

We made the change a few months back and I'm so happy with the results.  Our cabinet pulls weren't out of style, they were completely fine, just a little boring... plain stainless steel knobs on everything.  I decided to put a more stylish cup pull on the drawers.  It would make a big difference for a small price.

Since I could easily match stainless steel knobs to new stainless steel cup pulls, I only had to buy new cup pulls for the drawers leaving the cabinet doors as is.  Consider doing this if your current hardware isn't too shabby.  This cut the cost by more that half because we have more cabinet doors than drawers.

I got mine from a wholesaler I work with but you can find some decent pulls at Target and even Wal-Mart.


I enlisted my favorite handy man Mr. Chic to do the labor for me because he's faster with the drill.  But really, this one is easy enough that someone who is a power tool rookie could handle it.

Here's a little picture of all the tools you need (which aren't very many).

Tools:

  • Cordless drill
  • Proper size drill bit
  • New cabinet pulls (most come with the screws needed to attach them)
  • Measure Pro Cabinet Hardware Installation Kit (or something similar)
  • Marker or pen
  • Small screwdriver





We didn't end up using the grips, we thought we'd have to use them to hold on our measuring tool but it ended up fitting over the top of the drawer.

Let's get started...

First, remove the old knobs (Duh).  Use the smallest screwdriver you've got, the screw head will be inside the drawer.  Having a short little screwdriver helps avoid taking everything out of the drawer to get to the screw.

Once you've got the old knob off it's time to mark the drill holes for the new pulls.

Mr. Chic found this handy-dandy and inexpensive "Measure Pro Cabinet Hardware Installation Kit" at Menards and it made this job foolproof!  


Since the center of the drawer was already marked by the old cabinet knob it was really easy to find, the new pulls had a 3 inch span so we found it on our measuring tool and made the marks for the new holes.  Make sure you check your new pull measurement before you drill!

This little Measure Pro thing-ma-jig makes sure that your new holes will be placed properly.  It takes all of the guess work out of it, highly recommended!  And no, they did not sponsor this post!


Now that you've got your new holes marked, it's time to drill!

This will make some major saw dust in your drawers so you may want to take everything out, especially if the drawer has any eating utensils in it.  It's a good excuse to give your drawers a good wipe down.  Once I got into mine, the were really kind of grosser than I expected... lots and lots of crumbs!

Now that the holes are drilled and the drawers are wiped out it's time to add your new cup pulls!  Simply stick the new screws through the new holes and screw them by hand into the handle, make sure you tighten them up with a screwdriver once they are attached.



Here is a bad "before" shot that was taken from the real estate listing of the previous owners, the one I took was accidentally deleted by one of my little helpers. :)

This shot is from the previous owners before we moved in!

I'm so happy with the results, what a difference!

Kitchen cabinet cup pulls

Could your kitchen use some new cabinet handles or knobs?  It might make a bigger difference than you think!


Linking:  Home Stories A to Z Tutes & Tips Party, Someday Crafts Whatever Wednesday, Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrap-up

16 comments :

  1. that made a huge difference! Love the pull handles!

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  2. Love the cup pulls, they are wonderful and really do make a fabulous change in your kitchen. Love it. Hugs, Marty

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  3. LOVE THEM, I HAVE THE SAME ONES TOO...CHECK OUT MY BLOG AT WWW.THECOTTAGEFARMHOUSE.COM

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  4. What a difference that simple change makes, Kate. I'd love to change my handles out but they are so darn long. I'm so used to them now I really hardly notice them {although, when we first moved in I couldn't stop focusing on them}.

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  5. I changed my knobs and handles to the same ones. Love them.

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  6. Hola! :) Happy to find your blog of awesomeness. (That makes it a great Thursday over here even if it IS pouring cats and dogs.)

    Completely agree! Sometimes the simplest change makes a huge impact. (Knobs and paint. Who knew? Lol.) Your kitchen has a lot more "presence" to it...very classy. Or, I suppose I should say "chic". ;) I have the same pulls on my kiddos play/homework table.

    Great reminder to the decor-obsessed in the blog world. There are so many of us! :)

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  8. While we may look to spruce up our kitchen or bath every couple of years with a fresh coat of paint or by changing the color scheme, we seldom replace our cabinetry. It's an expensive and messy job, so most of us try to work with the existing cabinets and simply add a fresh coat of paint or other finish.

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  9. Hello, I just followed your tips here, you got what it takes to be a DIY professional.

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  10. Excellent presentation and guide for kitchen cabinetry.

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  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  16. Hi

    This is a great guide, thank you for sharing it.

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