How to Replace or Upgrade Cabinet Hardware

Introduction

Want to give your kitchen a 5-minute facelift? Seriously! Replacing your cabinet hardware – the knobs and pulls – is one of the fastest, easiest, and most impactful ways to update the entire look and feel of your kitchen, often without breaking the bank. It's a simple DIY project that anyone can tackle in an afternoon. Whether your current hardware is dated, damaged, or just not your style anymore, swapping it out is a breeze. Here's how to do it right.

Step 1: Knobs or Pulls (Decide Your Path)

First, take a look at your existing hardware. What do you have now, and what do you want to switch to? This determines how easy the swap will be.

• Knobs: These typically attach with just one screw through the door or drawer front. Replacing an old knob with a new knob is super simple – just one screw out, one screw in.
• Pulls (Handles): These attach with two screws. Replacing an old pull with a new pull of the same size is also very easy.

The key challenge comes if you want to switch from a single-hole knob to a two-hole pull, or vice-versa, as this will require drilling new holes (and potentially filling old ones). This guide focuses on the simpler task of replacing existing hardware with new hardware of the same type and size. If you need to drill new holes, read our 'How to Install Hardware' guide.

Step 2: How to Measure for New Pulls (Crucial Step!)

If you are replacing existing pulls (handles) with new ones, this is the single most important step to get right before you buy anything. You need to ensure your new pulls will fit the existing screw holes in your cabinet doors and drawers.

• Measure "Center-to-Center": Do NOT measure the overall length of the pull! What matters is the distance between the centers of the two screw holes on your current pulls.

  • Open a cabinet door or drawer. Look at the back where the screws go through. Measure precisely from the center of one screw head to the center of the other screw head. This is your "center-to-center" measurement.
• Common Sizes: Write this measurement down! Common center-to-center sizes are often expressed in inches (like 3 inches, 3.75 inches, 5 inches) or millimeters (like 96mm, 128mm, 160mm).
• Match It Up: When shopping for new pulls, you must choose ones that have the exact same center-to-center measurement as your old ones. Product descriptions will always list this critical dimension. Checking this measurement ensures your new pulls will screw directly into the existing holes with no drilling required.

Step 3: Removing Old Hardware

This is the easy part! All you need is a screwdriver that matches the screw heads on the back of your cabinet doors and drawers (usually a Phillips head).

• Open the Door/Drawer: Open the cabinet door or drawer you're working on.
• Unscrew from the Back: While holding the knob or pull steady on the front side with one hand, use your screwdriver to loosen and remove the screw(s) from the back side. The old hardware should come right off.
• Clean the Area (Optional): You might notice a slight outline or residue where the old hardware sat. Now is a good time to quickly wipe down the surface before installing the new piece.

Step 4: Installing New Hardware

Time for the transformation! Installing the new knobs or pulls is just the reverse of removal.

• Use the New Screws: Your new hardware will almost always come with its own screws. It's important to use these new screws, rather than trying to reuse the old ones. Why? Cabinet doors and drawer fronts vary in thickness. The new screws are specifically sized (often with multiple length options included or score marks to break them to size) to work correctly with the new hardware and your cabinet thickness. Using old screws that are too short won't secure the hardware properly, and using ones that are too long could poke through or bottom out before tightening.
• Align and Screw from the Back: Hold the new knob or pull in position on the front side, aligning it with the existing hole(s). From the back side, insert the appropriate new screw(s) and tighten them snugly with your screwdriver. Don't overtighten, but make sure the hardware feels secure and doesn't wobble.
• Repeat! Work your way around the kitchen, replacing all the old hardware with your shiny new pieces.