Should you change cabinet hardware when you paint?
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The short answer: if you are thinking about new hardware at all, change it while the cabinets are being painted. Old holes are filled and sanded before primer, so they disappear under the new finish, and the new knobs or pulls can be placed where they look best. The one rule is timing: pick your hardware before the job starts.
Why the paint job is the right moment
Changing hardware later is harder than it sounds. If the new pulls have a different hole spacing than the old ones, the old holes show. Filling them on a finished door means patching, sanding and touching up paint on a surface that was otherwise perfect.
During a cabinet paint job, hardware comes off anyway. Doors and drawer fronts are removed and labeled, every surface is degreased and sanded, and dents, gouges and unused holes are filled in that same repair step. Primer and two coats of enamel go over the top. Nothing about the old layout is left to work around.
When the doors go back on, hardware is reinstalled or the new hardware is fitted. See how we paint kitchen cabinets, step by step.
Matching hardware to your new color
New paint changes how the hardware reads. A few combinations that work well:
| Cabinet color | Hardware that tends to suit it |
|---|---|
| White or off-white (Alabaster SW 7008, Pure White SW 7005) | Matte black, brushed brass, or brushed nickel |
| Greige or gray (Agreeable Gray SW 7029, Revere Pewter BM HC-172) | Brushed nickel, matte black, or warm brass |
| Navy (Hale Navy BM HC-154, Naval SW 6244) | Brass or polished nickel |
| Dark bronze or black (Urbane Bronze SW 7048, Tricorn Black SW 6258) | Brass, or matching black for a quiet look |
| Soft green (Sea Salt SW 6204) | Brushed nickel or brass |
Match the hardware finish to your faucet, or deliberately contrast it. Try your color on a photo of your own kitchen with our free color visualizer, and see the best cabinet colors for Tucson kitchens.
Knobs or pulls, and what size
There is no single right answer, but a few habits hold up in most kitchens:
- Knobs on doors, pulls on drawers is the classic layout and works with most styles
- Pulls everywhere reads more modern and is easier to grab
- Wide drawers (pot drawers, large bottom drawers) often look better with a longer pull, or two knobs or pulls spaced out
- Tall pantry doors can take a longer appliance-style pull
- A common rule of thumb is a pull roughly a third of the drawer width, adjusted by eye
Before buying a full set, buy one or two pieces and hold them against a door. Size looks very different in hand than online.
Hole spacing: center-to-center explained
Pulls are sold by center-to-center spacing: the distance from the center of one screw hole to the center of the other. Common sizes are 3 inches, 96 mm and 128 mm, with longer sizes for wide drawers and pantry doors.
Your choices:
- Same spacing as now: measure an existing pull center to center and buy that size. The old holes are reused, nothing needs filling.
- Different spacing, or switching knob to pull: the old holes are filled before primer and new holes are drilled to a template.
- Knobs to knobs: a single hole, usually reused unless you want the knob placed differently.
Measure carefully. A pull that is off by a fraction of an inch will not fit existing holes.
Drilling new holes to a template
New holes are drilled using a drilling template so every door and drawer gets the same placement. A template keeps the spacing exact and the height consistent across a whole row of drawers, which is what makes new hardware look factory-installed instead of eyeballed.
Typical placement is near the corner opposite the hinge on doors (lower corner on uppers, upper corner on base cabinets) and centered on drawers. Confirm placement before drilling starts, since a hole is permanent.
Hardware checklist
- Decide: keep, reuse spacing, or new spacing
- Count every door and drawer, then add a couple of spares
- Hold a sample against a door before ordering the full set
- Have the hardware on hand before the job begins
- Agree on placement for doors, drawers and pantry doors
Cabinet painting for an average Tucson kitchen runs $3,500 to $6,250, with three options on every quote and a Price Lock Guarantee. Qualified customers can use financing for up to 24 months at 0% interest. If you are weighing bigger changes, see painting vs refacing vs replacing cabinets.
Get a price for your kitchen with the instant price calculator, or read about our cabinet painting service.
Curious how much a professional cabinet refinish costs for your kitchen? Try our instant price calculator. It takes about 30 seconds.
Cabinet Painting in Tucson: prices, process and photos
Frequently asked questions
Should I change my cabinet hardware when I paint my cabinets?
If you are going to change it at all, change it during the paint job. Old holes are filled and sanded before primer, so the new hardware can go exactly where it looks best and the patches disappear under the finish.
What does center-to-center mean on cabinet pulls?
It is the distance between the centers of the two screw holes on a pull. A replacement pull with the same center-to-center spacing fits the existing holes; a different spacing needs new holes and the old ones filled.
Should I use knobs or pulls on painted cabinets?
A common approach is knobs on doors and pulls on drawers, or pulls on everything for a more modern look. Wide drawers often look and work better with a longer pull or two knobs.
Can old hardware holes be hidden when cabinets are painted?
Yes. During the sanding and repair step, old holes are filled and sanded flush, then primed and painted with the rest of the door, so they do not show.
Do I need to pick hardware before the cabinet painting starts?
Yes. Holes that will not be reused have to be filled before primer goes on, so have your new hardware, or at least its exact spacing, chosen before the job begins.
