The 1/3 Rule Takes The Guesswork Out Of Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

If you're not careful, the kitchen can be a dangerous place. That's why, as any chef will tell you, there are plenty of kitchen safety rules everyone should follow. But as it turns out, there are some design rules that can make this space better too, particularly when it comes to the visual flow and functionality of the space. One such principle is the one-third rule, which determines the proportion of your cabinet door and drawer pulls to the size of your cabinetry.

According to the one-third rule, cabinet pulls look best when they measure out to equal either ⅓ the height of your door or ⅓ the width of your drawer. The end result is a clean and polished look that draws your eye vertically to your cabinet doors and horizontally to your drawers. Along with creating a striking aesthetic balance, intentional fixture placement also enhances functionality, making it more seamless and streamlined to move around your kitchen. Using this rule ensures handle placement is consistent enough to become second-natureas you work, and requires you to choose a longer pull that can be easier to grip and more ergonomic for your wrist.

Best of all, using the one-third rule is incredibly simple. For your drawers, measure the width and divide by three. For your cabinets, measure the length of the door and once again, divide by three. The resulting numbers are the length of the pull you'll need for each drawer or cabinet door.

Once you've determined your required pull sizes, you may realize the measurements vary. This demonstrates the beauty of the one-third rule, which is also sometimes called the rule of thirds. With this principle in place, pulls don't have to be uniform in size to each other, because the uniformity comes from the balanced proportions. This is also why finish and style are important to consider in a cohesive design, and why pull placement is critical as well.  

For drawers, in most cases, your pull should be affixed horizontally to the center. For doors, the pull should generally be placed vertically in the bottom corner of your upper cabinet doors, and the top corner of your bottom cabinet doors. In all cases, pull placement should be in the same location across every drawer — regardless of size — and the same goes for all doors in relation to their hinges. It's also important to never affix your pulls too close to the edge, so careful measuring is in order before any drilling occurs.

Even if you push back against most kitchen design rules because you like a more maximalist and eclectic look, the one-third rule is still one you can use. It's just as easy to apply with mix-and-matched styles, and it even works if you want to use knobs on your upper cabinets and pulls on your lower drawers. Simply use the measurement principle wherever you have pulls to keep things balanced, streamlined, and visually pleasing.