Positioning handles on drawer fronts demands some of the same considerations as apply to knobs ( Knob positioning), the same sense of relationship must be observed.
To position a handle successfully you will first need to determine it's visual center of mass. Unlike a knob, the visual center of mass of a handle is not usually the mounting screw. Rosette handles with their clearly defined backplates derive more of their visual mass from the rosettes than do plate handles where the bail is superimposed on field of brass. In application this means a rosette handle will be placed more nearly as one would a knob, probably a little lower than a plate handle whose mass is mostly a function of the backplate. The goal in all cases being to place the center of mass slightly above the center line of the drawer front. The deeper the drawer front the higher the handle should be placed above the center line. In some cases it is impossible to place a handle at the optimum height because of such things as crossbanding or overcrowding on a narrow upper drawer. In these instances the eye is generally willing to forgive. The following image, though made for positioning knobs, equally applies to the positioning of handles. Too Wide Too Narrow Correct How to Position Knobs The placing of knobs is crucial to the overall integration of your cabinetwork. When placed with care a knob should blend into its context. Poorly placed knobs act as visual stumbling blocks to the balance of otherwise well proportioned cabinetwork. If most cabinetwork was on the cutting edge of modern design I would make no attempt to lecture on knob placing but the truth is that the vast bulk of new cabinetwork is very traditional in design and seek to evoke times past. The cult of "convenience at all costs" can lead designers and homeowners to sacrifice all the time and effort they have expended on solid hardwoods, raised panels and custom finishes and scatter knobs in the most non-traditional places. Here are a few thoughts that might help. Never place a knob in the corner of a door, imagine the door length divided into four quarters and try to keep the knob in the middle two quarters. It does nobody any harm to stretch up or down a little. Avoid placing knobs on raised panels. This cannot always be avoided, particularly when the cabinetmaker has seen fit to produce raised panel drawer fronts. A knob should always be positioned a little above center on a drawer front, a centered knob will appear below center seen from above. If a drawer is wide enough to need two knobs as a rule of thumb they should be set about 1/6th of the drawer length from each end. Take this as a starting point not a strict rule. Too Wide Too Narrow Correct
