Cabinet Bling - The Square Method

So yesterday you got a little sneak peek here on some projects we've been working on around the house. One of the projects I have been most excited about was finally finishing our cabinet revamp and adding the bling - the hardware.   This has been a work in progress as Justin has added two or three more cabinet knobs a day when he has a few minutes here and there.  That's just how we roll.  Side note, our blinds are going up the same way - a new day, a new blind, I guess by Friday we should have them all up in our kitchen and living room.  Back to the knobs - Let me give you a reminder of what the cabinet hardware looked like before -

Country Chic?

This is an example of how wonky our cabinets are, take a gander at the hinges on the left - I think they were overlapping.  Also, for some reason we have two small doors here on the end while every other door is wide and single.  Someone was trying to be a bit too creative I say.

First off, it was a grand adventure trying to find hinges that would fit appropriately, let's just say it included 4 trips to Lowe's where I ended up buying something, returning it and ended up buying it again mixed in with a few frustrating moments that all came together with a hinge that we do really love.  Some things I learned, bring a sample of your old hinge with you to the store, not all hinges are created equal - some are inset, some are overlay and finally old cabinets are totally off center and crooked.  The next big search was trying to decide what to replace the cabinet handles with- since handles are not made in this size anymore, of course.  We ended up choosing a lovely knob I found at Lowe's for a mere $.87 a pop and a different style drawer pull that adds a little more interest I think.  After Justin painstakingly re-hung our uneven jerry-rigged cabinet doors we made an executive decision that we would eventually be replacing all of these cabinets down the road.  They really are just a wanna be carpenter's dream and our current nightmare.  After we were satisfied with the cabinet door alignment we waited several weeks before adding the final touches with the knobs and pulls.  This is when I walk in to the kitchen and find Justin already on the job, I ask him "How are you making sure all of these knobs are straight?" (fair question since I knew how hard it was getting the cabinets straight).  His answer was - "The square method".  At first thought I assumed he meant a square tool, like one of these 

but no, he meant a square - like a piece of paper square.  Here is Justin's square method guide to hanging cabinets knobs straight:

1. Determine where you think the knobs would look the best
2. Create your paper square (Justin used an index card) by placing your knob in the place you would like it and measuring (starting from the top of the cabinet) the distance from how far over from the top of the cabinet and how far down from the side of the cabinet  - this will give you your two measurements you need for your square 
3. After you have your square, line up the square flush with the inside of the cabinet to mark the spot on each square corner 
4.  Drill your hole and screw in your new knob



We ended up not painting the inside of our cabinets since we will eventually be replacing them  - don't judge.

There you have, the square method of hanging cabinet knobs, we not only diy our projects, we diy our methods.  Justin did a wonderful job, and I love admiring our cabinet bling - even though we are still a few knobs short.  Some final pics of the kitchen cabinets, for now - 

I would say they are a far cry from how they used to look.  If you want to see some more pics of our cabinets before, I have put up a House Tour Page for your viewing enjoyment or you can check out my original post here.  So what about you? Have any diy methods you have created lately that worked?  Comment and Share!

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