How To Replace Old Furniture Hardware

It is so easy to replace old furniture hardware, drawer pulls and drawer knobs, with new drawer pulls or knobs and I’m going to take you guys through the process today.

How To Replace Old Furniture Hardware With New Drawer Pulls

Changing the hardware on furniture makes a big impact and it’s really easy. If you can operate a small power drill you’re good! I love my drill. New drawer pulls on vintage furniture brings the piece into the 21st century.

The drill and the sander are my two favorite power tools. The first Christmas ( about 10 years ago) I asked for power tools I think the JTS freaked out. What woman wants power tools…..much less for Christmas. Me.

Step 1. Prepare the furniture for painting.

This is the furniture before the paint makeover and change of hardware. The piece looks like an office credenza and the style is Mid-Century Modern. Not very pretty for the house.

The hardware looks like something you would see on office furniture so it has to go.  I save all the old hardware I replace with new hardware because I never know what pieces I may need in the future. I have 100’s of drawer pulls and knobs in my stash.

When I remove the drawers from a chest or dresser I always number or make a note on the back as to placement of the drawer. This one quick step makes it easier to put the piece together when the project is done. The drawers usually fit best in the slot they came out of.

Step 2. Remove the original hardware.

Use a screwdriver instead of a drill to remove the original hardware. The JTS likes to use the drill for this part of the project but I have more control with a screwdriver.

Step 3. Drill a hole for the new hardware.

I selected new knobs to replace the old hardware and of course you only need one screw hole for a knob. I drilled one hole in the center of the drawer for the new knob. If you decide on a knew two hole pull and the width is different from the old furniture hardware you will need to measure and mark for two new holes.

I usually select a small bit first and drill a starter hole. Sometimes a large bit will jump over from the marked position and the hole will be a little off. That isn’t much of a problem when you just need one hole for the hardware. Once I get the small starter hole I drill a larger hole using a bit the size of the screw for the new knob.

If you are replacing the hardware with a two hole drawer pull it can be a problem unless you have one of these handy templates to mark the holes. The template has settings for all sizes of drawer pulls. Try to always mark and drill the screw holes exactly.

Step 4. Protect the inside of the drawer.

You may want to skip this step depending on how OCD you are. I cover the holes on the inside of the drawer with painters tape to keep the wood filler from seeping into the drawer. I also cover the holes when painting to keep the paint from seeping into the drawer. 

Step 5. Fill old hardware screw holes with wood filler.

Next choose a good wood filler and fill the old screw holes with the filler. You may need to repeat the process two or three times. As the wood filler hardens it shrinks. Be sure to fill the hole so it is level or above the surface of the drawer.

Step 6. Sand the wood filler.

Sand the wood filler until it is flush with the drawer. I do this by hand with 100 grit sandpaper. This is where you will see if you need to add more filler to the hole so it’s flush with the drawer front surface. If there is an indentation or dip in the screw hole filler then add more filler and repeat the sanding when dry.

Step 7. Paint the furniture.

Now you’re ready to paint the drawers! If you did a good job with the filler the holes will not be noticeable under the paint.

Step 8. Replace old furniture hardware with new knobs.

The last part is easy. Just screw the new knobs onto your freshly painted furniture. It may not seem important but selecting the right furniture knobs is a big deal. The knobs can change the whole vibe.

 

What a difference from the original look. How do you think the dresser/credenza would have looked with the old hardware put back in place?

The paint is Beyond Paint in Pewter. See the paint tutorial here…Beyond Paint Furniture Makeover with Tutorial. You can see a complete tutorial on adding vintage drawer pulls with two screw holes here: Change Furniture Hardware

That’s it for today. I hope you guys enjoyed the tutorial. Have a great day, Kathy