I think I like the middle one in the top picture best.

palimpsest - Thanks for your reply! That's the one I was rooting for, but I was afraid that the 1.125" height (they call it width) was too small/dainty for the rails and stiles that are a whopping 3.5". Glad you like it!

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Here's a detail shot of the 3 contenders that I forgot to include in the original post (not sure if they are in scale to one another). Top is polished nickel and middle and bottom are satin nickel (satin nickel finishes look the same IRL):

I like the middle one also.

Where you mention it is too narrow to your eye, it looks perfect to mine. So, I think this might come down to personal preference for you....

The middle on the first photo is my vote. I have pulls in a very similar style to that and I love them. They look more "classic" than the other styles you have shown.

I really like the scale of the middle one, also. I think the height and width ratio are a good match for your cabs.

I am also a middler. The 3rd one does look okay on the narrow (tower-like) lower panels, but I think overall the middle one is best.

The middle one works best with your cabs. It is more streamlined and works best with the angles of the shaker style. The others could work with narrow cabs, but I'd probably still prefer the middle one.

I'm really drawn to the last option.

Oh wow, thank you all SO much for your replies! I'm so grateful. I was this close to dismissing the Middle one (even though it is my favorite style-wise) since it was smaller than the other options, but from your feedback, it is the clear favorite!

I just took a pic of it on the largest size drawer that we have. If no one thinks that it looks too small here, then, I think we've found our winner! :)

MIDDLE pull on the largest drawer

Thank you, again!

Is that the position you plan to put it on? It seems very low to get underneath to pull it. I'd try it out to see if it would be awkward. I do think it would look better higher up as well.

I already voted for the middle one previously... but to answer your new question, I think it looks perfect.

Another vote for the middle! :)

top one-it's a little bigger and looks better quality....against the plain white all features will show up clearly. the middle is nice but the top is better.

dianalo - Thanks again for your reply! I'd like to have it centered to the drawer (well, just a touch above center - since I read on here that that will read to be more "centered" to the eye), so that's what I was going for. What location do you suggest that we try out? Higher up on the center panel, or on the top rail?

lolauren - Thank you for your follow-up reply! :)

lavender_lass - Thanks so much for your vote!

herbflavor - Thank you! Quality-wise, when looking at them closely/handling them, the middle one is best. It has the thickest metal, smoothest finish, and weighs the most. The top one is the cheapest made (thinnest and lightest) - but unless you are comparing them up close in person, it's hard to tell.

I was going to ask the same question dianalo did. I like the the top rail location, especially on lower drawers since it is the easiest to reach for and open.

another person who is asking the same question as dianalo. I would attach it to the rail - less bending over and you have such nice beefy rails why not use them. Another reason too, is that visually you will have less clutter and more uniformity especially in the situation of your cabinets to the right of your refrigerator - you'll be able to line up the pulls on that rail of the one drawer base and the middle drawer of the three drawer base. I think it will add to cohesiveness.

I still like the middle one on the biggest drawer. And since others are weighing in on placement, for what it's worth, I'm not a fan of top rail mounting, I think it looks off when paired with center mounted top drawers...and just off in general. :-)

lascatx & mamadadapaige - Thanks for your replies! You've given me much food for thought! I hadn't really considered placing it on the top rail until dianalo suggested it and you concurred.

abfabamy - Thanks for your follow-up reply and your thoughts! I appreciate it! :)

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Since I'm terrible at picturing things in my head, here is a crude mockup up of the two different placement options.

What do you all think, seeing the mockups? Centered or Top Rail? (The doors will have round knobs - didn't choose the exact size yet - that will be next on the list.)

CENTERED

TOP RAIL

Thank you all, again!

I'd do it on the rail but move it down a tad. If it were another half inch down, it would seem more balanced when near the top drawer.

dianalo - Thanks! I tried scootching it down a bit. I also made some knobs in Photoshop and threw those in too, lol. Is the top rail placement better in the bottom pic now?

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CENTERED

TOP RAIL

Thanks!!

I prefer it centered. Again, I think this just comes down to what looks good to you. Like abfabamy, it just looks wrong to me to be on the rail.

hi Bella,
in seeing them both, I like them both but maybe prefer centered vs. on the rail (yes, I am flip flopping!). I think either way would be fine - less bending over if on the rail.

I was trying to think what I did in my last house - couldn't remember but found my old pics on photobucket - posting below in case it helps.

I do like them a little lower because otherwise the top drawer and next down are too close.
Would you consider using the bin pulls on the top drawers only and using either a knob on the lower ones or better yet, a pull of another sort for those? This way you get your bin pull look, but get the function of the lower pulls being easier to use. Personally, I like how they look on a more shallow drawers like the top ones but think the the deeper or wider ones swallow them up somehow. They have such a definitive shape that the larger drawers make it seem less balanced.

lolauren - Thanks for your reply! I always imagined it centered too, but I wanted to try the top rail location on for size to be sure.

mamadadapaige - Flip flopping is allowed - no worries! Thanks for your photos. (I am drooling over your kitchen - just gorgeous!! I bet your current kitchen is just as stunning!) I think the pulls look lovely centered. :)

dianalo - Oh dear. That was exactly my concern with this particular pull. I really think that the Pottery Barn Classic Pull would have been perfect size-wise (4" long x 1.5" wide) - BUT - it attaches from the front, and we have MDF cabinets, so I was advised against it. (I think you might have been one of the people who warned me, actually.)

I can't visualize what other pull to use on those bottom drawers. Won't 3 different knob/pull styles on the lower cabinets look strange? I'm so at a loss right now. :(

Our cabinet drawer boxes are constructed with 4 sides made out of 3/4" partical board' then the drawer front is attached to that. This makes the area that the handle attaces to at least an inch thick.

How are yours constructed? Is the front mounted to the box or does the drawer front form the box? If it just attaches like ours, then it will be plenty sturdy enough to attach whatever handle to it wherever you like.

I think you can put it on the rails, without detriment. Nobody will look at them and think, well that was odd placement.

If you like it better one way, do it. With the options side by side a particular person might like way A over way B, but both ways are great to the general population.

:)

abfabamy - It's an Ikea cabinet. The white drawer front is a separate fiberboard piece that attaches to metal components inside. I'm not sure if it would be strong enough. =/

I'll link to it on the Ikea website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikea Adel White Cabinet w/ Drawers

kirkhall - Thank you for your reassuring reply! I'm glad you think that neither placement will look "wrong," and it's more a matter of personal preference. (Happy sigh of relief) :)

Can I ask for your thoughts on the size of the pull? Dianalo recently wrote that it looked like it was getting swallowed up by the two larger bottom drawers (which was my initial concern). So, I'm back to worrying about that again. :(

Thank you!! (Everyone is welcome to chime in, of course.)

Ahhh, I see the problem with attaching the PB pulls. Could you add a strip of wood, like 1/2" or 3/4" pine, painted white, inside. It could be secured just by drilling the holes through both the drawer front and piece of wood and attaching the PB pull with screw and nut. Or, alternatively, just using a wood screw and srewing through door front into the strip of wood. Just a thought on how to get the pulls you love to work!

Regardless, I don't feel the other pull looks too small on your drawer. I still think the proportion is fine, especially once you have all the pulls on every door... you won't be focusing on just the spacing of one pull.

abfabamy - Ooh - interesting suggestion! I'll ask DH if he thinks that would help.

And I'm glad you don't think the pull is too small. I'm sure once the hardware is settled, I probably won't give it another thought. (Ahhh - won't that be nice!) Thanks so much for your reply!

I have a bad habit of needing to weigh out every option, and "seeing" it. (Probably the Libra in me!) And so, I played around some more in Photoshop and made a version with longer pulls on the middle 24" wide drawers, plus a mixed style version suggested by dianalo. And so...

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Do any of these look like they work best?

Or is this all still just a matter of opinion (not right vs wrong) - and I need to somehow make up my own mind? Lol!
I did decide that I like how it looks centered best (a small step!) - Bigger pics of each option are in my flickr photostream in case they are too tiny below

And, I have to give credit to tinker_2006. I based the bar pull mockup on her beautiful mixed hardware style kitchen.

tinker_2006's kitchen (hope it's okay to repost her Gardenweb pic here - if not, I will take it down)

Thank you all, once again!!