As they say, the devil is in the details and there is no smaller detail than the consideration of hardware for your cabinets, drawers, and closets. Pictured above, clockwise from top left, is a selection of hardware I've installed in my kitchen, coat closet, and bathroom, respectively.
1. Select hardware that not only looks great with your decor but more importantly that is functional. For this closet hardware project, I needed a small knob that would fit within the 2" wood paneled edge but would be big enough to grip onto to open and close the door.
2. Think about where the hardware should live. For closets, a good rule of thumb is to make pulls or knobs the same height as your door knobs. It makes a consistent line throughout the room and seems to blend better. (I installed a set of pulls on a closet door higher than the door knobs recently, and they jump out a bit.
3. Center or align the pull and mark the location with a pencil or by using the end of the hardware. If you are installing a pull with more than one hole, use a template for accuracy and always measure! Measure twice, drill once, measure twice, drill once. This should be your mantra.
4. Find a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the hardware rod. I have made the mistake of drilling the hole the same size which makes it very easy to push the knob through, however the hardware loosens very quickly and will ultimately become non functional. If you make the hole slightly smaller and the rod is threaded, the teeth will latch into the wood and will stay put.
5. Make sure the door is secure before drilling (have a friend hold it perhaps) and drill a straight line from front to back. I have recently started using a small cordless drill and it makes all the difference! It is light and fits my hand comfortably so I have more control guiding it.
6. In this particular example, there is no screw head to screw the knob in, so I had to use a wrench. Turn the rod gently clockwise into the door. Word of caution: Be very careful not to dent the threading, scuff your paint on the door, or bend the rod by putting too much pressure on it. You may want to use a piece of cloth or a rubber band for a layer of protection between the wrench and hardware.
This part of the installation moves pretty slow. It took 5 minutes or longer of rotating the screw to get it all the way through the door but depends on how thick your door is and how long the rod is. Have patience.
7. Once the rod is through, attach the washer and the bolt and tighten with a wrench.
Shopping sources for the pulls shown above:
(Clockwise from top left)
1. Vinna door pulls from IKEA and hinges from Kitchen Cabinet Door Pulls
2. Door pulls from IKEA (No longer available.)
3. Glass pulls from Anthropologie (Plain glass no longer available.)
4. White glass knobs used here are from Anthropologie (White is no longer available.)
Images: Tanya Lacourse
The Ultimate Used Furniture Cleaning Kit
Ana Creates a Community at Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
Soda Recipe: Homemade Ginger Ale
Recipe: Spring Fruit and Nut Tabouli
Thanks for the tip about Hobby Lobby. There is one in my town but I've never ventured in!
The best piece of advice for installing pulls is to use a brad tipped drill bit. Use a piece of painters tape and put an x where your holes will be. The brad tipped bit has a sharp point that you can push right into the center of the x for precise holes. It prevents the drill bit from sliding or moving when drilling.
Very useful article! The knobs in the third picture kinda look like Muppet eyes (sorry, I had to mention it) xD
@IKDO DESIGNS...Totally!
Did your doors come with your place? If not, where do they come from? They look like they may be hollow (but much better-looking than the ones I've seen)?
Instead of brad-tipped bits, you could also use a center punch. More versatile and doesn't require a new set of bits.
To prevent screws from backing out, use a drop of blue threadlocker (Loctite).
If you ever have to remove these handles (or if someone else installs similar ones), hold the bolt still with pliers and twist the knob to tighten. Alternately, use a socket set.
Oh, thank you, thank you! I just finished restaining an old piano and needed some new knobs for the lid but couldn't find any cute ones anywhere that were small enough. I had no idea Anthropologie made those knobs and they are so adorable and quirky and unique! Love it!
When I put new hardware on my kitchen cabinets, I used painter's tape. I measure from the bottom and the side for cabinet knobs, and could easily mark it on the tape. It also protects the wood from little scratches from the drill tip as you're moving it into place. For the drawer pulls, I found the center horizontally and vertically, and then measured out from the middle, using a level to make sure it was straight. The package should tell you the distance between holes, mine was a standard three inches from hole to hole, which made it pretty easy. I love how little details like hardware can make such a big difference!
Before you install the pull/knob on a door: Open the door and see where the knob will land. We lucked out when we installed the knobs on our upper cabinets. When the door opened, the knob just missed the edge of the frame around a mission door. A smidge lower and we would have continually banged the edge of the door and ended up with a major dent.
When you pick out a knob - consider the depth of the knob. My mom has shallow knobs on her cabinets and it's weird but your fingers get caught in the space between the knob and the door then YOW! it can hurt.
aml75- Some did some didn't. The closet doors used in this example did and they are wood. The other closet doors pictured in the collage were ordered but are also wood. The kitchen cabinet doors were made by a carpenter and are birch wood.