Changing kitchen cupboards to drawers

[pete_brig]

We have a "standard" project home with basic kitchen cabinetry. I've been cursing/grumbling about the lack of storage & more importantly, the dysfunction of under-bench cupboards with their limited accessibility. So, I bit the bullet & converted a couple to drawers.

Being non-standard sizes, I couldn't just replace them/fit the carcasses with off-the-shelf drawers & had to build made-to-measure. I don't get good accuracy with hand tools (prefer to do that in the yard where gaps are less important or can be hidden) but fortunately I have a table saw to help me out.

Built the drawer bodies out of white melamine chipboard & faced them with coloured melamine--the Mrs wasn't initially fussed on the colour but thought it fitted in well once she saw it installed (I thought it went well with the black glass double door fridge). Used heavy duty soft-close drawer slides & added some nice handles.

Getting everything in & out is so much easier & makes better use of the available space. Updating cupboards under the bench/breakfast bar would be great but stymied by the doors under the sink & the cutlery etc drawers (altho I could just reface those)...

And, importantly, how practical they are:

[Jason]

Great project @pete_brig. Thanks for sharing. I agree that drawers are so much more practical and accessible than cupboards. You can typically fit a lot more in a drawer, and items are easier to reach. 

Jason

[JoanneM]

Great job. It looks really good and it's given me some ideas for an area that I have in my kitchen that is quite small. I like the idea of the drawers because it makes it a lot easier to see things and to get them in and out. Thanks for sharing.

[Jason]

Thanks for joining in the discussion @JoanneM, I'm sure that @pete_brig appreciates the feedback.

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to Workshop. We look forward to reading about your projects and plans. If you'd like a hand with your own kitchen modifications, or any other home improvement project, I'm sure our members will be more than happy to assist. We have many members keen to share their experiences and knowledge. And feel free to let me know if you ever need help getting the most from the site or have any feedback about how we can improve Workshop for you.

Thanks again,

Jason

[Isobel]

Great project! Love drawers in the kitchen instead of cabinets. 

[yarrawarra]

This is a wonderful idea! Hubby has wanted drawers for the kitchen for ages but since it's an old house, I figured he should wait until we redid the lot. However, this is something I could easily do to make him happy! Thanks

[Tasneem]

That's so wonderful and practical. I too need my kitchen shelves to be replaced with drawers so I don't need to struggle to get things out.

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Tasneem. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for jumping into the conversation.

I trust @pete_brig and the rest of our knowledgeable members will be keen to assist you with your project. I'm sure you'll find the conversion will provide a much more practical storage solution.

Please let us know if you have any questions on how to complete the transformation. We're here to help.

Mitchell