How do I reduce the depth of overhead kitchen cabinets?

[FiG]

My overhead kitchen cabinets are the same depth as the lower ones so I am constantly knocking my head on the overhead cupboards. The cabinets themselves are in good condition so don't really need to be replaced. I would like to take them off the wall, reduce the depth and then put them back in position. Would this be easy or difficult to do?

[EricL]

Hello @FiG 

Thanks for sharing your question about reducing the depth of your overhead kitchen cabinets. The general steps will be to remove your wall cabinets one at a time and cutting them down to the size that you want. To give you a bit of reference, the Kaboodle wall cabinets are 320mm deep with the door included, I propose not making it any shallower than that. Once the cabinet has been cut down the back panel will need to be re-installed. This needs to be done properly as a great deal of weight is carried by the back panel.

If you have a bit of carpentry experience, then you should find this fairly straightforward as a cabinet modification. If you've never done carpentry before and don't have the necessary tools, then this will be a difficult project for you. Getting the cuts straight and having a perfect level on the cuts is critical as any error will be visible when the cabinets are installed back on. I propose thinking about getting an experienced handy person to cut and re-install the wall cabinets for you. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[FiG]

Thanks for the reply, Eric. I don't have any carpentry skills so I think it may be easier all round to remove the overhead cabinets and install new, narrower cabinets. I don't think I will be able to do this myself though. All the doors on both high and low kitchen cabinets are patterned. I would like to keep the doors from the current overhead cabinets and fit them to new Kaboodle overhead cabinets. Is this possible or will it mean too much mucking around?

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @FiG 

I would suggest to take one of the doors into your local bunnings store when you go to have a look at the upper cabinets. That way you can make sure they are Kaboodle cabinet doors in the first place and if the arnt youcan see if they will fit Kaboodle frames.

Dave

[EricL]

HI @FiG 

That is an excellent suggestion from @Dave-1. Another method you can do is to measure all your wall cabinet doors and showing them to the in-store kitchen specialist and asking them if your doors are compatible with the Kaboodle wall cabinetry.  

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[FiG]

Thanks for this helpful suggestion, Dave. I will do that.