The DIY You Need To Convert Kitchen Cabinets Into Useful Pull-Out Drawers

If you're renovating your kitchen, you probably know that every additional inch of storage can have a major impact on the functionality of your home. If you have a larger cabinet with lots of unused interior space, it's possible that you could reclaim this space by converting it into a neat set of drawers. Depending on the structure of your cabinet, you might also be able to reuse its doors as drawer fronts. Repurposing existing materials saves you money and ensures that you won't have to worry about keeping the exterior of the renovated cabinet consistent with the rest of your kitchen's design.

To swap out your large base cabinets for drawers, begin by measuring the height and width of your existing cabinet door. If it turns out that it's perfectly square, you should be able to simply cut it in half  to convert it into two drawer fronts. If your cabinet doors aren't quite square, you can still complete this project with ease, but you'll need to measure carefully to create drawer fronts of the desired sizes. You'll also need to purchase wood for your drawer boxes, two sets of drawer slides, drawer pulls, some paint for touch ups, and a handful of tools that every homeowner should have in their garage.

To convert a kitchen cabinet into drawers, you'll need to construct two new drawer boxes that match the cabinet's interior dimensions. When you're measuring a box's width, don't forget to leave the appropriate amount of space for the slides that will hold it in place. If you're going to store heavier items in the drawers, consider cutting dado joints  on the inside edge of the boxes to hold their bottom panels in place more securely. 

Once you've put together the boxes, it's time to install your cabinet drawer slides. If you want your two drawer fronts to align with the bottom of your drawer boxes, then the first slide should sit on the bottom of the cabinet, and the other one should be placed at exactly half the height of the frame. Check to make sure the drawer boxes fit properly, then attach the fronts; this can simply be done with wood glue. (You can make this easier by using a pair of Omninmo Drawer Front C-Type Clamps.) Finally, drill holes to install the drawer pulls, use wood filler to patch up any old holes, and touch up the paint.

To ensure your newly constructed kitchen storage solution stays clutter-free, consider picking up a drawer organizer tray. The Oirdom Bamboo Kitchen Drawer Organizer has a sleek appearance and expands to fit your space. If you're noticing that your drawers are making a lot of noise, try adding rubber or silicone bumpers on the inside of the drawer fronts. Alternatively, you could use soft-close drawer slides for an easy and inexpensive upgrade that adds a touch of luxury.