Doors Or Drawers? Choosing Between Cabinets Or Drawers In Kitchen Design

One of the most exciting parts of the remodeling process is customizing your home to meet your unique lifestyle. Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It is the centralized space where family and friends gather to share meals, celebrate special moments, and entertain. Creating a well-organized and functional kitchen will save you time while relaxing at home.

One of the key elements of a functional kitchen design is storage. For homeowners, both drawers and cabinet drawers are popular options. Both come in a wide range of styles and designs. There are pros and cons to both types of kitchen storage. Cabinets are affordable and have few restrictions regarding the size and weight of items stored in them. Kitchen drawers eliminate the need to bend down and strain to reach items at the back of cabinets, with drawers and pull-out platforms making everything inside easily accessible.

In this blog post, we'll tell you everything you need to know about lower cabinets and drawers to decide what will work best for your kitchen design.

The Case for Kitchen Drawers

When it comes to kitchen design and renovation, there are no right or wrong ways to organize your home. The best answer is choosing what works for you. Kitchen drawers are great for small appliances and utensils. Like any design choice, there are pros and cons to installing kitchen drawers in your home.

The Pros

Organizing small items – Cooking and baking require multiple tools. Whether you love to bake or are an aspiring chef, having the tools you need at your fingertips can make all the difference in your kitchen's functionality. Kitchen drawers are great for thermometers, measuring spoons and cups, and other utensils and small appliances.

Easier Accessibility – Lower cabinets can hold a lot of stuff, but getting to them can sometimes be difficult. With a drawer or pull-out, items in the back of the cabinet are easily accessible without removing everything in front. There's no more need to bend, strain, and remove everything to get to the item you need in the back.

Customization – When it comes to customization, there are endless options to organize kitchen drawers. Today's drawer systems can handle pots and pans and use pegboards to secure dishes and bowls, creating a customized space for all your kitchen items.

The Cons

Height – Drawers can be used below the countertop for storage. But you'll need to find another solution for upper cabinets to maximize storage in your kitchen design.

Weight Restrictions – While today's drawers can support the weight of pots and pans, you need to know how much weight the rails support. Heavy serving items like platters can cause stress on the rail systems.

Difficult to Repair – Drawers typically use a rail system to slide in and out. If the rails become bent or shift, it can make opening and closing the drawers difficult. Repairing or replacing rail systems can be expensive.

Kitchen Drawer Organization

When it comes to finding a place for everything, drawers are a good bet. When planning your kitchen, imagine what you'll need when cooking. If you love experimenting with your spice palette, installing a spice drawer next to the stove is a great option. With a pegboard system, you can create the perfect storage space for dishes, bowls, and pot lids.

The Case For Installing Kitchen Cabinets

If your kitchen design calls for cabinets, you'll have plenty of options to choose from for customization. Cabinets and open shelving offer easier access for large or oddly shaped appliances and utensils but may not be the best choice for organizing smaller appliances. Cabinets tend to cost much less than drawers. If you're renovating on a budget and already have cabinets, you can choose to refurbish your existing kitchen cabinets. Here are the pros and cons of kitchen cabinetry.

The Pros

Storage for Larger Appliances – When coming up with your kitchen design, take inventory of the items you use most in your kitchen. If you use larger appliances like mixers, an electric griddle, or a juicer, having a place to store large appliances can come in handy.

Affordability – Open cabinets are more affordable than drawers because they require less installation time and need less hardware.

Durability – Cabinets rely on shelves to divide the space and have few parts to maintain. Drawers can sag or become warped over time, requiring less maintenance and costly repairs.

The Cons

Difficulty Locating Items – Cabinets are organized front to back. Items can shift, be hidden, or hard to reach.

Less Desirable for Resale – Many home buyers prefer modern drawer systems and consider open cabinets less desirable.

Space Waster – Some cabinet systems don't take advantage of all the space available. Corner or high shelves often go unused because they can be awkward and hard to reach.

Kitchen Cabinet Organization

Cabinets are an excellent choice for storing items that can't fit into drawers and that you don't want hanging out on the countertop. Cabinets are deeper and can hold large pots, serving platters, and seasonal items. Bowls and plates can be stacked for easy access. If you have beautiful items worthy of display, consider installing glass doors. As an added bonus, glass cabinet doors draw attention to the cabinet's interior, giving the illusion that the room is larger.

The Bottom Line on Choosing Cabinets or Drawers

Most homeowners opt for a combination of cabinets and drawers. The good news is whether you opt for kitchen drawers or cabinets, you have plenty of options. If you love entertaining and want a kitchen that will be the envy of your friends, adding drawers will give your kitchen design a modern look that will wow your guests. However, cabinets might be the better option if you're a home chef and need space for your Le Creuset cast iron cookware.

If you're unsure which option is right for you, work with your design-build contractor or kitchen designer to create the perfect storage solution to meet your unique needs.

If you're considering a kitchen design project and live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can help you to take your kitchen to the next level of comfort and function! If you'd like to know more, we're always happy to answer all your questions.