Drawers for the kitchen: varieties and popular systems

No kitchen is complete without storage systems. It is in this room that the most items are often stored. Kitchen cabinets and cabinets should accommodate cooking utensils, tableware, cutlery, glass, and utensils. A modern kitchen without drawers is simply unthinkable.

In addition to dishes and household appliances, vegetables, cereals, pasta, spices, drinks and much more are stored here. In order not to clutter the room, many drawers of various modifications are installed in the kitchen.

Main characteristics

In most cases, retractable systems are installed in kitchens. Drawers are built into wall cabinets, cabinets, under the sink and even in sofas. They allow you to significantly save space and hide from view what guests should not see. There are also boxes with a hinged lid. Such systems often look like a soft corner for the kitchen with drawers.

Custom vertical drawers

It often happens that there is very little space left between furniture and household appliances. In this case, a vertical drawer is ideal.

This is one of the options for the kitchen drawer system. It is best suited for storing towels, pans and knives that can be hung.

Usually special hooks are installed inside the box for hanging.

Types of boxes

There are several types of kitchen drawers based on their operating principle:

Retractable on casters;
Folding designs. Such drawers open by pulling one of the panels of the floor cabinet towards you; the storage container is hidden in the cabinet. Such systems take up minimal space because no space required to open the door;
Floor boxes. They are a separate structure;
Rack with drawers on shelves. Typically used for storing vegetables.
Boxes are made from natural wood, metal, MDF, chipboard, plastic.

The sizes of kitchen drawers directly depend on their location. When it comes to drawers, their size is equal to the width or height of the cabinet, minus the width of the guide rail.

Floor drawers for the kitchen and solid drawers built into the cabinet usually have a width of up to 90 cm and a depth of about 50 cm.

Corner kitchen cabinets with drawers

The space in the corner of the kitchen, as a rule, is not very convenient for storing things. But corner kitchen drawers radically change things. Look at the following photos - such functionality cannot but delight! In addition, by purchasing special fittings, you can make such kitchen drawers with your own hands.

Also read: 12 convenient hidden compartments for the kitchen

Vertical box

Suitable if there is not too much space in the kitchen. The height is usually equal to the height of the cabinet or the height of the ceiling if they come out from the side of the cabinet. Vertical drawers are easily built in at the junction of two parts of the table for U-shaped kitchens or in a corner.

A corner kitchen drawer can be solid or divided into 1-3 shelves, depending on what you plan to store in it. The interior of the structure looks like a metal frame on wheels.

Creating a drawer in the basement of the kitchen or under the oven

The last option involves creating a drawer, as demonstrated in the photo of kitchen drawers, to accommodate baking dishes and pans. Also, this type of furniture will help provide storage for containers or utensils that can be used for baking.

Read here: Kitchen furniture - 155 photos of design ideas for modern kitchen furniture

The free space can be filled with a small cabinet with drawers for the kitchen, and this option is mainly used in the case of a small kitchen. Such a solution will make it possible to increase the total capacity in your kitchen.

No less popular is the creation of a corner drawer for the kitchen, which makes it possible to fully maintain access to its contents.

Waste boxes

Drawers can be installed directly under the countertop, in the place where the cutting board usually stands. It is assumed that after peeling and cutting the vegetables, the housewife can open such a cabinet and simply sweep the peelings there.

Similar waste cabinets are also made in a folding version, in which case the container can be made of flexible material.

Making drawers

It is almost impossible to make a drawer out of wood and have it with bars. But the manufacture of such a model from metal and plastic is widely practiced. These baskets have a low dead weight and have good mobility. Their lattice shape provides natural ventilation inside the cabinet and inside the basket.

Since making a basket with your own hands is considered labor-intensive, knowing the dimensions, you can order it from professionals or buy a ready-made one. You can make the desired profile for a finished basket yourself, but you can also purchase it in a specialized store.

How to choose the right cabinets

When choosing cabinets and drawers for the kitchen, you need to remember a few rules:

Pre-plan the location of the elements of the kitchen unit yourself or with a specialist in the store. All doors and drawers must open and not interfere with each other.
Decide in which boxes you will store what. For example, a small drawer under the tabletop on casters is suitable for cutlery, and a large drawer with a telescopic system or a floor drawer with holes for ventilation is suitable for storing root vegetables.
When choosing cabinets with drawers, be it a kitchen cabinet with drawers or a wall cabinet with shelves, make sure that the hangers and fastenings are made of stainless steel with a thickness of at least 1 mm. It is the fittings that become unusable first, especially those made of poor quality metal.

Main characteristics of retractable systems

Roller guides

This is the most common retractable mechanism. The main advantage of such a system will be the absence of fragile parts; only when the box is overloaded, balls can pop out of the relay. The maximum load for such a system is 15 kilograms.

Drawers with roller guides.

Such fittings are made of plastic and metal, only the plugs, feet and fastening elements are made of plastic, and all other parts are made of sheet metal and coated with a special reinforced coating.

With the correct calculation of the dimensions of the retractable structure and the size of the guides, you can get almost silent open doors. Drawers with such a retractable system can be easily removed and removed, which is important for cleaning and cleaning such objects.

Roller guides come in different sizes. They range in length from 250 to 600 millimeters, and in width from 3 to 6 millimeters. When choosing, you need to consider the following parameters:

If the drawer itself is shallow but long, then the guides should be of medium width.
For deep drawers, use the widest guides. Otherwise, they simply will not withstand the load and will quickly fail.
If the depth is 350-500 millimeters, then it is better to use metaboxes - this is one of the subtypes of roller guides.

Roller guides allow silent opening and closing of drawers.

Telescopic fittings

Used as functional units in sliding sections. More often they give the opportunity to open the box only two-thirds of its length. Designed for both large and small loads.

Drawers with telescopic fittings.

Telescopic fittings are made entirely of metal and have no plastic parts. The most vulnerable point is the balls that cause movement; when overloaded or installed incorrectly, they quickly fly out and wear out the fastening teeth.

See alsoOriginal kitchen design in green: useful tips on choosing finishes, furniture, curtains

Tandem

The tandem is made to order and helps to optimize space and space as much as possible. The peculiarity is that when you open the cabinet door, certain drawers located behind it will automatically open. You can set up the logic for opening boxes yourself or discuss this when placing an order.

Tandem drawers in the kitchen.

They are made of steel and can be of completely different heights and sizes.

See alsoHow to place a refrigerator in the kitchen: basic rules, important and useful tips

Cargo system

They allow efficient use of space in small spaces. The design will allow you to reliably and safely store dishes, food, and so on.

The cargo storage system allows you to rationally use the space of a small kitchen.

Good materials such as steel, aluminum, and industrial plastic are used for manufacturing. All models of such a system have different shapes and designs, and this makes it possible to choose a convenient option.

The cargo system includes a basket with shelves, mounting guides and a set of screws. The shelves in such baskets can be removable or stationary; their height can be adjusted and, if necessary, completely removed.

Design of retractable cargo storage systems in the kitchen.

Essentially, cargo is a replacement for a regular storage box. Most often they are vertical, but sometimes horizontal baskets are also found.

The maximum weight that they can withstand depends on the design and its size, but on average it is from 5 to 30 kilograms.

See alsoBoho style in the interior: main characteristics

Corner drawers

Looking through photos of kitchen drawers, you will probably come across corner pull-out systems. They differ from vertical boxes in their design. In such cabinets, two corners of the table move forward at once.

When you pull out this structure, you will see an obtuse triangle. Thanks to its unusual shape, a fairly large container can be hidden inside the cabinet; it can occupy an entire cabinet and is suitable for storing heavy frying pans and pots.

Kitchen drawer systems

Modern mechanisms used to create retractable systems allow drawers to extend to the maximum distance, which allows you to use empty space near the back wall of the furniture.

Ball-based guides are used as updated fastening materials.

With their help, the drawer pull-out mechanism becomes improved, and the drawers are famous for their smooth closing action. The photos below of kitchen pullout systems show the most popular models.

Pull-out systems for storing vegetables

This type of box deserves special mention because, in addition to its structural strength, it must be sufficiently ventilated so that vegetables and fruits can be stored for a long time:

Boxes for vegetables are made of metal, wood, wicker or metal mesh. There are also such containers made of chipboard, but they are less durable and do not allow enough air to pass through.
Wicker baskets store food best. Vegetables can be placed in them immediately or the bottom and sides of the basket can be lined with natural, breathable fabric. The drawers can be hidden in the cabinet or, on the contrary, left open.
Wicker metal structures look like a shiny mesh, one edge of which is screwed to the cabinet door. The nets are easy to care for, the main thing is that no moisture gets on them.
Plastic and wooden boxes are usually hidden in cabinets or pencil cases. Sometimes the kit includes a lid for the container.
An interesting option would be to place wicker baskets made of wicker or beautiful plastic containers on an open shelving unit.

Advantages of drawers

Drawers have a number of advantages over floor or wall-mounted storage systems:

Easy access to content. For example, in order to reach the distant jars in a hanging drawer you will need to stand on a chair; with pull-out shelves below this problem does not arise;
Additional kitchen options. In the kitchen you can organize storage systems not only for dishes and appliances, but also for canned goods, root vegetables and fruits. So the kitchen will combine the functions of a pantry;
Significant space savings;
Cheapness. Drawers are not much more expensive than regular ones, but they bring much more benefits;
Convenient workplace. For housewives who spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it is very important to have everything you need at hand. It is much more convenient to pull out a drawer and take out a whisk than to open ordinary cabinets or throw back lids in search of it.

Other necessary and original retractable systems

The drawers and shelves provided above are now very common. They are present in almost every kitchen furniture set.

But there are also other built-in pull-out systems for the kitchen. However, the line of retractable systems is not limited to this.

Modern design of asymmetrical curtains in the kitchen interior (80+ photos)
Buffets for the kitchen: types of sideboards in a modern interior (80 photos)
Built-in refrigerator: how to choose the optimal place in the kitchen set

If not only the kitchen, but also the entire apartment has small dimensions, then there is an original solution for a retractable ironing board.

It is very convenient if there is a washing machine in the kitchen. There are non-standard solutions for retractable feeders for pets, as well as original shelves for storing knives.

Disadvantages of the design

The main disadvantage of drawers is the rapid wear of the fittings. Due to the complexity of the design, retractable systems require a large number of metal parts. Even if you do not skimp and order high-quality fittings, over time its parts will begin to fail.

There is a way out of this situation: close the cabinets carefully, if necessary, lubricate parts of the structure with machine oil, tighten loose bolts and, if necessary, replace spare parts.

Selection of retractable systems for the kitchen

You should choose retractable structures for the kitchen only after familiarizing yourself with their types and variations of fittings, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

First of all, you should focus on appearance. Retractable systems should fit well into the interior of the kitchen. It is desirable that their colors either match or be combined with the style of the rest of the furniture.

The retractable system should be in harmony with the overall style of the kitchen

Don’t forget about the fittings of these structures. It is necessary that it can withstand the entire load. Roller guides in this regard are the most impractical due to their low reliability. However, the price of drawers with such fittings will be budget-friendly.

The most expensive solution is the cargo system. After all, this is a solid structure that is built into furniture. It features increased reliability and high functionality.

The cargo system is highly reliable

Designs with ball guides and metabox fittings are intermediate options. They are quite reliable and can withstand a load of up to 30 kg, which is quite enough for kitchen conditions. They have a silent move, and also have the ability to customize the fittings. In terms of price, such solutions will be more expensive than roller guides, but cheaper than solid cargo systems.

The dimensions of retractable kitchen systems are also important. They must completely occupy the niche intended for them. If the structure is larger, it simply will not fit into the corresponding box, and it is not possible to shorten it.

With smaller dimensions everything is simpler. In this case, the drawer system will not be able to be secured on both sides of the drawer if it is built into it. The load on the structure will increase, which will negatively affect its lifespan. As a result, it will become beyond repair.

But the internal structure of the box can be rearranged so that the pull-out structure is securely attached. But this will take a certain amount of time and also require materials, tools and appropriate skills.

However, with dimensions everything is simpler, because retractable systems for the kitchen are most often made in classic sizes, which include standard drawers. Therefore, the main emphasis should be on appearance, purchase budget, fittings and reliability. But also take into account the dimensions. With this approach to selection, you will be able to choose the best option for the kitchen.

Kitchen table

Kitchen drawers can be built into not only cabinets and wall cabinets. A small drawer can even be provided under the dining table.

Due to the fact that there should be enough space under the table so as not to interfere with the knees of the person sitting at it, you can build a drawer under the dining table to store spoons and forks.

A table with drawers for the kitchen can also look like two cabinets with pull-out parts on the sides, between which there is a dining area. This option is suitable for a large kitchen. This table can be placed in the center of the room. During lunch they will eat at his place, and at other times they will cook.

Pull-out systems for the kitchen - drawers for storing dishes

Many modern kitchen drawers have very convenient dividers that greatly increase the convenience of storing dishes. Narrow vertical dividers work well for storing plates, lids, trays and other flat kitchen utensils, while deep drawers with adjustable pins help organize pots and pans.

Not enough space in the kitchen? Then why don't you add a few drawers at the very bottom of your kitchen cabinets - just above the floor? They can hold the same trays, baking tins, bags and much more.

Sofa

If you plan to place upholstered furniture in the kitchen, you can also store kitchen utensils under the seats. A kitchen sofa with a drawer can be straight or corner. In soft corners, the seat-lid most often rises, and underneath there is a spacious, deep drawer.

A straight sofa for the kitchen with a storage box can open upward, like a corner one, or hide a pull-out system at the bottom. Typically, such drawers “slide out” forward, but if their arrangement is in the way, you can always build a pull-out unit on the side of the structure.

Purpose of narrow boxes

Depending on the purpose, narrow kitchen drawers are:

intended for storing bottles and tall vessels, most often located horizontally;
an equipped kitchen cabinet with drawers for storing small utensils, usually installed in the drawer of the lower tier of the kitchen unit;
made in the form of a narrow retractable straight line with niche cells placed suspended above the stove;
boxes for storing cans, boxes and bags, the design of which imitates pharmacy shelves and provides unhindered access to any item;
filling the space under the sink, intended for storing detergents.

Bottle storage box

We also recommend:

Rules for the use of interior doors
Modern type of curtains - blinds
How to choose “curtains for tulle”, cornices and decor and not be considered an ignoramus? (100+ photos)

Currently, you can select and buy narrow kitchen drawers of any color, made of the desired material. They can be equipped as a separate element or be an integral part of a finished kitchen set. The placement method can be either horizontal or vertical. The selection of dimensions and type of model from a photo in a catalog or in a furniture store depends on the purpose of the item, the size of the kitchen space, as well as individual preferences.

Unusual storage systems

Additional storage drawers can be placed under the lid of the ottoman, if your upholstered kitchen set has one.

Cutting boards that slide out from under the desktop tabletop also look convenient and unusual. Under the mobile board you can place another pull-out mechanism with a shallow container for cleaning.

The ceiling-height racks, which extend from the side of the set or pencil case, look very original. In this design, the shelves will have a small width, but it will be enough to place jars of spices on them.

A kitchen of any size can be beautiful and functional. The more hidden storage drawers you can place in your kitchen, the more free space you will have. And the freed up space will allow you to place a larger table, a kitchen sofa, or even arrange a tea drinking area with a cozy chair and a small table.