Kitchen drawers that ooze style

Kitchen drawers come in all shapes and sizes, but would this work in your place or should you stick with cupboards? There are lots of things to consider when designing kitchen drawers – price, style, storage solutions and closing mechanisms.

Drawers are certainly nothing new when it comes to kitchens – cutlery drawers, utensil ones, even drawers that hide the tea towels have been commonplace for, well, ever really.

But take a look around the modern kitchen and you'll spy drawers popping up in a variety of previously unexplored places – think drawers for pots and pans, your finest china, and you can even have a pantry that works like an over-sized vertical drawer. But are they right for your kitchen?

Are there positives in kitchen drawers?

"There are definite benefits to using drawers," says Michael Kitchener of Kitcheners Kitchens. "Compared to cupboards, they allow for much easier access to things. But the first thing to consider before you choose them is what sort of 'look' you're going for in your kitchen.

Oversized, horizontal drawers definitely suit modern, contemporary kitchens, but if you're planning on a more traditional country or colonial style, then cupboards are probably the better choice."

The other thing to consider is cost. Because, while a basic cupboard that's less than a metre wide will probably set you back about $200, an equivalent-sized drawer will cost almost double. "Although it can work out being more, depending on what sort of closing mechanism you choose," says Kitchener.

Kitchen drawers and functionality

Mechanisms range from the basic, which will only allow the drawer to be extended three-quarters of the way out, to top-of-the-range varieties, which extend further and feature a soft-closing mechanism to eliminate the jolt when you push the drawer shut.

"That's important if you plan to store fragile items like china in a drawer, so when you're working out how much your kitchen might cost during the planning stages, you need to consider what you plan to use each drawer for so you can budget for the appropriate finishes."

But, if that budget will stretch the extra distance, and you're planning a modern kitchen, then drawers can be a perfect addition. Kitchener's final tip for getting the look just right? "Go for rows of big, wide drawers. Not only are they more flexible in terms of what you can store in them, it will instantly give your kitchen a sleek, streamlined look."

Contact a kitchen renovator in your area to find out more about kitchen drawers: