Cabinet drawers are important in a kitchen remodel

by Roger Diez
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

When you are refacing your cabinets, drawers are sometimes the forgotten stepchild. The drawers should match the cabinet doors to give your kitchen a unified look, whether you are repainting or replacing the doors. In fact, it's a perfect opportunity to upgrade your cabinet drawers with new fronts, new hardware, and even new drawer boxes.

Cabinets, drawers, and hardware

You have a number of options when it comes to refacing your cabinets, and the same applies to drawers. Here are 5 things to consider when deciding what to do with your drawers:

1. Repaint the drawer fronts: If you are refacing your cabinets with paint or stain, apply the same treatement to your drawers.
2. Replace the drawer fronts: If you are replacing your cabinet doors, you can get drawer fronts to match from the same manufacturer.
3. Replace whole drawers: This may be your best option if your old drawers are poorly made or tend to stick. Plastic drawer boxes tend to become brittle and crack over time, and composition wood boxes are susceptible to moisture.
4. Replace drawer guides: If the drawer boxes are well-made but the guides aren't, you can replace them with ball-bearing guides to ensure smooth operation.
5. Replace the hardware: This is the finishing touch that adds style and elegance. Drawer pulls are fashion accents for your kitchen remodel.

In addition to the existing drawers that slide out from your cabinet fronts, you can also add interior drawers. These are particularly useful in base cabinets, eliminating the need to get down on your hands and knees to find what you are looking for. With in-cabinets drawers, pots, pans, lids, and other utensils roll right out into plain sight. These drawers are easily installed with simple tools, and easily removable for cleaning.

Drawer component pricing

New drawer fronts can cost from under $5 for a plain slab MDF (medium density fiberboard) front to over $50 for a five-piece hardwood front. Drawer box pricing varies by size and material. For example, a dovetail wood drawer box 15" wide and 18" deep and 3" high will cost between $20 and $25 unassembled. Add $10 to $12 if you want it factory-assemble led. Ball bearing drawer slides (also called guides) are around $10 to $15 a pair. Drawer pulls cost from around $1 and up.

Add a few drawer organizers to keep your silverware and other items neat, and your kitchen will be more efficient and pleasurable to work in.