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txmarti

Making bottom shelf cabinets more efficient

TxMarti
12 years ago

Ok. I've got this bottom cabinet stripped (except for the drawers which will be easier to do in the garage). Before I start staining, I need to decide what to do to make it work better. For the last two years, I've had my china in there and really have to almost lay down on the floor to get the stuff at the back of the bottom shelf. I removed the china to strip the cabinets, and my lovely family decided it was easier to put stuff in here than to find a place in the pantry. Kind of like having a cleared workspace - turn around and someone has set something on it.

{{!gwi}}

I had thought of putting in these pull out shelves from the pantry unit.

{{!gwi}}

But I've changed my mind for a couple of reasons. One, they aren't the right size, and two, they aren't full extension and I'd have a hard time getting to anything at the bottom.

So now I'm considering cutting out the middle shelf and installing some full extension drawers like these.

{{!gwi}}

Or is there something better?

Comments (15)

  • Shades_of_idaho
    12 years ago

    WHOA Marti. I LOVE those full extension drawers. Do you have more information about them? LOL I keep glancing over at my cabinets. Course the doors are shut but I have looked three times that way trying to see through the doors. I am nuts.

    I think the drawers are wonderful and seriously would consider doing that here if I can find our more about how it is done.

  • lazy_gardens
    12 years ago

    If you can remove the middle shelf and install a good pull-out system, it would be great.

    I have the same problem in one cabinet - really hard to access because of shelves, and that's what we are doing

  • TxMarti
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Shades, click on the picture and it should take you to the website where I found that photo. I would probably make my own though. I'm wondering about four drawers like they have - two on top and two on bottom, or just two big drawers, one on top and one on bottom.

  • TxMarti
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    When dh got home, I told him what I wanted to do, and he didn't see any need in taking out the shelf if the drawers will be the same depth as the current spaces. I don't know. Can you think of any reason it wouldn't be ok to leave the shelf in there? The only thing I can think of NOT to is that it will be hard to get to something that falls out the back of the drawer. On the plus side, it will keep crumbs from falling out the top into the bottom - not that that will be an issue since they will be solid drawers, not wire.

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    shades- I've tried that looking 'into' a cab with the door shut. didn't work for me either. so, I went over earlier, opened the door and took a pic. Now I'll be able to see it inside anytime i want to. wow... (i'm nuts too!)

    marti - could you make them out of heavier wood, split your door in half and make it 2 drawer fronts? if so, let me know how ya do it - lol! I'd do it for mine too. or have it done since I'm so not diy anymore. At least 1 of my base cabs is in good shape - but no drawers!

    on yours - couldn't you just keep the shelf and use it to put in bottom gliders?

  • Shades_of_idaho
    12 years ago

    Oh Wahhhhhhh. The drawers will not work in our cabinets. The Styles on sides are three inches wide so all of that on each side of the cabinet would be lost and the center area too. That seems an odd way to do it. Darn. Guess I am stuck with my plastic trays for slide out.

  • camlan
    12 years ago

    The plastic trays aren't the worst way to go. And the cost is a lot less!

    In a former rental, with equally unusable cabinets, I used large Rubbermaid totes without the lids to create "drawers." The higher the sides, the more stuff you can stack in there without worrying that something will fall off.

    A plus to using totes or trays is that you can, if you need to, lift them completely out of the cabinet and set them on the counter. Helpful in finding the one little thing that's shifted to the bottom or if you want to clean them.

  • Shades_of_idaho
    12 years ago

    Camlan, Pulling them all the way out for cleaning is exactly what I do here. The totes are also a good idea if I can find then narrow enough. Just kind of hate to loose that extra three inches on the sides. But really I do not need all that much kitchen storage area. I have purged things way down. I like it this way.

    Back to the totes. They would be perfect for the baking pans I am still fighting with that arrangement. I used to keep them in the dishwasher I never used and it was perfect pan storage. LOL No dishwasher here.

  • TxMarti
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Shades, this cabinet has a 4 inch stile on the right side. I'll lose that space, but I'm ok with that if I can get to stuff in the back a little easier.

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    I took a few pics yesterday, so here's the inside of that cabinet I couldn't see w/the door closed. ok, the kit is still a mess - I've been painting shelves and other stuff...

    here's 2 of the trays I got at GW - about 50 cents each. the one on the left fits on 1 side of the under sink cab. I got another one just like it but I think it's pink. will use it on the other side of the sink cab. The one on the right I'm gonna use in the fridge under the cold meat/cheese drawer (maybe it's just a meat drawer?). It's plastic and has embossed veggies on it. Seems fitting for the fridge.

    oh, and they're both setting on one of my painted shelves!

    and here's 2 from a CL bargain last spring. free is always a bargain to me. I might have to rethink that. This one was a dooozy!

  • TxMarti
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Wow Steph, great kitchen!

    I love your dog's face. He looks like he is very curious.

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    thx marti... maybe I should just leave it like that - lol! it'll probably look much like that most of the time.
    the cab finish is that stuff like pickled something. It photos pinkish but is a greyish blue IRL. I don't think it's even real wood. I plan to use a door from the cabs in my bdrm (that will be moved to the craft/store room anyway) to try to refinish and see what I can change it to. The innards of most of the cabs are in really good shape tho. I'm thinking that even if it doesn't refinish in a good way that it'll be easier to paint the edges and buy new doors/drawer fronts.
    The sink cab is a mess underneath tho. that one needs pulled out. Can't even image doing that kind of a thing til next yr. After I've had time (months) to re-coop from moving. At the rate I'm going I won't even be moved for about 6 months or so.

    that silly dog! she's crazy. wish I could post a video clip. I got a few clips with her chasing her own tail! If she hears a weird noise (like a hammer pounding, fireworks, a motorcycle) she'll stop whatever she is doing (even running) and immediately start chasing her tail. Where does this come from? it's hysterical tho. She reminds me of a mixture of my boydog and my girldog. She's a little stinker -but often very sweet and usually very silly! sure is entertaining - lol!
    Now if she'd just learn to bark at someone. About 2 wks ago my tire guy came by to fix a tire on my car. He pulled in with his big truck, fixed the tire (all within about 10 ft of her) and she didn't make a peep. He later told me she just watched him. He remembers my boy - he said 'oh, I remember him. You'd pull in and stay in your truck til you came out'. He scared people - lol! I keep hoping this stinker will realize she is to protect our land - and me, not just be cute!

  • User
    12 years ago

    When we put in base cabs on either side of our fridge, we took out the built in (half) shelf which is behind the door.
    Then we had space for the two full extension pull out wire racks. They are stainless steel, available from Lowes in all sorts of styles, very heavy duty and quiet. I'd post pictures, but Tinypic.com is not loading for either of my computers, and that is where I had been keeping my GWeb shots. Before I stopped, I put them into 4 base cabs, and plan to keep that hardware for my new kitchen, somewhere.
    Guess I'll change over to Flickr.com totally from now on.

    Marti, those white powder-coated baskets are not the ones you want. My DH installed them in his base cabs up north, and they are not as good as what I found at Lowes. Just take a look online or in the store next trip to town. You can also go to the Rev-a-shelf website and read a full description of their products. I was drooling over their full pantry rollouts, but that is a lot to pay. Sometimes you just need a solid bottomed drawer/rollout.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Rev-a-shelf at Lowes, 596 results

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    i like the box like pull out on that site. not a bad price...I'm sure I could make it for much less - if i just would! but i know i won't!

  • TxMarti
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I'm a bit worried about getting around to building it too steph. I tend to get too many projects going at the same time and none get finished.

    Dh had eye surgery and can't lift anything over 20 lbs for the next two weeks, so there goes getting my cabinets done. Also, I'm going to my mom's later this week to take care of her. She had knee replacement surgery today. And mil fell off the treadmill Saturday so I have to take her to the doctor tomorrow.

    It's always something.

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