Oooh, I sooo love turquoise! I have pops of it in my kitchen, and my livingroom is painted in a shade of turquoise.

I will be one urging you on--doitdoitdoit! ;) I LOVE color in a kitchen--it really shows its personality with it!

Though I *might* have to draw a line at purple cabinets....

No I would not change them to drawers.

I like purple and turquoise and have lots of both in kitchen and baths. Not on the cabinets though.Stained glass on the walls. I do plan on staining the cabinet doors green in the master bath. The wood will show through the green stain. I am going to do mirror on the cabinet base.

Turquoise bases and purple uppers, Steph! Turquoise is a combination of green and blue , and we are used to seeing green vegetation and blue water at ground level. Well, at least SOME of us are used to green and blue at ground level! (Those of us who do not choose to live in a desert, that is!). Purple is often seen at sunset, in the sky, so you should make the purple cabs the uppers. Or maybe a more orchid purple, or a violet?

I think I lost track of your sanity when you put it in that 30" drawer. So, do you think that you are insane for thinking about buying new base cabinets in order to have 30" more drawer space? Or are you insane when you consider NOT changing the base cabs out?

Don't forget about Habitat and thrift stores. We have a thrift store that regularly got floor model furniture from a Crate and Barrel store. Who knows, maybe you will find some base cabs in a thrift before you get around to this big project.

Don't worry if you end up with different cabs of different styles. You could play that up with your nifty colors, even using some gold or black or white striping or wash to add emphasis to trim and fru-fru stuff that differs between cabs. You could end up with a fairy-land kitchen!

"do you think that you are insane for thinking about buying new base cabinets in order to have 30" more drawer space? Or are you insane when you consider NOT changing the base cabs out? "
if I'd go thru the stress, mess and expense to put in new (even new used) cabs to gain 1 drawer of about 30"!

the latter. of course, I'll still go thru the stress, mess and expense of putting drawers in the 3 cabs w/o drawers now (and put in new glides on the 2 cabs that already have drawers + add a drawer). I can space that out (as my brain spaces out also - lol!) if it gets too stressful. 1 in the fall, 1 in early winter and 1 in the spring? with about 2 months between to recoup?

that's a lot less mess (stress and expense) than having the cabs totally pulled out (all that dust/dirt everywhere and packing everything up). to go thru all of that to gain maybe 1-1.5" per drawer equaling maybe the space of one 30" drawer does seem insane to me (at least today it does). I would end up with around 17 drawers anyway. I haven't had any kitchen (or bathroom) drawers for the past 14 yrs!

If the innards weren't so nice I would gladly risk my frail sanity and have them ripped out and put in frameless. The finish and lack of more drawers are what is so bad about the cabs - and the few missing inches!

"No I would not change them to drawers. "

shades - why not more drawers? drawers would be so much easier on me! (on anyone)

shalayne - I was about mid thru my OP going 'turquoise or purple?' when I remembered that my mstr bath will be done in purple and green! Those cabs need a new finish also - so, THEY can be purple! It'll look so much better with white fixtures and lighter walls (plan to do one wall in green and one in a light purple (colors idie used in her bdroom).

I'm still not sure that all the kitchen cabs should be turquoise tho. that's a lot of turquoise. I do plan to wipe it down in a dark walnut stain/glaze.

"I think I lost track of your sanity when you put it in that 30" drawer."

me too! that's why about that time (in my post) i figured I didn't have enough left to fill that 'drawer' (nonexistent).

nancy - I've been looking on CL and figured i'd go to HFH also and that some base cabs would turn up. BUT, I still kept thinking about the mess of ripping out what's in there - ugh! Don't think I could stand that. Then looking in each cab and seeing how nicely finished they are it just kept bugging me. And I've read here (and kitchens) where people have replaced doors with drawers. That sounds so much easier. I will still have to do something about the finish tho. And the handles (already picked those out).

the under sink cab might have to be replaced. that one isn't so great inside. If it can't be decently repaired, it will have to come out. As it is now, it's disgusting - ick!

The bad part about turquoise cabs is I don't think the butterum counter top (formica) that I wanted will look good with it! darn and double darn...it looked great with the original med oak cabs I wanted.

butterum -

I did find this on the Formica site tho -

don't want it to get too dark in there tho. Beige uppers maybe? probably not - my stove, sink and fridge are all bisque. dw will be also when I find one on CL/HFH. stove fan too.
rust uppers? oooooh - i don't think that sounds so good. my tummy did a flip when i tried to visualize it.

and found this -

this alone traumatizes me - can't imagine what ripping out the cabs would do to me!

Steph, maybe you should stay away from the kitchen forum. It has the tendency to influence a person to remodel to excess!

You may find that you are fine with the drawers you have (plus those you plan to convert to drawers). One way to use your bottom cabinets, without spending so much on pull-outs is to remove the front half of the shelf. That way, you can use the back half of the top shelf to store small appliances or large boxes, then you install a pull-out on the bottom. Those bottom pull-outs go the full depth of the cupboard. That allows you to put a lot of stuff in the pull-out, but allows you to see it all. You can put taller items at the front of the pull-out drawer because without the shelf above it, there is more head room. I had a base cab in an apartment that had only the back half of the shelf in place. I kept my saucepans there. Tall pots were in front, on the bottom. Stacked saute and frying pans were on the bottom, tucked under the half shelf. So even without pull-outs, you can make base cabs more accessible.

I know it seems like it's snowballing. Especially if you've been hanging out at the kitchen forum! I think you need to step back from it briefly and decide what you really want. If you really want more usable cabinets, then replacing the cabinets with frameless and mostly drawers may make the most sense. Are you planning on getting new countertop anyway? If so, then it's not going to be that hard to pull out the cabinets and replace them. If you're going to have to replace the sink base, then the countertop is coming out of that area anyway -- do what you need to in that area. Etc.

It is a hassle to have to box everything up. But, honestly? It takes like less than an hour to do it. And then you're done. And it gives you an excuse to go through everything and get rid of things that you never use and that just take up space.

We did an Ikea kitchen. If you can make the stock sizes work for you, it is a very inexpensive and DIY-friendly way to go.

"It has the tendency to influence a person to remodel to excess!

You may find that you are fine with the drawers you have (plus those you plan to convert to drawers). "

yes, I was originally planning to rip it all out and put in new cabs. The work done (and so much still to be done) and cleaning and packing here have shown me that it is just too much of a project for me to undertake (without needing an undertaker myself!).

While working there - cleaning out the cabs, ripping out the old contact paper etc I have found that the cabs are (mostly) in great shape! That led me to start thinking more along the line of just using the cab boxes already in there even tho they are faceframe and changing them from doors to drawers (that's only 3 cabinets anyway - the other 2 already have drawers, tho I might try changing them from 3 to 4 drawers).

"One way to use your bottom cabinets, without spending so much on pull-outs is to remove the front half of the shelf. That way, you can use the back half of the top shelf to store small appliances or large boxes, then you install a pull-out on the bottom. Those bottom pull-outs go the full depth of the cupboard."

that's really close to an idea I had a few wks back. It wasn't changing the shelf already in there to a half shelf but ADDING a half shelf over the top shelf (in the cab over that open mw space on the end cabinet). The shelves have so much hght to them already it's more than I'll need! So, I decided to put another 8" (or so) deep shelf way at the back. I don't have much (if anything) that is so tall I need all of that space. That shallow shelf (about 28" wide tho) will give me a great place for things like the colander and salad spinner. That way I won't need a lower drawer for them - I won't have to bend down to get them.

I'd just buy prefinished shelving for those shelves to save me priming an painting them. I'll probably test it out using those white coated wire shelf extenders. Going thru my cabs here in the old place I've found I have at least 4 of them. I'm going to try using one on my top shelf in the fridge in the same way and see how that works out. I'll put 2 in the back of a shelf in that large cabinet for now too. and use one in my freezer.

"It is a hassle to have to box everything up. But, honestly? It takes like less than an hour to do it. And then you're done. And it gives you an excuse to go through everything and get rid of things that you never use and that just take up space. "

I wish it were that easy for me, but it isn't. I'm disabled and things go very slowly with me - with many trips to bed between small 'projects' to relief the pressure on my back. A 'small project' would include walking the dog, cleaning up her pen and getting her fresh water. that would be enough to put me flat in bed for a good 30 minutes.

I'm sorting thru things prior to moving them over to the new place. The items i'm not sure about are being cleaned and boxed to be put on the top shelf for now. If I find down the road I no longer want /need them then i'll give them away or throw out. I will still have to move things out of each cabinet as I work on it to put in drawers. That will be a major chore for me.

"We did an Ikea kitchen. If you can make the stock sizes work for you, it is a very inexpensive and DIY-friendly way to go."

I have been planning to try IKEA drawers - if they'll fit. I was planning to try the boxes from them also - until I decided it'd just be much easier to put drawers in the boxes already there - and that was after taking note of how nice the boxes there were - except the under sink box.

losing 1 drawer of space by keeping the already in place faceframe boxes rather than putting in newer frameless cabs should be much less work, mess and expense - right?

Everyone usually wants to tweak everything they can to gain even a few inches in a kitchen. I don't think I need to do that tho. It's only me here and I really don't have that much anymore in kitchenware (compared to most people with a family or who do tons of cooking). I do have the pantry a few steps away also.

I do plan on new counter tops - eventually. I might have to end up living with plywood counters for a time (that's ok with me). I think it'll be easier to do some of the work while the counter top is off. During that time I'll just use my table as counter space and continue using paper plates.

I still do plan to live there with it as is for a good 6 months before changing any of it. I may decide that 3' of counter space isn't enough for me. I do have another about 15" to the right of the stove, about 20" to the left of it and about 2' to the right of the sink. the 3' is just the continuous area to the left of the sink where I'd do most prep. you can see it in the pic of my north counter run on the thread asking for pics of our kitchens.

I do appreciate everyone's input! That's what will help me see the error of my potential ways - or not. Other brain waves processing it have to be sparkier than mine are! You are all so helpful by having other views, ways of doing things and thinking out of the box.

desetsteph -

I didn't realize you had a bad back. That would definitely make things more difficult! And if you're doing it alone rather than with a partner, of course things will take much longer.

I will say that I assembled all nine of our Ikea cabinets three days after coming home from an emergency appendectomy. I still had the really annoying drain in, and bending was not one of my strong suits. It was a temporary situation in no way equivalent to a permanent disability. But I'm mentioning it just to illustrate that the Ikea cabs are definitely easy to put together. But they are also fairly heavy and awkward, which poses its own set of problems.

Steph I would keep the three drawers because things like the small boxes of rice or soup cans will fit in them.thinking the smaller pantry items that get lost on shelves.

I think pull out drawers in your base cabinets leaving the doors on would work really well or just use the dish pans and trays. I have been doing that for four years now and it is fine. I put the smaller things in the dish pans and the larger things behind them.

Most important is to get rid of everything you do not use on a regular basis. THEN you do not need all this storage space and it totally lightens the load on my brain trying to remember where things are.

I could have sworn I answered this before. No, I wouldn't change them, it's not worth the expense and mess for such a small amount of gain. Now I would (and will) change bottom door cabinets for bottom drawer cabinets.

"I will say that I assembled all nine of our Ikea cabinets three days after coming home from an emergency appendectomy."

oh my goodness - you got guts! the back part isn't even my actual disability. tho, I 'spect it piles on to it. It gets worse. there are days I'm lucky to get out of bed -and days I have major problems just to walk a short distance.
If I end up having to, I'll probably use IKEA boxes but I'm hoping to be able to use what's in there.
and i am on my own doing this - unless I can find someone to help me at a reasonable price.
I think nancy's guy is gonna become a traveling handyman! lol!

shades - i'll be using bins for some time to come. I don't want to always be opening doors and then still have to reach down to pull out a bin. It'll do for a time but I need to get it easier to do for my bad times and future. I expect they won't be getting better, just worse in the yrs to come.

I'll start with the big drawers (more space to 'work' in) and just replace the glides on the drawers already there for now.

I gonna have to test paint a door (have same type on cabinets going into the back room I can use) and see how it takes and holds paint. Will probably ruff it up a bit to make sure it'll hold up. won't get beat up a lot in my kitchen but might take a few clunks and bangs now and again.

gee, i'm tired - too much thinking and typing today I guess.

"No, I wouldn't change them, it's not worth the expense and mess for such a small amount of gain."

that's the conclusion I had come to also...

"I could have sworn I answered this before."

I chuckled at this. I saw on p 1 that there was a 3/23 post. not remembering if I read it, I open the thread and then saw my last post last night (this morning? it was probably morning some where). For some reason I missed this reply of yours. And I thought I'd read all new posts before my last one about being tired... I could have posted 'I could have sworn I read all the posts already.' - lol!

I thought the same - too much work/mess/expense for little gain. I had still been looking at cabs on CL and decided to give that up. I'll still look for some uppers for the laundry room (there's bare upper wall space in there on 2 walls), but not the kitchen. I think I'll have more than enough to do with sanding / painting doors/drawers - or replacing them (and trim). I've gotta stick to what is really important/will give me the most benefit for my time and money.

I'm out of chocolate - I guess for tonight a cup of hot chocolate will do. And i'll put chocolate at the top of my grocery list for tomorrow!

I hope you have your chocolate by now. I swear that's the only thing keeping me from completely losing it right now with my whole house turned upside down.

In this best of all possible worlds, dinged up and scratched a little is a normal condition. Especially in a kitchen where you take care of your own stuff. If I had a maid, or a chef, or a gardener, I'd be more concerned about THEM keeping stuff PERFECT. But I'm primarily a realist, and have long ago accepted that I don't require PERFECT in my life. So, I suggest that you start with something you do not HAVE TO PAY TO GET PERFECT, BECAUSE IT WON'T STAY THAT WAY LONG.

It still can look great, it still can be just fine for your purposes. Think about getting it done and over with before you spend the rest of your life on one project. Life is too short. Just do what makes you happy and enjoy it.

I know you see the tones of "purple sage" out west there, and going for that kind of purple would make sense. I discovered a long time ago that my "happy" colors are easy to live with a long time. And I know I love a white kitchen with an earthy light ochre yellow with stainless (gray) appliances. In my kitchen, it is all about LIGHT, natural LIGHT, which makes me happy every morning, when I look out the window and see the birds at the feeders, and my plants around the courtyard.

I'd forgo the extra drawer, if you already have THREE. And you can always have the rollout metal drawers installed in an older cabinet by taking out the fixed shelf. Mine work perfectly. Made by Rev-A-Shelf, readily available from Lowes or Home Depot to fit just about any cabs.

We'll be probably using IKEA (hope Jakabedy posts link to her IKEA cabs)base cabs. I mean, why do 100 year cabs when at most I'll only be around 20 more years, and the budget will go further if I economize somewhere?

Think about it honey.
Take care of YOURSELF. Be kind to Steph.

Steph, after 2 years I still do not have countertops installed. I am using Maple-faced plywood on the cabinets beside the stove. It is holding up fine until I can make a decision. Everything I like is out of my budget.

Depending on their usage, I think the 3 drawer cabinet you have is more versital (sp?).

'I hope you have your chocolate by now. I swear that's the only thing keeping me from completely losing it right now with my whole house turned upside down.'

oh my. I think we're close to being TWINS! lol! I had 2 cups of hot chocolate last night - so good! I did make it to the store earlier, got 2 bags (57 cent bags) of m & m's and 2 pkgs of hostess cupcakes - chocolate of course! yeah - chocolate is what keeps me going. I don't drink alcohol - that'd kill me with the meds I take!
I am gonna have to pace myself on eating that chocolate (still have more hot chocolate pkgs tho). I'll probably go by my sister's house tomorrow or Monday and she usually sends goodies home w/me. Her FIL is here now too and he likes to bake. Last wk she brought me 3 brownie 'cupcakes' and 4 or 5 pieces of coffee cake. They were gone w/in days!

ML - I used to want things 'perfect' too. I can remember in college being upset if I got less than a 95...ok, even when I got a 98 I'd shake my head at myself and kick myself for whatever it was that I missed... I really had to deal with me on that. I had kids in school by then and I sure didn't hold them to that standard and didn't want me thinking I had to do everything 'perfectly' to rub off on them. So, now I just figure if I can make it ok (clean, decent, functioning etc) I'm fine. I think the same way here about the need for it to last much more than a decade or so. Others can worry about it when I'm gone. I won't care.

I did have to pull the reins in on myself again with the kitchen and cabs etc. Reading on kitchens (at the problems and hassle and mess and dust) and knowing how not far I've been getting here even over the long haul- the thought of ripping cabs out (cabs with very nice interiors!) had to go to the wayside - along with being frameless. i did go over and measure it out (prior to my post here) and thought it just didn't make sense (for me anyway) to change them all out and only gain 1 drawer (a nice wide one tho!). i've seen some really nice kitchens on that forum ripped out and 10's of thousands spent to replace them. I'm just not that materialist really. i was often thinking 'hey, I'd love to have those 'old' cabs'! I really wouldn't want 'icky' inside tho. The outside I can scrub down and eventually paint (or something).
I've lived in here now with a few cabs and sink that most guys wouldn't want in a fishing cabin (they are icky) - for 14 yrs. Haven't liked it (haven't used those cabs) but been too sick / unable to change it. That 'new' kitchen is an ace compared to this place. I'm grateful for that!

I actually have 6 drawers in it already, so I'm not in a super hurry for more (will use bins for now). but would like more in case my future health is even worse (it doesn't usually get better as we get older).

ML - those pull outs you have are really nice! I'd really even like'm better if that door was split in 2 = 2 drawer fronts - lol!
the drawers I do have are on horrible glides tho. they're just short of those we hear/read others talk about where it's wood scraping wood... gotta jiggle 'em around a bit to get 'em back in straight. and certainly not full extension. i'll probably change the glides this summer - it'll give me practice.

idie - I remember that you just put in plywood for a time... hadn't thought to ask what you finally put in. ok, nothing yet - lol! doing that wouldn't bother me either (now my sister will freak at that tho). I also read on the mfg home forum last night where someone just gel stained the outer parts of her cabs (looks good!) and used that counter top/granite type paint on her counters. Mine is white and in fair enough condition - just don't know if I'd find something with colors I'd like (I think I'd rather just hire that out down the road). Have you checked some out? can you use a remnant for any counters?

I really just want it clean, functionable and easy access for me. It's gonna be a slow process. I need to move over there before the heat hits for the summer (maybe 6 -8 wks). Then I can putter around in the a/c til mid Oct.

my dxbf(lol!) came out today to go over my very long list of things to be done - and measure for steps. Can't get furniture etc in there w/out decent steps. Don't want anyone getting hurt, even me. Or suing me.

ML - I do like ochre! That has crossed my mind for the cabs. It's in my SW prints too. I think the purple will be good for my bathroom cabs - since I am doing my bdrm and bath in purple and green. My bathroom is all white now. I've planned to change one or 2 walls to green/purple anyway. That will wait tho. Moving in and the kitchen needs help before the bathroom.

btw, I found out (when attempting to use) the sink in the 'new' kitchen is about 5" deep. yikes! the 'new' used one I bought isn't a lot deeper but even 1.5-2" will help. Using a plastic bin in the sink for now. My sink here is about 6.5" and was fine for me. I was surprised that 1.5-2" seemed to make so much of a difference to me.

Maybe another night i'll check the IKEA site to see what their drawer measurements are - I do love their drawers. I'm exhausted again and think I might need at least half of a choc cupcake yet tonight.

dSteph, one thing I like in my kitchen is a stool on wheels, or high enough to sit down at the counter, and I like to be able to roll it around from job to job.

When I had a tiny bar (2 seater) in my $5,000 remodel cost kitchen at MoccasinLanding, I had the Wilsonart formica stuff in an almond color, an almond refrigerator (it was on sale), the cabs were all the original knotty pine home built jobbies that I think every home in that subdivision had. Anyway, on the cooking side of the L-shaped bar attached near the cooktop (smooth electric glasstop, that I installed myself), I usually kept my little 24-inch tall stool. Bar was same height as rest of the countertops, so it was just more work space except when company came to sit there. I also had the phone hung on the wall there, with a long cord, and could even watch TV in the living room by sliding my seat back a little as I drank my coffee or talked on the phone. I had a rolling microwave wooden cart with butcherblock top, and it sat in the middle of the open space of the really great "work triange of stove/fridge/sink. I took out the builtin oven because it was ancient and it blocked the bar off from a clean sweep of counter around the whole room.

The kitchen was 17 feet long by 11 feet wide, after I incorporated the whole eating space into it. I moved the upper cabs that were on the long wall the new end wall, and positioned the long run of base cabs beneath it just like it was a buffet. To make it look more like part of the kitchen I used the same Wilsonart almond countertop, and of course the wood was the knotty pine. I even took down AND rehung those upper cabs all by myself, using stacks of books to raise them, and the microwave cart to roll em around on. But I was a lot younger in those days, you know.

Because the kitchen was an interior room with no windows--the original owner had added a den/family room across the back which flocked the windows--I knocked out the spot where it used to be, and had a pass through there to the family room. I also moved the big sink into the corner at an angle, made my backsplash mirror (custom cut) with the pass through also lined in mirror. This kitchen felt like a cave because it was long and narrow, and I was trying to better proportion it, and bring more natural light into it, as well as a good level of artificial light.
It turned into a really pretty kitchen, and is what sold the house in 2004 when I thought I was dying.

Now how did I get off on this....ohhh.
When I redid the kitchen layout, removing the washer/dryer/water heater and wall oven, putting in a trash compactor and a stainless steel dishwasher and new double stainless sink, I had the contractor build a similar cab which was about 36" wide with two 18" doors for a run of cabs beside the sink, opposite the stove top. I had some old barn wood, and some old brackets, and that became the upper open shelving on the two long sides of the kitchen. I had a homemade potrack which I could raise and lower over my rolling microwave cart, made it myself out of an old commercial scale they used at feed stores. I bought and finished in natural pine (painted my yellow ochre inside like the walls) a stand-alone cabinet to hold my convection oven beside the fridge. Out of the way, did not break up the clean sweep of countertops.

It was an impressive vernacular kitchen. All home made. It suited the little cottage on the banks of the bayou, and I loved this little two bedroom one bath, plus a third tiny bedroom (8 x 9) which I used as a study.

The only major work I did on the house was install a complete heat pump system (including all duct work which was not in the house), added plantation shutters to all the windows, change out every door inside and out for french doors or leaded glass lights or fixed louvered, Made 6 foot tall windows in the family room overlooking the bayou, turned the open carport into an enclosed screened-in space for my parrots, made a tiny deck off the family room and put in a 4' wide (total width) pair of french doors out to the deck...wide enough to move furniture in/out, you know. and then I put down sheet vinyl flooring in kitchen, fmaily room, and carport. Oh yeah, I refinished all the floors in the house just before I sold it. Loved that little cottage.

My best recommendation is to make it something you love, and feel good about using. Don't add stress into the package, or you'll think about that a lot.

Steph, the IKEA drawers are meant to fit their stock cabinets. I can tell you the measurements of the cabinets that fit the drawers, if that will help at all.

The stock sizes for the drawer bases are 36", 30", 24", 18", 15", and 12". Subtract 1.50" of the nominal size, to get the interior measurements, as the cabinet sides are .75". So the 30" cabinets have 28.5" interior space from left to right, the 24" are 22.5", etc. There is a 21" cabinet, but it only has the shallow drawer that goes with the 6 3/16" high drawer front, not the deep drawers.

I hope that helps you! :)

"Don't add stress into the package, or you'll think about that a lot."

well, all that you did by yourself just added stress to me! (just kidding!) Man, did you do a ton. And I thought I did good wiring this old place for the phone! I'm a wimp. I was even a wimp when I was younger and healthier (when I wired the phone). Don't think I could even do that today.

That sounds like one heck of a kitchen! You wanna visit AZ next yr? or sooner and put down vinyl flooring? lol! I do think height helps on some jobs. At 5' most everyone is tall to me. Gives you leverage I think. I have 2 windows that need replaced too. I couldn't imagine trying to put those in myself!
I do really like your pullout for trash bags pic'd above. I need one like that for my pepsi and water jugs. Having them close to the cabinet/sink/fridge area would be awesome for some of my 'worser' days! It'd save me some unnecessary steps to the pantry on those days/times my back is really bad and/or I'm having other problems walking.

shelayne - yes, that does help. I have a list of my cab sizes with the size of the actual open space for a drawer. Didn't realize drawer sides would be that thick. don't think mine are. Does that allowance include the space for the glides?

i have 1 with drawer space opening at 26, 1 @ 17.25, 1 @ 17, 2 @ 11

I can see that with allowance for the drawer sides I'll have to refigure what will go in which drawer! but, that'll be ok still. I can easily make that workable.

is it easier to put the glides on the side or under? not sure i can do the under tho.

Steph, the Blum glides attach to the sides of the cabinet, the you lift the drawer and sort of "guide" it onto the glides at a downward angle, and they kind of grasp the glides and click on, they are basically under the sides of the drawer. Here is a photo of the top three (shallow)drawers of an 18" 4-drawer stack. See the metal sides of the drawers? They are sitting ON the glide track, and the guides themselves are attached to WALL sides of the cabinets.

The interior space is what is needed for the IKEA drawers to work. The .75" is the thickness of the CABINET sides, not the sides of the drawer. You could make the 17" cabinet work for what would be an 18" cabinet (like the photo above), as there is 16.5" needed. Also, the 12" pullout would work for your 11" cabinet, as that is 10.5" in IKEA. The 12" pullout pack comes with three drawers. The bottom, deep drawer attaches to the cabinet front, and the two top drawers open independently of each other.

Here is a photo of my 12" pullout, so you see what I mean, though because I did custom drawer fronts, I made the TOP pullout its own separate drawer instead.

I don't know if that helped you, or just confused you more. :/

"You could make the 17" cabinet work for what would be an 18" cabinet (like the photo above), as there is 16.5" needed. Also, the 12" pullout would work for your 11" cabinet, as that is 10.5" in IKEA"

THUD!

oh, that was just my brains falling out. what's left of 'em. lol!

so, the glide that goes on the drawer goes under it all the time? then one on the inside wall of the cab must then stick out enough into the open area for the drawer to slide onto it?

The pics/diagrams of the glides on the Barker site were way too small for me to see. I should look up on Lee Valley maybe - I 'spect they'll make sense to me when i see them.

"The .75" is the thickness of the CABINET sides, not the sides of the drawer."

that's good to know! I'll measure that 'inner' edge of my cabs when I go over in a little bit.
I knew I'd lose 1-2" in the sides of the cab for the glides but thought then I'd lose another 1-2" in addition!

I also thought there were glides that had one side that attached to the side of the drawer.

your post was helpful - I just have to work on that first part. It was getting into the wee hrs when I first read it. Now that I had some sleep, am awake and have my meds in me, I'll reread it and see if it's clearer to me.

on my cabs those are the actual measurements of the opening. from the side edge on the left to the side edge on the right.

max width of anything that could go into it.

Is that what you mean? then something smaller (like the 16.5 in my 17" opening) would work with half an inch to spare?

the whole cab width of the 17" opening is 20.75 and the cab width of the 11" opening is 14.25".

Is that what you mean? then something smaller (like the 16.5 in my 17" opening) would work with half an inch to spare?

You got it! It's trickier with face frames because you would have to build up the cabinet sides for it to work with the Blum slides. I will see if I can take a picture of the underside of the drawer and how it attaches to the slide on the side of the cabinet. Maybe that picture will help you.

I will do that tomorrow.

great! yes, seeing a pic of both would help. I was figuring I'd have to put in a board to build it out for the glide.

There is a glide on both sides of a drawer - right? I saw a sample drawer on a website - they showed the back of the drawer where they prenotched the space for blum glides. There was only one side with a 'notch'. Maybe that was just because it was an example of how they do the notch?

when I do this I think I'll start with the larger cab - that'll give me more space to work in. Maybe i can get the 'know how' down before trying to squish into the smaller cabs.

Arrrgh! I had written a long post with pictures describing everything, and my dang computer froze, and I had to reboot. Which means I lost the whole thing!

ARRRRRRRGH!

So, I will try this again....

The first photo is what an IKEA drawer kit looks like after the drawer is assembled, but before the drawer front is put on. The drawer slides, which are positioned in the photo exactly how they are to be installed, are attached to the cabinet sides. Note the drawer sides and how you can see some sort of mechanism in them. That is what catches the slides themselves.

The next photo is a pic of the bottom of the drawer above my trash pullout. In the upper left you can see what looks like a channel. That is the bottom of the drawer side, and that channel is what the drawer slide fits into. If you look on the middle right of the photo, you can see the glide attached to the cabinet wall.

When the drawer is attached to the slide, you no longer can see the slide, as the slide itself is hidden inside the drawer side. See photo below:

I hope that made things a little clearer about how the drawers work on an IKEA cabinet.

Well, Shelayne did better pics that what I found. But I found my old photos, so here they are! This is what our cabinets looked like with the rails installed but the drawers not inserted yet. As you can see, the rails sit flat against the side of the cabinet. So if you have framed cabinets, you'll need to put some sort of blocking in place to screw the rails into -- to bring the rails in to the size of the opening in the face frame of your cabinet. And you'll have to get the measurements just right.

And since you're considering pull-outs as well as new drawers, know that the Ikea drawers can be used as pull-outs OR drawers. The draws hardware is the same, with the only difference being what is on the front of the drawer. Here is a shot of our pull-out drawers with the Ikea fronts. These are in two cabinets that have full-height fronts (attached to the bottom drawer as a super-tall drawer-front). This could work for you in your base cabinets that have doors, and you wouldn't have to replace the doors. You'd just have to factor in the clearances.

'I had written a long post with pictures describing everything, and my dang computer froze, and I had to reboot. Which means I lost the whole thing!'

ooohhhh ! I just hate that! it takes (me anyway) a long time to type out some posts and then BOOM (once in a while) the machine locks up or I hit the wrong key and POOF! it's gone.

so, the glide on the left fits up into that 'tent' like area of the drawer side? ya don't have to screw it into the drawer? I'm thinking not - that would be awesome!

then that slips/slides into the glide on the right that's been (screwed) attached to the cab wall?

they're full extension? the blume glides?

I sure hope good instructions come on how to attach the drawer front to that drawer. doesn't look like anything to screw one to on it. I'm sure it'll be plain and easy enough tho.

thx so much for the visuals on the drawer and glides! It really does help a lot.

oh - and 1 per side right?

it really doesn't look like I'll lose much more space than is already 'lost' by the face frame.

thx jakabedy - all the pics I can look at the better!

'And you'll have to get the measurements just right.'

and that's the part that scares me - lol. along with trying to fit my chubby short arms/hands in the 11" wide cabs... might not do those until the counter top comes off. not sure that'll help a lot tho. but i've been thinking if I put the glides on a board of correct thickness first (or 2 or 3 glides) then slide that in, it'll be easier to just screw in 4 screws to hold the whole board in!

Steph-

I think it might be tough to get those rails installed. Could you maybe splurge on a carpenter to do at least that part? I say that because I actually installed my rails on the flat sides of the cabinet boxes . . . BEfORE I put the boxes together. If I had to install them in cabinets that are already installed, and also narrow, it would have been much, much tougher.

"I actually installed my rails on the flat sides of the cabinet boxes . . . BEfORE I put the boxes together"

what I was thinking to do was to install them on the 'boards' I'll need to put on the inside of each cabinet wall anyway since I have face frame cabs. I'm gonna have to build it up in there anyway... if it weren't for that I could just put a strip of wood in for each rail.

OTOH - If it doesn't seem to be going smoothly I WILL try to find someone who has done this type of work before. I haven't really had good luck in finding workers who can REALLY do the work tho (on other jobs i've needed done).

I'm sure it will be tricky anyway, that's why I figured I'd start with the wider cab. more space to work in and if I'd get those done I'd survive for some time til I find a good wood worker to do the others. i could fit a lot in those wide drawers!

I do think the 11" spaces will be more of a challenge than I want to do myself. we'll see - if tears start flowing tho, I'm giving up on 'em!

jakabedy--I am so glad you found those pics; I have some like that as well, and I could not find them!

so, the glide on the left fits up into that 'tent' like area of the drawer side? ya don't have to screw it into the drawer? I'm thinking not - that would be awesome!

That's exactly right, Steph, you do NOT screw the drawer side into the drawer. You screw these tabs on to the back of the drawer front, and they snap right into those channels. Easy peasy! The more difficult part, if you are NOT using the IKEA drawer fronts, is the drilling for the holes. We just used a template, and they fit perfectly. In the 12" pullout drawer pack, there is a paper template provided.

Just so you know, I had to install the rails in my 12" pullout after it was installed because that was the ONE cabinet I forgot to do before assembly (of course). It was trickier, but I got it done. I just used a shorter screwdriver and had lots of patience. But I like your idea of doing it on the side piece first and then fitting it into your cabinet.

If I lived near you, I would totally help you. I have become very good at IKEA assembly.

'I just used a shorter screwdriver and had lots of patience.'

I might have to buy one of those! I don't have a short one anymore. I remember having one a few decades back tho.

'But I like your idea of doing it on the side piece first and then fitting it into your cabinet.'

I'm glad you think that'll work! I'll have to make a template for that - and it'll take a larger piece of wood (x2) than if I didn't do it that way. I figure whatever it takes to make it easier tho. I think putting 3 or 4 rails on a board before inserting the board and screwing the whole board into the cabinet wall will be much easier. I just hope I can find a board the correct thickness needed and align those glides up on the boards correctly.

I'll just have to take my time and remind myself that it isn't something I have to 'finish doing' within an hour or 2!

'If I lived near you, I would totally help you. I have become very good at IKEA assembly.'

that is so nice of you! I do wish you lived close to me - lol! I need lots of help these days. A few decades ago I wouldn't have thought twice about trying to do something like this. My body just isn't as limber as it used to be.

I plan to go over and wipe out (I've already vac'd, pulled out old contact paper and wiped cabinet innards down once) the innards of a few cabinets and put down new shelf paper.

If I don't post here (this board) within a few days, you might call the 'old body police' 'cause I'm probably still stuck part way inside of a cabinet - and can't get out or in case of the bottom cabinet, can't get back up! lol!

If I don't post here (this board) within a few days, you might call the 'old body police' 'cause I'm probably still stuck part way inside of a cabinet - and can't get out or in case of the bottom cabinet, can't get back up! lol!

LOL! There is a COMMERCIAL in that! ;)