6/6/19

5 hallmarks of high quality drawers

7 Min.

In the life of a busy kitchen, the drawers are the busiest. They are opened, shut, loaded, picked through, bumped into and even, on occasion, very firmly closed. Drawers go through a lot and need to be tough enough to withstand the daily use and abuse. Drawers are important. So ensuring that your  cabinet drawers are high quality should be at the top of your cabinet maker checklist. How do you know? Read on.

1. Where the drawers are built.

Ask if  the drawers are built in house, or by another party.  Some shops will offload drawers and doors to other woodworkers. This removes a large degree of oversight in the construction process and in material selection. For example in our shop, the cabinetmakers work the entirety of each project, from milling materials and building cabinets to making doors and drawers. They know each part of it and can see it all come together at every stage.

drawers

2. Stability of the drawer boxes.

Wood is a natural product that moves. It swells in the summer humidity, and shrinks in the dry of winter. Drawers that have this kind of movement simply are not functional. Most drawers boxes are made from plywood. At the higher end, a veneered baltic birch plywood, and at the lower, a thin unfinished plywood. Plywood has some benefits, it can be matched to the rest of the drawer and is easier on the environment than solid wood. But it has drawbacks in durability, a plywood drawer bottom can bow over time, it’s thin and can rattle. An alternative that we have embraced is a high quality 1/2″ veneered mdf. This has little to no movement, has sound deadening qualities and is strong enough to withstand years of regular use.

3. Construction of the drawers.

Drawer construction should take time, and clamps. A well constructed drawer will use traditional joinery such as a dove tail or a box joint. There shouldn’t be any nails in your drawer construction, they are a pretty good indicator that short cuts were taken and the quality of construction will likely have suffered.

4. Smooth sliding.

The wonder of a soft close drawer has become mainstream. But that doesn’t mean that all drawer slides are created equal. A great drawer will have a full extension, so that you can get right into the back corners. They will also have concealed slides, but when you do look under the drawer box to check them out, the slides should be stainless steel and look tough. They have a lot to do in their lifetime, delicate is not a quality you need in your slide.

5. Beautiful and adjustable.

While cabinet doors receive most of the attention in your kitchen design, drawers have a big impact too. If a drawer is loaded with heavy things, over time, it may become out of alignment. Drawers that are built with a separate face can be easily adjusted so that they continue to line up perfectly with the rest of the cabinetry. A drawer face should be made from solid wood and, if unpainted, be grain matched with the surrounding cabinetry. Details – yes, but these are the things that bring your kitchen from pretty to truly beautiful.

There’s definitely more to drawers than meets the eye. Know what to look for so that you can recognize true craftsmanship in your drawers. Need a hand? Our designers know drawers inside and out. Stop by a JF showroom to talk through the details.


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