Imagine this.
Your family of 20 is at your house. You’re hosting. Pots are boiling, the oven’s full, and everything is running smoothly… until you need that salad bowl. The one Grandma gave you on your wedding day. The one you have to use, or she’ll definitely notice.
Only problem?
It’s buried at the very back of a deep cabinet.
Now you’re on all fours, pulling out three mixing bowls, two pots, and a random baking tray you forgot you owned, just to reach the one bowl you’ve used once in five years.
A bit dramatic? Maybe.
But also… very real.
This is the exact moment most people realize:
Traditional cabinets aren’t always the smartest storage solution.
Enter: drawers.
The Real Difference Between Drawers and Door Cabinets
Let’s clear something up first, cabinets with doors are not “bad.” They’ve just been misunderstood.
Door cabinets win on two things:
- Raw storage capacity
- Budget
Because there’s no drawer hardware taking up space, you can technically fit more inside a cabinet than in a drawer of the same size. They’re also more affordable to manufacture, since quality drawer runners are some of the most expensive components in a kitchen.
So if you're budget-conscious, door cabinets are absolutely a smart tool to use in the right places. A good kitchen isn’t about eliminating them, it’s about using them strategically.
Where Drawers Win (And Why It Matters More)
Where drawers lose slightly in storage volume, they absolutely dominate in functionality.
With drawers:
- You see everything at once
- Nothing gets lost at the back
- No kneeling or crawling required
- Heavy items (pots, appliances) slide out to you
- Access stays easy as you get older
A cabinet makes you reach into your kitchen.
A drawer brings the kitchen to you.
That difference sounds small, until you cook every day.
And while we’re here, quick note on drawer hardware:
Don’t go cheap on drawer runners.
Saving money here feels smart during quoting, but you pay for it every single day when drawers sag, stick, or fail. Good runners = smooth kitchens for 10–20 years.
Okay, off the soapbox.
“Let’s Just Do All Drawers” - Not So Fast
When people discover this, the natural reaction is:
“Fine. All drawers. No cabinets.”
And honestly? That’s close to what we recommend too. But the key isn’t just more drawers, it’s the right drawer configuration.
This is where good kitchen design really shows.
You need to ask:
- Do you cook with lots of large pots and pans?
- Do you bake often (mixing bowls, trays, tools)?
- Do you need more storage for small items like utensils and gadgets?
- Do you prefer 3 deep drawers or 4 shallower ones?
A family that cooks daily needs a different layout than someone who orders takeout most nights. Drawer planning should match how you live, not just what looks modern.
The Bottom Line
Cabinets store more in theory.
Drawers work better in real life.
A well-designed kitchen usually uses both, but leans heavily toward drawers in high-use areas because:
Less bending. Less digging. Less frustration.
And fewer emergency searches for Grandma’s salad bowl.
If you’re planning a kitchen renovation and want a layout that actually works day-to-day, chat to us at hello@dbstudio.co.za. A kitchen should make life easier, not turn every meal into a treasure hunt.