How to Decide Between Drawers vs Shelves for Your Cabinets

Stuck in this dilemma? We got you.

When you’re planning storage for your home, cabinets are a given. The real question is: should you go with drawers or shelves inside those cabinets?

Both have their strengths — drawers excel at accessibility and organisation, while shelves are versatile and sturdy. The decision comes down to what you’re storing, how you’re using the space, and even how much you’re willing to invest in hardware.

Here’s a breakdown of the key factors to consider before you commit:

Consider accessibility: Drawers win for hard-to-reach items

One of the biggest frustrations with shelves is access. If something gets pushed to the back, you often have to clear everything out just to reach it. Drawers eliminate that problem by pulling out fully, giving you top-down visibility of every item.

Takeaway: For smaller or frequently used items, drawers save you the hassle of reorganising to find what you need. Shelves still work best for taller, bulkier items that don’t fit neatly into drawers.

Think about space efficiency: Shelves maximise, drawers organise

Shelves offer flexible vertical storage. You can adjust them to fit books, tall appliances, oversized pots, or even stacks of linens. But that flexibility comes at the cost of tidiness — small items often get lost or pile up unevenly.

Drawers, by contrast, divide the cabinet into tidy compartments. This reduces wasted space and makes categories clearer, though it also limits how much vertical room you have for taller objects.

Takeaway: Choose shelves for flexible, one-size-fits-all storage, and drawers when you want a more organised and compartmentalised system.

Plan around weight: Shelves handle more — but hardware matters

By default, shelves distribute weight across the cabinet frame, making them sturdier for heavy loads like cast iron pots or small appliances. Drawers run on tracks, which can sag or wear out if they’re overloaded.

That said, investing in good-quality mechanisms changes the game. Specialty drawer runners are designed to glide smoothly even when fully loaded, making it just as easy to pull out a heavy pot as it is a packet of snacks.

Takeaway: Standard drawers aren’t ideal for very heavy items, but with the right hardware, they can handle weight comfortably while still offering convenience.

Decide what you’re displaying vs concealing

Drawers naturally hide clutter while keeping items accessible. Shelves, especially open ones, make items visible and can even double as a decorative display for books, décor, or perfumes.

If you want both, consider drawers concealed within swing-open cabinets. This gives you the streamlined look of a full cabinet front, with the organisation and accessibility of drawers tucked inside.

Takeaway: Use drawers to tuck away mess, and shelves for quick-grab items or display-worthy pieces. Hybrid solutions let you enjoy both without compromising on design.

Think about depth and variation: Drawers offer more customisation

Drawers can come in varying depths, which lets you tailor storage to specific needs. Shallow drawers work for utensils and skincare, medium for tableware, and deep for pots, pans, or bulky textiles.

And if you want to push organisation even further, you can also have drawers within drawers. These inner pull-outs are perfect for separating smaller items inside a larger drawer — think cutlery trays in kitchen drawers, or hidden compartments for accessories in a wardrobe.

Shelves, on the other hand, are simpler. You can adjust their height, but you don’t get the same micro-organisation. They’re more forgiving when you’re storing a mix of items in different shapes and sizes, but they lack the precision that drawers provide.

Takeaway: If you love an organised system where everything has its place, go for drawers in varying depths (and even layers). If you want simplicity and adaptability, shelves will serve you well.

How most people do it: A strategic mix

In practice, very few homes rely entirely on either drawers or shelves. Most people use a combination, because each serves a different purpose. The real decision isn’t drawers or shelves overall, but where to use each within your cabinets.

Reserve shelves for heavy, bulky, or tall items; use drawers for lighter, smaller, or frequently accessed items. And if you want to streamline the look, use the same materials and remember you can always conceal drawers behind cabinet doors.

Final Tip: Think less about which is “better,” and more about what’s better for each section of your cabinets. That’s how you’ll end up with storage that feels both practical and effortless to use.

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