How to retrofit modern drawers into a dresser?

happybuildings

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on the best way to upgrade an existing bedroom dresser.

The current drawers run on old timber runners, and I’d like to replace them with modern full-extension soft-close drawers. My goal is to end up with something that looks and functions like a new cabinet, but without replacing the entire dresser.

I have two cabinets with the following internal dimensions:

Cabinet 1:

• Width: 750 mm
• Depth: 550 mm
• Height: 790 mm

Cabinet 2:

• Width: 730 mm
• Depth: 450 mm
• Height: 860 mm

Both currently have four drawers, and I’d like to reuse the existing drawer fronts if possible.

Initially I was planning to build new drawer boxes from scratch, but I’m now wondering whether it would be better to have the drawer components CNC cut from white melamine by a company such as Aussie Cut or Go Cabinets and assemble them myself.

I also came across a ready-made bamboo drawer unit measuring 700 mm (W) × 440 mm (D) × 750 mm (H) that looks like it could fit inside one of the cabinets with only minor modifications.

I’d really appreciate some advice from anyone who has tackled a similar project.

Specifically:

• Would you build custom drawer boxes, or adapt a ready-made drawer unit?
• Are there any better options that I haven’t considered?
• What material would you recommend (white melamine, plywood, etc.)?
• Which drawer runners would you recommend for a project like this?
• Is there an easier or more professional approach?

I’m reasonably handy with DIY and have the basic tools, but I’m aiming for a result that looks as close as possible to factory-built cabinetry.

Any ideas, photos or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

JacobZ

Hi @happybuildings,

Drawer boxes are relatively easy to make and with anything custom, it is best to build them from scratch rather than try to adapt something existing. You could certainly have a business create them for you but building them yourself can be a very rewarding experience if you are interested in simple woodworking projects.

You might like to check out How to add drawers to a kitchen cabinet for some guidance on the process.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/166846/how-to-add-drawers-to-a-kitchen-cabinet

In terms of materials, you can really use any sheet material as long as it is decently thick and sturdy. In saying this, I would suggest either MDF or white melamine that is atleast 15mm thick. MDF is, in my opinion the easiest material to work with as it is very straight, sturdy and will not chip out. The only downside is that it will need to be painted if you do not want the raw MDF look. White melamine is the best option if you want something that is straight and sturdy, but also comes prefinished. The downside to melamine is that it can be difficult to cut without chip out, although this can be managed by cutting with a fresh finishing blade on your circular saw, taping the cut lines and cutting in multiple passes to reduce the force being exerted on the material. If you are happy to paint the material, go with MDF, if you want it prefinished and are happy to do a bit of extra work to minimise chipout, go with melamine.

Regardless of what method you choose to create your drawer boxes, you're going to want to select your drawer runners first as they will determine the overall width of your drawer boxes. Many side-mounted runners require approximately 12.5mm on each side, however it can vary based on the runners you use, so make sure to check. You want your drawer slides to be almost as long as the drawer box, but not exactly the same as it will leave no room for the drawer fronts or clearance at the back. For the 450mm deep drawer, these https://www.bunnings.com.au/goliath-soft-close-drawer-slide-pair-400mm_p4020976 would be a good option, and for the 550mm deep drawer, these https://www.bunnings.com.au/goliath-soft-close-drawer-slide-pair-500mm_p4020978 would be good.

Ultimately, the choice is yours, but I think building them yourself is the way to go, assuming you already have a few tools and would like the process of building them.

You might like to check out @twocutekelpies project where she converted a Kaboodle base cabinet to a drawer cabinet for some further guidance and inspiration.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/300292/diy-kaboodle-base-cabinet-to-drawers-conversion

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob