A drawer base cabinet is a cabinet that has a sliding draw set into it. This is a very practical and common type of base cabinet because of the storage versatility it offers any cabinetry scheme. The only limitation to this style of base cabinet is that it is not usable under sinks because it can interfere with the installation of a drain pipe. In a kitchen cabinetry run, the countertop can be supported by a series of drawer base cabinets to maximize storage space. Typically, a drawer’s base cabinet will consist of a single drawer at the top end and a cabinet door that opens to a compartment 24 inches deep. The base cabinet area may have a full shelf, half shelf or no shelf. The bottom of the drawer is often not internally shielded from the lower cabinet area in order to conserve construction materials, so obstructions to the drawer’s movement can occur if large objects are placed so that they touch or block the travel path of the drawer’s underside.
The drawer base cabinet is such a popular style that it is also emulated in faux designs that feature drawer fronts that do not actually function. This is a way that the aesthetic pattern of the face of a cabinet run can be preserved where the inclusion of a functioning drawer is either not practical or cost effective.
