Not every kitchen improvement requires replacing cabinets. Sometimes the best solution is finding a better way to use the cabinetry that is already there.

That was the situation with this kitchen in Carrollton, Texas.

The kitchen island had a large open bookcase-style section. While open shelving can work well for displaying cookbooks or decorative pieces, the new homeowner simply didn’t want open cabinetry in the kitchen. She wanted the space enclosed and, more importantly, wanted storage she could actually use.

Working With the Existing Island

Rather than tearing apart the island or replacing perfectly good cabinetry, I converted the open bookcase area into two large pullout drawers.

The existing opening provided plenty of room for deep storage. With full-extension drawer hardware, the homeowner can pull the drawers out and easily reach items all the way in the back.

This is especially useful for larger kitchen items that can be difficult to store in standard cabinets.

Reusing What Was Already There

There was another challenge: matching the existing cabinetry.

Instead of throwing away the shelves that had been removed from the bookcase, I reused that wood to make the new drawer fronts. That helped the new storage blend with the existing oak cabinetry, including its color, grain and finish.

The drawer fronts aren't an exact reproduction of the original cabinet-door design. Trying to duplicate an older door style perfectly can add considerable cost to a relatively simple project.

In this case, that wasn't necessary.

The goal was to make the new drawers look like they belonged in the existing kitchen—and give the homeowner the storage she wanted. She was very pleased with the finished result.

A Better Use for the Same Space

Before the conversion, this section of the island was primarily display space. Afterward, the same opening provided two large, accessible storage drawers without changing the countertop or replacing the island.

That's an important distinction.

Kitchen remodeling doesn't always have to mean tearing things out and starting over. Existing cabinets can often be modified to solve specific problems: adding pullouts, converting shelves to drawers, improving pantry storage or, as we did here, turning unwanted open shelving into enclosed storage.

For this homeowner in Carrollton, TX, a relatively small cabinet modification made the island considerably more useful while preserving the kitchen she already had.

Kitchens Alive — Improving kitchens one cabinet at a time.