Storage Wars - Custom Kitchen Roll-Out Drawers

As a now family of four, space is tight in our new two bedroom condo. Storage is at a premium, which means we're pulling out all of the stops to fit the belongings of two adults, a toddler and an infant into 700(ish) square feet. Where there’s room for additional storage, we’ve found it - every nook, cranny and crevice. It’s a full on storage war.

This includes the kitchen space. Specifically, the kitchen island cupboards.

Since moving in to our new space in May, our island cupboards have been the place where kitchen utensils, appliances, pots, pans, etc. go to die. 

Oh the things you can find - from the normal pots and pans, to things we probably don’t need and will never use but are saving “just in case”. For example, there’s a sushi bazooka in there. Seriously. It’s still in the box.

If you don't believe me, see the "before" for yourself. A mess, am I right?

While the amount of space in the island is generous, it’s not maximized to its full potential. The problem with these lower cabinets is that they are too deep. Stuff gets pushed to the back and forgotten, much like that sushi bazooka we just had to have.

Without getting lost in there myself, the easiest way to reach these items is to have them come to us. Enter custom DIY roll-out drawers.

Yes, I said custom do-it-yourself.

Sure, you can have someone do the work for you. But, after an estimate came back at just over $1,600 (and a mom - aka me - that nearly lost her cookies because of it), we decided to look elsewhere. 

Sure, you can buy pre-made drawers. But, they’re expensive and, well, pre-made - no surprise that our cupboards do not fit the usual specs. 

So, a custom DIY build it was.

My husband was gung-ho from the very beginning. And after some thorough research, and one handy father-in-law, he knew he could tackle it.

We turned to the Home Depot Canada for all of the supplies we needed - most importantly the wood, sliders, Kreg jig and screws. 

Living in a small space, the number and size of tools we can have is limited to the necessities (much to my husband’s disappointment), so we also took full advantage of the Home Depot’s lumber cutting service and had all of the pieces we needed cut to size before we left the store. 

Lets just say, the project was a learning experience. If you asked my husband, he wouldn't say it was difficult (in fact, he's already planning his next project), but he would say it took a bit of trial and error and some creativity. Some things didn't go according to plan, and some improvising was required. But, once the first drawer was installed, we were rolling (no pun intended). 

After a bit of back and forth, we ended up leaving the existing shelving in place and putting the drawers on top. Not only did this add some extra support, but it also helped to ensure the drawers were level during installation. 

Not only do the roll-outs allow us to take adventure of the depth of the cupboards, they also make use of the height of the island. We took full advantage of the vertical space, putting the bottom and middle drawers at heights so that pots, pans, dishes, etc. could be stacked. Wanting to remove the clutter from the counter, we made the top drawer more shallow to store our utensils and knives. Eventually we may put some dividers in the top drawer to separate utensils, but that’s a project for a difference time. 

Since the drawers are hidden behind cupboard doors, we also didn’t paint them, and instead left them the natural wood colour (we invested in a higher quality plywood for this purpose). Painting is also another project for another time. 

We’re so happy with how the drawers turned out, and how organized our island cupboards now look. Everything has a place, and everything is easy to find. 

It’s amazing how much a small change makes a big difference.

Have you tackled any home DIY projects lately? I'd love to hear!

Disclosure: This post is in partnership with the Home Depot Canada. However, all opinions are 100% that of To & Fro. Thank you Home Depot!

PIN IT:

Spring Cleaning with a Toddler

My life is a mess. I mean that in the best way possible, I really do. Most days, I feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants. Laundry is piled higher than my toddler, dinner is a last minute decision and in the morning, I run out the door with minutes to spare, breakfast in hand. It’s disorganized, it’s rushed and it’s downright messy.

You know what else is messy? Life with a toddler. I never truly experienced messy until I became a mom. 

Morley is at the age where she makes a mess of everything. And I mean, everything. Miss Independent is always spilling her food, walking through the house with her boots on and tossing her toy bin all over the floor. The phrase, “Uh oh, Morley make a mess” can easily be heard half a dozen times a day in our house.

And because she is at the age where she can tell us that she’s made a mess, we agree that she is also at the age where she can help clean up said mess.

One way that we get her involved in cleaning around the house is by incorporating fun songs into the task. Little girl loves to belt out a good tune, so it seemed like a natural fit.

We get creative by taking an already existing song in her repertoire and change the words into something fun and relevant, such as “Mop, Mop, Mop the Floor”, sung to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”. 

Really the options for songs are limitless, and all they take is a little creativity and enthusiasm.

Mop, Mop, Mop the Floor

This is the way we mop the floor,

Mop the floor, mop the floor,

This is the way we mop the floor,

Every single day.

or

Mop, mop, mop the floor,

Mop it every day.

Mop, mop, mop the floor,

Then (insert name) and (insert name) can play

And while a helper is nice when it comes to cleaning, you know what else is handy? Quality products. 

The Libman Company knows their way around cleaning products. For 120 years, the family-owned business has made quality a priority so that you can get the job done right, and focus on the moments that matter, such as having fun with your toddler.

Whether it’s dust and pollen in the air or a messy toddler, every house is in need of a little spring cleaning. One product that we use throughout the house, and in multiple toddler mess cleaning situations, is The Libman Company Wet & Dry Microfiber Mop. The 360° swivel gets into the tough spots, making it ideal for cleaning hardwood and other surfaces. It comes with a reusable and machine washable microfiber cleaning pad, and can used for wet or dry messes.

In need of a deep spring clean? Check out The Libman Company Wonder® Mop, with microfiber  GRIPSTRIPS™ that lift up to 20% more dirt leaving your floors cleaner. The power wringer allows you to remove more water from the microfiber mop head, leading to faster drying floors. The Wonder® Mop works great on all surfaces and can be machine washed up to 50 times.

The Libman Company Wet & Dry Microfiber Mop, along with various other Libman products, can be found in the cleaning products section at your local Home Depot. Don’t forget to take advantage of the $3-off coupon, available to those who sign up for The Libman Company newsletter, found here. 

Ok, so getting her to clean the floor may not be perfect, and we may have to redo it all after the fact, but it is still good to get her interested and involved in the process. It also allows us to spend some quality time together, just what Libman intended.

Do your kids help clean around the house? What are your tips and tricks for getting them involved? I’d love to hear!