When Should You Choose a Full Door Base Cabinet?
Full Door Base Cabinets Are One of the Most Versatile Cabinets You Can Buy
When most homeowners picture a kitchen cabinet, they imagine a drawer above two doors. While that layout works well in many kitchens, there are times when eliminating the drawer creates a much more useful cabinet.
A Full Door Base Cabinet replaces the drawer with one full-height door opening, creating uninterrupted vertical storage that can be adapted for a wide variety of projects.
Today, Full Door Base Cabinets are commonly used for pullout organizers, custom built-ins, and are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional sink base cabinets.
What Is a Full Door Base Cabinet?
A Full Door Base Cabinet looks similar to a standard base cabinet, but instead of having a drawer above the doors, the cabinet consists entirely of a full-height door opening.
Removing the drawer creates one large storage compartment that can easily accommodate taller items or specialty accessories that simply won't fit inside a traditional base cabinet.
Because there are no drawers, these cabinets are also much easier to modify for custom applications.
Why More Homeowners Are Choosing Full Door Cabinets as Sink Bases
One of the biggest trends we're seeing is homeowners using Full Door Base Cabinets in place of traditional sink base cabinets.
Since the drawer above a sink base is normally a false drawer front anyway, many homeowners prefer having one large uninterrupted cabinet opening beneath the sink.
A Full Door Base Cabinet provides:
- Easier plumbing installation
- Better access for future plumbing repairs
- More usable storage beneath the sink
- A cleaner cabinet layout
For many kitchens, it's a practical alternative to a traditional sink base cabinet.
Perfect for Pullout Accessories
Full Door Base Cabinets are also the preferred cabinet for many pullout storage accessories.
Common examples include:
- Spice pullouts
- Utensil pullouts
- Baking sheet storage
- Cookie sheet storage
- Cutting board organizers
- Tray dividers
- Cleaning supply pullouts
The uninterrupted cabinet opening allows these accessories to extend fully without interference from a drawer above.
Pullout Accessories Are Sized by Cabinet Opening
One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is ordering pullout accessories based on the cabinet width.
Most pullout manufacturers size their products according to the cabinet opening, not the outside cabinet dimensions.
Because our cabinets use a traditional face frame, the cabinet opening is approximately 3 inches narrower than the listed cabinet width.
For example:
Cabinet Width | Approximate Opening |
|---|---|
9" Cabinet | 6" Opening |
12" Cabinet | 9" Opening |
15" Cabinet | 12" Opening |
18" Cabinet | 15" Opening |
21" Cabinet | 18" Opening |
Always verify the accessory manufacturer's required opening width before ordering.
An Excellent Choice for Fireplace Built-Ins
Full Door Base Cabinets aren't limited to kitchens.
Because they don't contain drawers, they are one of our favorite cabinets for custom built-ins around fireplaces, entertainment centers, reading nooks, and living rooms.
The uninterrupted cabinet interior makes them easy to adapt for projects where standard kitchen cabinet depths simply aren't practical.
The fireplace built-in shown above is a perfect example of how Full Door Base Cabinets can create beautiful custom storage outside the kitchen
Free Custom Depth Modifications
Our standard Full Door Base Cabinets are built 24 inches deep, but many built-in projects don't require that much depth.
Because these cabinets do not contain drawers, we can reduce the cabinet depth to 18 inches at no additional charge.
Need another custom depth?
Simply leave a note with your order, and we'll reduce the cabinet depth to your requested dimension whenever possible at no additional cost.
This makes Full Door Base Cabinets an excellent solution for:
- Fireplace built-ins
- Living room cabinetry
- Entertainment centers
- Hallway storage
- Reading nooks
- Custom built-ins
Built to Last
Like all American Made Cabinets products, our Full Door Base Cabinets feature:
- Solid hardwood face frame
- Recessed plywood center panels
- Birch plywood cabinet box
- Soft-close concealed hinges
- Pocket screw Ready-to-Assemble construction
- Finished ends
- No MDF, particleboard, or HDF
Our unfinished cabinets are built with solid maple face frames and doors, while our painted collections use solid poplar face frames and doors. Both are paired with durable plywood construction for long-lasting performance.
Before You Order
Before selecting a Full Door Base Cabinet, consider how you plan to use it.
If you're installing a pullout accessory, verify the required cabinet opening before ordering.
If you're planning a built-in project, determine whether a reduced cabinet depth would better suit your space.
For kitchen projects, review our How to Measure for Cabinets and Cabinet Layout & Design Rules: Mistakes to Avoid Before Ordering Cabinets guides before finalizing your layout.
Professional Recommendation
If you're looking for one of the most adaptable cabinets we build, it's hard to beat a Full Door Base Cabinet.
Whether you're installing pullout accessories, replacing a traditional sink base, or building custom cabinetry beside a fireplace, the uninterrupted interior makes this cabinet remarkably flexible. Combined with our free depth reduction option, it's one of the easiest cabinets in our lineup to customize for projects well beyond the kitchen.
About the Author
David Burton has spent years designing cabinet layouts and helping homeowners plan kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and pantry projects. Every article, diagram, illustration, measurement guide, and instructional video in the Cabinet Learning Center has been personally created by David based on real-world cabinet design experience. After working with thousands of cabinet layouts, David has seen the planning and measurement mistakes that can lead to delays, added costs, and frustration. The Cabinet Learning Center was created to share practical knowledge that helps homeowners confidently plan their projects and avoid common cabinet design pitfalls.
