Kitchen Drawer Units: Highline, Drawerline and Drawer Layouts Explained

Choosing a kitchen drawer layout is not simply a case of deciding between two drawers and three. The first question is what type of base unit actually suits that part of the kitchen.

A Highline cabinet, a Drawerline cabinet and a full drawer unit all look and work differently. Add hidden or internal drawers into the mix and it is easy to choose a cabinet because the front looks right, without thinking through what will actually live inside it.

The better way to plan it is to start with the job of the cabinet. Decide what you need to store, where you need to reach it, how much room the cabinet has around it, then choose the configuration that fits.

What do Highline, Drawerline and drawer units actually mean?

The names are easier to understand once you look at what is visible from the front.

Highline base cabinets

A Highline base cabinet is a cupboard-style base unit with doors rather than a visible drawer at the top. A 600mm Highline single-door base is a straightforward example.

Highline cabinets are useful where you want the run to read mainly as cupboard doors, or where the things being stored suit cupboard space rather than dedicated drawer storage.

The range includes single-door Highline cabinets at 300, 400, 450, 500 and 600mm, with double-door versions at 700, 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm.

Do not assume every Highline cabinet has exactly the same internal arrangement. Shelf wording varies between individual products, so if a particular internal layout matters to you, check the exact cabinet before ordering.

Drawerline base cabinets

A Drawerline cabinet combines one visible drawer with cupboard storage below. The 600mm Drawerline base cabinet has one drawer over one door, while the wider 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm versions use one drawer over two doors.

This can work well where you want a handy top drawer for utensils, cloths or smaller everyday items, but still want most of the cabinet to work as cupboard storage.

It is a useful middle ground between a full Highline cupboard and a base made up entirely of drawers.

Two-drawer base units

A two-drawer base gives you two broad visible drawer fronts. The 600mm two-drawer base is one example.

The BD2 units covered by this range are available at 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000mm, and their product titles include a hidden internal drawer as part of the configuration.

Two broad visible drawers are particularly useful when you want room for bulkier kitchen items such as pans, casserole dishes, mixing bowls or larger food-storage containers. The hidden internal drawer gives you another level of separation without adding another visible drawer front to the outside of the cabinet.

If the exact usable height or internal space matters for something specific, check the individual unit rather than assuming every width gives you exactly the same internal proportions.

Three-drawer base units

A three-drawer base gives each storage level its own visible drawer front. The 600mm three-drawer base is part of a range that also includes 500, 800, 900 and 1000mm widths.

Three drawers can be useful when you want more obvious separation between different types of storage. You might keep utensils higher up, plates or bowls in the middle and larger cookware below, depending on the exact unit and where it sits in the kitchen.

The important difference is not that three drawers are automatically better than two. It is that the storage is divided differently and each level has its own visible front.

What about internal drawers?

Internal drawers give you drawer storage while keeping a calmer cupboard-style appearance on the outside.

Painted Kitchens also has a Highline internal-drawer option in 600, 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm widths. This is designed to be added to the Highline base units. It is different from the hidden internal drawer included with the BD2 two-drawer units.

Internal drawers for tall larders are another separate product family again. They should not be treated as interchangeable with a base-cabinet drawer layout simply because the wording sounds similar.

Start with what you need to store

Before choosing the cabinet front, make a simple list of what that part of the kitchen needs to hold.

• Pans and lids
• Plates and bowls
• Cutlery and utensils
• Baking dishes and trays
• Tea towels and cloths
• Food-storage containers
• Mixing bowls
• Dry goods
• Small appliances

That list is more useful than starting with a favourite cabinet style. A deep drawer can be excellent for saucepans and frustrating for small utensils. A top Drawerline drawer can be very useful for things you reach for constantly, while the cupboard below may suit larger items that do not need their own drawer.

The aim is not to fit as many drawers into the kitchen as possible. It is to give each group of items storage that makes sense.

Two drawers or three drawers?

This is one of the most common decisions once you know you want a full drawer base.

A two-drawer layout generally suits items that benefit from roomier storage. Think pans, bowls, larger cookware and other bulky pieces. In the BD2 units, the hidden internal drawer also gives you a separate place for smaller items without changing the two-drawer appearance from the outside.

A three-drawer layout gives you more visible separation. That can make sense when you want different categories to have their own directly accessible drawer.

Neither arrangement wins automatically. The better question is:

• Do I need more uninterrupted space for bulky things?
• Or do I need more separate storage levels?

There is no reason every drawer cabinet in the kitchen has to use the same layout. A practical kitchen may use two drawers near the hob for cookware and three drawers elsewhere for plates, utensils or food containers.

Choose the width after you know the job

Drawer width affects both storage and layout. A wider unit gives you more horizontal space, but it also needs to fit comfortably into the cabinet run and open without making the kitchen awkward to use.

The available widths also depend on the type of cabinet you choose:

• Highline single-door: 300, 400, 450, 500 and 600mm
• Highline double-door: 700, 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm
• Drawerline: 600, 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm
• Two-drawer BD2: 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000mm
• Three-drawer BD3: 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000mm
• Highline internal-drawer option: 600, 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm

Those are cabinet widths. They should not be confused with the usable internal depth or height of an individual drawer.

A 600mm drawer unit may be exactly right beside a hob, while a 900mm unit might make better use of a longer uninterrupted run. Choose the width because it helps the layout and the storage plan, not simply because a larger cabinet sounds more useful.

Put the storage near the job it supports

Where a drawer sits is often just as important as which drawer you choose.

• Keep pans and lids near the hob where possible.
• Keep frequently used utensils close to the main preparation area.
• Tea towels and cleaning cloths usually make sense near the sink.
• Plates and bowls can work well near the dishwasher or serving area.
• Baking dishes and trays are easier to use when they are reasonably close to the oven.

This sounds simple, but it is one of the easiest things to lose sight of while planning a kitchen on paper.

A beautifully organised pan drawer on the other side of the room from the hob will still be inconvenient every time you cook. The same applies to unloading a dishwasher into storage several steps away when there was space to keep the two closer together.

Do not use deep storage for everything

Deep drawers are excellent for larger cookware, mixing bowls, plates, food containers and some small appliances. They bring the contents towards you and make it easier to see what is stored at the back.

But small tools can disappear into a large deep drawer surprisingly quickly. Cutlery, peelers, utensils and other smaller items are usually easier to manage when they have a shallower or more clearly divided storage level.

This is why the best drawer layout is often a mixture. Use deeper storage where the contents justify it and more divided storage where organisation matters more than sheer space.

Check clearances before you order

A cabinet can fit perfectly into the plan and still be awkward once its doors and drawers start moving.

Before fixing the layout, check each unit against:

• an island opposite it
• other cabinet doors and drawers
• dishwasher doors
• oven doors
• fridge or freezer doors
• handles on neighbouring cabinets
• the main walkway through the kitchen

A wide drawer that opens into a busy route through the room may become irritating very quickly. The same is true if two cabinet fronts clash or a drawer prevents an appliance door from opening properly.

Think about the kitchen while somebody is actually cooking, unloading the dishwasher or making breakfast, not just when every door and drawer is closed.

Think about the look of the whole cabinet run

Storage is practical, but the fronts also affect how a painted Shaker kitchen looks.

Two broad drawer fronts give a different rhythm to three smaller fronts. Drawerline introduces a horizontal drawer line above cupboard doors. Highline keeps the frontage simpler, while internal drawers can provide drawer storage without showing every storage level externally.

None of those choices is inherently better. The important thing is to look at the whole run rather than choosing every cabinet in isolation.

If every base becomes a stack of small drawer fronts, the room may feel busier than you intended. If everything is hidden behind doors, you may miss opportunities to make frequently used storage easier to reach.

Common mistakes when planning kitchen drawer units

• Starting with drawer count instead of storage. Decide what needs to live there first.
• Confusing Highline and Drawerline. Highline is cupboard-fronted, while Drawerline adds one visible drawer over cupboard storage.
• Assuming every internal drawer is the same thing. A BD2 hidden drawer, a Highline internal-drawer option and larder internal drawers are different arrangements.
• Choosing width purely for capacity. Wider units still need enough room to open comfortably.
• Putting storage too far from the task. Pans, utensils and crockery are easier to use when they are close to where they are needed.
• Using deep drawers for every item. Small things usually benefit from more separation.
• Forgetting appliance doors and walkways. Check the kitchen with everything open, not just closed.
• Ignoring the overall proportions of the run. The drawer fronts are part of the design as well as the storage.

A simple checklist before choosing your layout

• What does this cabinet need to store?
• Would cupboard storage, Drawerline or a full drawer unit suit that better?
• If it is a drawer unit, do you need roomier storage or more separate levels?
• Would hidden or internal drawers help keep the outside of the run calmer?
• Which available cabinet width fits the layout?
• Is the storage positioned near the task it supports?
• Can every drawer, door and nearby appliance open properly?
• Does the cabinet front sit comfortably with the units around it?

If you are still deciding whether drawers or cupboards are the better starting point, our guide to drawers rather than cupboards looks at that broader choice.

Once you know the type of storage you need, you can browse our drawer units and drawer accessories and compare the available configurations against your kitchen plan.

Kitchen drawer unit FAQs

What is the difference between Highline and Drawerline kitchen units?

A Highline base cabinet has cupboard doors without a visible top drawer. A Drawerline cabinet has one visible drawer above cupboard-door storage. Drawerline can be useful when you want one easy-access drawer but still want most of the cabinet to work as a cupboard.

Should I choose two drawers or three drawers?

Choose two visible drawers when you need roomier storage for bulkier items, and three when you want more separate storage levels. The BD2 two-drawer units also include a hidden internal drawer. The best choice depends on what you plan to store and where the cabinet sits.

Do Painted Kitchens two-drawer base units include a hidden internal drawer?

The BD2 two-drawer units covered by this range at 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000mm are listed with a hidden internal drawer. If exact internal dimensions matter for what you want to store, check the individual cabinet before ordering.

What widths are available for kitchen drawer units?

The BD2 two-drawer and BD3 three-drawer ranges covered here are available at 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000mm. Drawerline units are available at 600, 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm. These figures are cabinet widths, not usable internal drawer dimensions.

Can a Highline base cabinet have internal drawers?

Yes. Painted Kitchens has an internal-drawer option in 600, 800, 900, 1000 and 1200mm widths that is designed to be added to Highline base units. This is different from the hidden internal drawer included with the BD2 two-drawer units and from internal drawers designed for tall larders.