Yes you need the drawers in fact all base cabinets should be drawers. I never like an oven next to a fridge unless there is a pantry between them I like 2 deep drawers and then 2 shallower drawers 1/2 the width of the deep ones fot the top drawers that gives me space for all my gadgets without any clutter on the counter Then drawers for all my spices and a narrow pullout under counter for oils and vinegars, I really dislke wood hoods and as for the rest I need to see the acutual floor plan to see about function. Who designed the kitchen ? I like the no upper look but it dpends on how much stuff you have to store. BTW I like drawers for dishes and glassware too . Do you have an island how many people cook as a rule . You need to provide a lot more info and that floor plan for sure .

Anything which can be stored in an upper cabinet can be stored in a drawer, so given a choice between omitting the uppers or going with more expensive drawer bases, omit the uppers. Uppers can be added later, but you don't get a do-over for bases unless you are replacing counter tops.

Patricia - thank you so much for your input! I’ll have to see if we still have our floor plan if so I will post it ASAP. im

curious as to how you organize your spices and oils in drawers? I designed the kitchen with help from different local kitchen design places along the way! We unfortunately do not have enough room for an island we have what I consider a large galley kitchen. I’m the only cook in the house. But I am 1 of 5 kids (all married with children) and we host mostly all holidays.

I have my spices in a wide top drawer and it's a really convenient since it's right in my main prep area. I have my oils/ghee separated from the pots and pans by a drawer divider, next to the range. When I was deciding how wide the drawers for my new kitchen needed to be, I took all of my pots and pans and put them on the countertop in my old kitchen. I did not want to do any stacking, I wanted easy access. And then I measured what size drawer I would truly need to be able to have all of them in the drawers flanking the range.

This may help, it's a link to the "Planning for Storage" thread in the "New to Kitchens? Read Me First!" thread.

• Storage Planning: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500787/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage

Regarding omitting uppers & drawers...First, drawers are better than stationary shelves or even roll out tray shelves (ROTS) in base cabinets. They're "even" with pullouts -- shelves attached to doors that pull out when the door is opened -- e.g., a trash pullout or a pantry pullout (which is better than what I suspect you have in your design).

If you frequently have large family get togethers, you probably have more dishes & glasses than most people, so be sure you have sufficient storage for those.

IF you wait and do uppers later, be aware that you may not be able to match the finish exactly as the finish will be from a different "lot" and exposure to sun/UV affects the wood or finish on many cabinets over time. E.g., cherry darkens over time; painted cabinets won't have paint from the same "dye lot".

Do you have room for a dry-walled pantry elsewhere? If so and if you're trying to save some money, consider eliminating the pantry cabinet and creating a reach-in pantry elsewhere. Shelves should be no more than 12"D, so they don't take up much depth. You will have more storage space overall and will have better access in general. Pantry cabinets are probably one of most, if not the most, expensive cabinets you can get.

Some ideas.

I also use a stainless steel masala spice box so I can take out salt, pepper, sugar, etc from a drawer beside the stove and carry it to the island.

QCCI Baking Drawer · More Info

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Super Spice storage... this drawer holds dozens of bottles. · More Info

Yes you need the drawers. Spices are best in a drawer. You can use the other half of the top drawer for oven utensils. I have a 12” wide base cabinet with a pullout for oils, etc. I like that better than a drawer for bottles.

Here's a blue print of the space, keep in mind we've alredy taken down 2 walls. Our table goes in front of the large window. Also the cabinets all the way to the left is the 2nd "phase" to the kitchen renovation.