I was a skeptic about using drawer slides with self-close, but one kitchen renovation changed my mind

I always thought soft-close drawer slides were a gimmick. Last year I did a kitchen for a client in Portland and they insisted on them. After the first week of installation I started noticing how smooth they felt and how quiet the kitchen was. I timed myself opening and closing a drawer 50 times and it honestly felt less jarring on my hands. Has anyone else had a project where a feature you dismissed ended up winning you over?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kim13d ago

Did you go back and add soft-close to the old drawers in your own house?

the_anthony12d ago

Oh absolutely, I did the same thing and it's totally worth it. Once you get one soft-close drawer you just start noticing how loud everything else is. I ended up retrofitting all my old kitchen drawers over a weekend and honestly it was way easier than I thought it'd be. Sure it's not like life or death but it's one of those small upgrades that just makes the house feel nicer every single day.

adamk9513d ago

Is it really that big of a deal though? I mean, soft-close is nice and all but I’ve had the same old kitchen cabinets for ten years and I barely notice the slamming anymore. @the_kim I think you might be overthinking this one. If it bothers you that much then sure, go for it, but it’s not like the drawers are gonna fly off their tracks if you shut them normal. I’d rather spend my time and money on stuff that actually matters, like fixing that one squeaky hinge I keep ignoring.