How to choose a cabinet width

Bell & Harrison cabinets come in five widths, from 16.5 in / 419 mm to 49.6 in / 1259 mm. Every width has the same 18.1 in / 460 mm depth and comes in the same five heights, so width is usually the first decision, and the space often makes it for you.

The five widths

Each series has a code, and the code is a label, not a measurement. The S1310, for example, is 49.6 in / 1259 mm wide. Plan from the external width in the table, never from the name.

The S840 and S1010 each come in 19 configurations, the S600 in 17, the S420 in 16 and the S1310 in 10. External depth is 18.1 in / 460 mm on every cabinet. Inside, every drawer is 16.5 in / 420 mm deep, and its width depends on the series.

Measure the space

Measure the wall from side to side twice: once at floor level and once at the height the top of the cabinet will reach. Use the smaller figure. Baseboards, sockets, pipes and door frames often take a few millimetres that one measurement at eye level misses.

Then check how far into the room the cabinet will sit. It is 18.1 in / 460 mm deep, before the room you need to open the drawers.

Keep a small allowance rather than planning to the last millimetre, because walls and floors are rarely perfectly straight.

Leave room in front

A drawer needs clear floor in front of the cabinet to open, and you need room to stand at it. Allow for an open drawer plus space for yourself.

Look for anything an open drawer would meet: a door that swings across the front, a chair, or another cabinet at an inside corner.

Plan from the millimetres, not the name.

Check the way in

Cabinets are supplied assembled, with four plinth feet included. There is nothing to put together, which also means the cabinet travels at its full size. Before settling on a wide cabinet, measure the doorways, stairs and turns between the entrance and its place. Delivery is confirmed in your quote.

Match the width to what you store

If you store long items, measure the longest one and compare it with the internal drawer width. A 35.4 in / 900 mm straightedge fits inside an S1010 drawer, which is 37.0 in / 940 mm wide inside, but not inside an S840 drawer at 29.7 in / 755 mm.

Where two widths both fit, the choice is about the drawers. A wider cabinet gives each drawer more floor. Two narrower cabinets side by side give you more separate drawers in almost the same length: two S420 cabinets are 33.0 in / 838 mm wide together, 0.0 in / 1 mm less than one S840. Planning a run of cabinets works through the combinations.

Not sure yet? Design your own takes you through width, height and drawers and only offers configurations that are made. Drawer heights explained covers the next choice.