Is it the deep 21" drawer front that they don't carry? I know they have the shallower one. Are you using Ikea fronts or custom? If custom then no problem -- you can buy 21" Rationell drawers and have fronts made to the height you need. If you are using Ikea fronts, then if it were me and given what you say about your storage needs, I would do an 18" drawer bank at the end of the run, then a 24" drawer bank, then the 24" DW and so forth. After the first couple of weeks of looking at it I don't think you will be bothered by the difference in width. I think you should put in what will work best for you functionally and not worry too much about symmetry. But putting the 24" cabinet next to the 24" DW might look a little more orderly than having 24-18-24-36. (Or maybe not. I'd have to see it to know.)

Mocking up your options on the Ikea planner should help you visualize it. I'm sure you already know that not all options show up on the planner, so you might want to ask someone at the store if they have deep 21" drawer fronts.

This post was edited by northcarolina on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 1:09

You've got other options that would get you closer to what you want -- it just depends on how much DIY you're comfortable with. Keep in mind IKEA is component-based. You can buy drawers and drawer hardware and drawer-fronts individually and cobble together whatever you want.

(1) Get the 21" 3-drawer stack you wanted (keep in mind that this really only works on the slab drawer fronts). You order the regular 21" cabinet, plus a shallow drawer and a deep-drawer kit + hardware for those drawers. But you have to make your own drawer fronts and apply edge banding where you make cuts. You might order a second 21" cabinet door in case the cutting doesn't go perfectly on the 21" door that came with your cabinet.

(2) Create a hybrid cabinet with the "door" serving instead as a tall drawer-front, just like on your trash pull-out. (Your trash pull-out front is really just a door-front, complete with the hardware circles pre-cut in the back). To create the tall drawer-front for the trash pull-out, you're gong to be using a template to mark and drill holes in the back of the "door" to allow the front to attach to the deep-drawer. You can just use the same template to do the same thing with your 21" door. So the final cabinet will have a shallow drawer on top with its own shallow drawer front. Below that will be the door, attached to a deep-drawer (order separately) on the bottom, working as a pull-out. Then you can use a shallow or deep drawer (order separately) inside the pull-out, set wherever you want it. This gives you more versatility than the typical 3-drawer stack, because it allows you to adjust the vertical space inside the lower part of the cabinet. But the pull-out is better than a door (IMHO) just because it is . . . better.

Although these are full-height pull-outs, they show the variety of internal set-ups possible:

This post was edited by jakabedy on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 10:15

I was going to suggest what jakabedy suggested, the tall pullout with shallow drawer on top. I love it. I keep frequently used stuff in the top drawer and the bottom pullout and less frequent stuff on the middle internal drawer that requires the double motion.
So, I guess my vote is option 1, with the bottom drawer attached to the door front.
However, I think my vote could be swayed if I knew your storage plan. What are you putting in this space?

Thanks so much for the responses and pics, but now I'm totally confused!

I understand the making of the trash pull out and the versatility of the other drawer heights within the cabinets, since no slab door front would be dictating the placement.

The part I don't understand is how it saves anything. If I were to purchase the typical 21" cabinet with a top drawer and bottom door, I would be able to have super easy access to the top drawer. The lower cabinets would take double the motion w/o the weight of pulling the bottom cabinet with it as suggested (or at least how I understood it).

As suggested, the only time I wouldn't have a double motion is when I needed something in the very bottom area, making me keep the items with a single motion in an area I have to bend all the way. The upper 2-3 drawers would all take a double motion and have to pull out the weight of the bottom to get at them.

What am I missing as far as function. I can't dispute it might look nice but function, I'm just not seeing it.

We will have very close to the amount of storage as we currently have and we currently have a lot of empty space. There is no need for any type of specific storage needs.

You wanted a three-drawer stack. To open each drawer in turn on such a stack involves three motions. If you do my option (2) from above, you'll also have three drawers: a standard drawer on top, a deep drawer on the bottom with a tall front, and a pull-out in the middle. To open each of those drawers in turn involves four motions (only the middle drawer requires two motions). It's one more motion than your goal. That's pretty darn close. Of course if you're doing slab fronts, you can make your own drawer fronts and get just what you want.

Did you mention what style IKEA doors you are using?

I'm using Ramsjo (both black/brown and white).
just a note that the 4drawer cabinet have flat panel doors (like the top drawer of the 3drawer cabinet).

I built a large hutch w/ 5 base cabinets:
- 18" - 4drawers
- 36" - 2 doors
- 18" - 3drawers
- 36" - 2 doors
- 18" - 4 drawers

I didn't remember about the flat panel vs. shaker until it was installed. Now, it kinda looks like I goofed w/ my choices, because everything else is has details and molding, and here are my two 18" 4drawers w/ flat boring plain fronts.
Maybe I'll change them in the future after the kids have destroyed them a bit or something.
I just want this kitchen/familyroom to be done!

I don't remember seeing your layout.
What are you putting in all these drawers?
there's the option of a nice bigger 30" and a 12" for oil/spices pullout.

Amanda

Thanks Jakebody for clarifying that, I think I understand it now. I was allowing myself to get sidetracked by the pics. As you said we'll have to modify the trash pull out already, so we should be able to handle one more.

I was going to put our everyday dishes in the cabinet immediately to the left of the DW. I was hoping, I would get them all into the same cabinet and really would prefer putting a 30"+ cabinet there but I don't want a 12" drawer. I would have considered a 12" for placing cookie sheets, etc. but I'm putting those items above our wall oven.

I'd really prefer the idea you have Jakebody for looks but I'm going to have to decide if I'd want to put my everyday dishes in a cabinet configuration like that.

We're at the point of "putting" our things in the cabinets and it's becoming more apparent in some areas what size cabinets will work best.

Huango, we're likely going with the "boring" Gnosjo slab doors. We have been concerned about them looking to "cheap" but once your throw the handles on, they look pretty sharp. I actually prefer them then the old Nexus black/brown that they replaced. We've purchased a scratch and dent door for $.99 and have been putting it through the ringer.

Though I've been trying to think outside the box for IKEA, I keep hearing new ideas. Didn't even cross my mind about a 12" pull out as you suggested. Tomorrow I'm going to physically put my dishes in our existing base cabinets and see what I come up with. For a drawer that is going to get used a lot, I want to make sure it all fits and hopefully with a little room to spare.

Aloha, Thanks for explaining what you will use the cabinet for. As I said earlier I have and love the pullout that Jakabedy describes, but mine is next to my stove. I don't know if I would love it as much if it was my main dish storage. For my main dish storage I would go with the 24" 3 drawer stack. I don't know how much dishware you have but I have use a 30" 3db next to my DW and there is plenty of leftover space. I do have a hutch above(my lone upper) for mugs and cups.

localeater hit on something important: if your everyday dishes are to go in this space, the pull-out solution might become a bit of a hassle, even with just one extra motion. Our pull-out units don't get used daily. One holds cat food and pet stuff, the other holds the KA mixer and root vegetables. Our everyday dishes are in a big 36-inch deep-drawer unit We also have two 30-inch deep-drawer units that hold, respectively, glasses and glass/corning bakeware, and pots/pans and metal bakeware. I find the 30" a little tight for things with handles that need to be placed just so. But it would probably work fine for dishes, where the 36" might be a bit of overkill.

I guess what I'm saying by all that is you might want to go with whatever three-drawer you can, and to make sure the 24" gives you enough room. Remember the inside dimensions of the drawers are much smaller than the outside dimensions of the cabinet. A 30/12 combination might work the best. The pull-out solution won't allow you to bend over the bottom drawer very well from the front -- you'll be approaching it from the side, mainly.

I suppose in a perfect situation, I'd prefer a 42" drawer and place all dishes, glasses serving dishes etc. in.

Obviously working within IKEA constraints isn't a perfect situation. It frustrating that the entire kitchen lays out extremely well, except for this 42" space.

I was up at the crack of dawn using our 30" cabinet drawer minus 6" trying to simulate the 24" interior space. I had more then enough room for everything as far as the everyday dishes & flatware. So I was happy to find that out.

We had a 12" cabinet in another kitchen (I'd do this if we went with a 30" drawer base) but I remember thinking the drawer was virtually useless, except for pens and pencils. A piece of paper could not even lay down flat. I like the idea of a 30" cabinet but not so much the 12"

Since the opposite side of the cabinet run uses 24", I'm thinking that might be the way to go.