Have you seen the commercial for the Pocket Drawer? I look forward to watching each time it comes through the ad rotation on HGTV. For those not familiar with the product, it is basically a drawer mounted into the wall. From the company website, “it is 14 inches wide by 6 inches high by almost 5 inches deep.” The idea is perfect for marketing – it fills a plausible need (can take advantage of unused space to help you get organized) and is easily communicated in a 30 second TV spot. When you’re in the moment it’s hard not to nod your head and think, “yeah, I could use a couple of those.” Just pick up the phone and dial!
But if you take a moment to think, it raises some important practical and logistical questions:
– Who’s going to install my new Pocket Drawers?
– How do I know if my studs are spaced properly?
– How do I know which walls are being used for electrical, plumbing, or HVAC?
– Does this mean I have to take out the insulation?
– How can they be “almost 5 inches deep” if my studs are nominal 2″x4″s (which are actually only 3.5″)?
Most homeowners won’t know if the Pocket Drawer will work for them until they cut a hole in their wall where they would like to mount it. Hopefully everything comes together perfectly and they don’t end up cutting into a bunch of walls looking for a spot that works.
From the real estate point of view, we should also be asking if Pocket Drawers are smart upgrades for the future. If you plan to live in your home for a long time, then it doesn’t really matter. You should make the space comfortable for your lifestyle, which may mean a strategically placed Pocket Drawer here or there, or an entire platoon of Pocket Drawers aligned in orderly columns and rows.
However, if it’s possible you may sell in the next few years, you should definitely take the potential buyer’s perspective into consideration. Pocket Drawers are relatively new on the scene. As far as I know, I have not yet seen one installed in a home. So despite the precedent of mounting storage in the wall (medicine cabinets), they have not yet taken the country by storm. My personal opinion is that it would be odd and unsettling to have a random drawer or two interrupting the surface of a wall. While it may be functional, any practical benefits would be offset by poor aesthetics. I would certainly not recommend that a seller add them to their home before putting it on the market. Just buy a storage solution at Ikea, the Container Store, or the like and you’ll be doing yourself a favor.
Does anyone else have thoughts on the Pocket Drawer?
Normally I’m a sucker for these types of ads and need someone to identify all the negatives, as you just did. But in this case, nothing about this product appealed to me. As you intimate, even if properly installed, it looks ridiculous. Also, it seems like an awful lot of effort (and potential damage to your house) for very minimal space.
I’ve seen drawers inset into walls in Cape Cod style homes, using the otherwise wasted space near the floor (see http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/chest-of-drawers-1-after-500.jpg for an example). But otherwise no.
I’m with Mat on this. Unless the space is really cramped and any extra space would be of benefit, I’d skip this. It looks bizarre.