ᐅ How can I make Ikea BRIMNES drawers more functional?

Hello everyone,

I have the Ikea Brimnes chest of drawers with multiple drawers at home, which I mainly use to store various household items – from office supplies and cables to small tools. However, I find the drawer space not optimally utilized, as it currently feels somewhat plain and lacks organization.

Therefore, my question is: How can I make the Ikea BRIMNES drawers more functional to better use the available capacity, enable practical sorting, and at the same time improve visibility? What organizing tools, dividers, or additional inserts would you recommend, especially for different types of use? I’m open to all tips, including DIY solutions or third-party accessories.

Thank you in advance!

I would recommend using drawer inserts. IKEA itself offers some dividers that fit BRIMNES perfectly. Alternatively, you can also place small boxes or trays inside – this helps separate the areas well.

TILU40, your question is very practical and exactly the right one to make the best use of drawer space.

First, it’s important to know exactly what items you want to store, as different contents require different solutions. For office supplies, for example, modular drawer inserts are ideal – I recommend measuring the exact dimensions of the BRIMNES drawers and either custom-making or purchasing inserts tailored to those measurements.

Here are some tips that might help:

- Use measuring tapes to determine the depth, width, and height of the drawer precisely.
- Choose inserts with sturdy, not too tall dividers to prevent shifting.
- Use non-slip mats at the bottom of the drawer to increase stability.
- For cables or loose small items, small labeled boxes that can be arranged flexibly work well.
- A DIY option for custom compartments is to cut thin plywood panels to size and fix them in place with glue or small hooks.

I also want to ask: How tight should the drawers close? Are you looking for a visually neat solution, or is a practical and robust one acceptable? Such information helps to tailor the functionality precisely to your needs.

valerie-tr schrieb:
I have a question as well: How tightly should the drawers close? Are you looking for a visually clean solution, or is a more practical and sturdy option acceptable?

An interesting question, as the appearance often gets overlooked when optimizing functionality.

I would also suggest considering whether it really makes sense to increase capacity solely through technical upgrades or inserts, or if completely rethinking the use of the BRIMNES drawers could yield better results.

For example: Would it be more efficient to store items used infrequently in external boxes and reserve the drawers for everyday essentials? This way, the organizational system could be simplified again, instead of complicating handling with too many compartments and small boxes.

Tause schrieb:
Wouldn't it be more efficient to store items that are rarely used in external boxes and reserve the drawers for frequently used utensils?

This is a key point; organizing based on frequency of use is a proven method.

To enhance functionality with the BRIMNES drawers, I recommend the following structured approach:

- Take an inventory: Which items and how much volume does each drawer require?
- Prioritize what is frequently needed and must be easily accessible.
- Use custom drawer inserts according to item categories.
- Utilize modular, height-adjustable dividers to maintain flexibility.
- If desired, for a visually appealing design, fabric boxes or labeled printed stickers can be used to ensure clarity.

Practically, it is advisable to adjust inserts in 1-2cm (0.4-0.8 inch) increments to fit the existing dimensions, available from Ikea or other suppliers. For technical tools, foam inserts with cut-out shapes for secure placement can be helpful.

Overall, functionality is achieved through a clear structure tailored to individual usage.