Instead of Closing Off the Space Under the Bathtub, He Built Two Pull-Out Drawers
Space beneath a bathtub often disappears behind a fixed panel, but the area can be deep enough to hold more than plumbing and supports. Instagram creator @yetanotherhouseproject used that cavity to build two pull-out storage drawers beneath the tub.
From the outside, the finished fronts look like part of the bathtub surround. Each section pulls forward on runners, revealing storage shaped around the limited space beneath the tub.
The project required more than building two rectangular boxes. Each drawer had to fit around the tub, its supports, and the available clearance, resulting in custom shapes that use space a standard cabinet could not.
The drawers were built around the bathtub
Panels of sheet material form the drawer bases, sides, and fronts. Instead of forcing a conventional rectangular drawer beneath the tub, sections were cut away where the bathtub and its structure occupy the same space.
Long runners mounted at floor level allow each unit to travel out from beneath the tub. Building the storage this low also makes use of the deepest section of the cavity.
Cutouts make room for the tub and its supports
One drawer has a large notch cut into its side rather than a continuous rectangular wall. Internal dividers follow the available space, creating separate sections while leaving clearance where needed.
This is what makes the idea useful for an awkward area. Storage can occupy the open sections beneath the bathtub without interfering with parts that need to remain unobstructed.
Each section was measured against the installed tub
Measurements were taken with the bathtub already in position, allowing the drawer dimensions to follow its actual shape rather than relying on nominal tub measurements.
Clearance matters here because the fronts need to close beneath the rim while the drawer boxes have to move without contacting the underside of the tub.
Drawer runners were positioned on the floor
The slides sit close to floor level, with their position marked before the drawer components are installed. This keeps the mechanism below the storage compartment rather than consuming more of the narrow space along its sides.
Precise alignment is important for the large fronts to sit flush once both drawers are closed.
Closed drawers look like bathtub panels
Once installed, the storage almost disappears. Two dark fronts cover the open side of the tub, with narrow gaps between them providing the main clue that the panels can move.
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The finished bathroom gets two storage compartments without adding a freestanding cabinet or taking floor space from the room. Toiletries, cleaning supplies, or other bathroom items can occupy space that would otherwise sit behind a fixed bath panel. The Instagram video embedded below from @yetanotherhouseproject shows the drawers being built and fitted beneath the tub.
The finished drawers disappear into the bathtub surround
Once painted white, the drawer fronts blend with the rest of the bathtub surround. There are no visible handles or hardware competing with the small bathroom, and both drawers can extend into the open floor area when access is needed.
The finished view also shows how much storage fits beneath the tub. One drawer uses the deeper section near the toilet, while the wider front pulls out from the center, turning the irregular cavity into storage without changing the bathroom footprint.
Would you use the space beneath your bathtub for pull-out storage, or keep it accessible only for plumbing?