Most people walking through IKEA would pass an abandoned drawer divider without giving it another thought. Gary saw a problem he might be able to solve.
The divider was sitting out of place on a stack of plates, presumably left behind by someone who had reconsidered buying it. Maybe it felt too flimsy. Maybe it was the wrong size. Whatever the reason, one thing was clear: It had not been made for that person’s kitchen drawer.
For Gary, a mechanical engineer who had spent years in kitchen sales and design, that small moment opened up a much larger question: Why should people have to settle for a standard-size organizer in a drawer that is anything but standard?
The answer became DrawerSpace.
In brief: DrawerSpace founder Gary combined mechanical engineering, kitchen design, coding, and CNC technology to create wooden drawer organizers made for each customer’s exact drawer dimensions and storage needs.
The Unsolved Problem Inside the Kitchen Cabinet
There is a running joke in the kitchen industry that cabinets are essentially boxes. There are only so many ways to improve the basic structure. But the space inside the box? That was different.
Gary had seen how difficult it could be for homeowners to find drawer inserts that fit after their cabinets were installed. Standard organizers often waste space or force people into layouts that do not reflect what they actually need to store.
The discarded IKEA divider brought those frustrations into focus. A drawer organizer could be “smart” without electronics or an app. It simply had to make intelligent use of the available space.
That meant fitting the exact interior dimensions of the drawer and creating a layout around the items the customer wanted to organize.
The First Custom Drawer Organizer
The first DrawerSpace organizer did not begin with a major product launch. It began with an elementary school auction.
When families and local businesses donated items to raise money for Gary’s children’s school, he contributed his still-new idea. He made a small placard offering a “custom drawer organizer,” and a family he knew purchased it.
Gary visited their kitchen, measured the drawer, and built an organizer specifically for it. He believes it is still there today.
The first piece proved the idea. But turning it into a viable product required solving a harder problem: Cutting every one-of-a-kind organizer by hand would take too long. The process had to be automated without sacrificing its custom fit.
Building—and Programming—the Solution
Gary knew CNC technology could provide the precision he needed. A CNC machine uses digital instructions to guide a cutting tool, allowing it to create components according to exact measurements.
There was one complication: Gary did not have the budget to purchase an industrial CNC machine. So he built one.
Using instructions from Build Your CNC, Gary assembled the machine’s panels, wires, motors, and controllers himself. Once it worked, he had to teach it how to make a DrawerSpacer.
Gary had learned coding in college using Fortran and punch cards, but technology had changed considerably. He taught himself PHP and wrote a program that translated each drawer’s measurements into instructions the CNC machine could follow. Over years of testing, it grew into a system that could reliably produce precisely cut components.
This combination of disciplines became the foundation of DrawerSpace: Kitchen design revealed the problem. Engineering created a repeatable process. Mathematics and coding made the custom fit possible. Creativity shaped each organizer around the way a customer actually uses a drawer.
The finished product may look beautifully simple, but the process behind it is anything but.
When a Clever Solution Became a Business
Gary first began selling his custom drawer inserts on Etsy and later launched DrawerSpace.com. The positive feedback came more quickly than he expected.
Customers sent photos of their filled organizers and shared reviews about the fit, craftsmanship, packaging, and service. Some returned to organize more drawers throughout their homes; others purchased organizers as gifts.
The response confirmed that Drawer Space had moved beyond an engineering exercise. People wanted an organizer that fit their space—not the other way around.
Gary kept refining the product. He sourced smoother wood, made the internal dividers thinner to preserve usable space, improved the packaging, and upgraded to industrial CNC machines offering greater precision and efficiency.
Each improvement serves the same goal: creating a custom organizer that arrives safely, slides into place, and feels as though it has always belonged in the drawer.
What Comes Next for Drawer Space?
The original custom divider has already expanded into organizers with multiple compartments, in-drawer knife storage, spice organization, and “Off the Grid” configurations beyond the standard layouts shown online.
Gary continues to explore new possibilities, often prompted by customer requests. That makes the future of Drawer Space feel a lot like its origin: Someone encounters a drawer that is not working as well as it could, and Gary begins thinking about how to solve it.
Ready to Make More of Your Drawer?
A better-organized drawer begins with the space you actually have and the objects you actually use. Explore custom DrawerSpace designs or review the ordering guide to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions About DrawerSpace
What is a custom drawer organizer?
A custom drawer organizer is an insert made for a specific drawer’s interior dimensions and the number, size, and arrangement of compartments the customer needs.
How are DrawerSpace organizers made to fit?
Customers submit the drawer’s interior width and depth when ordering. Gary’s program converts those measurements into CNC cutting instructions for that individual organizer. Review the measuring guide before ordering.
Where are DrawerSpace organizers made?
DrawerSpace designs and makes its custom drawer inserts in Brooklyn, New York.
What can a custom drawer organizer hold?
They can organize utensils, flatware, cooking tools, knives, spices, vanity items, office supplies, and more.
Can DrawerSpace create a layout that is not shown online?
Potentially. DrawerSpace’s Off the Grid service explores configurations beyond the standard design grid. Contact DrawerSpace to discuss your drawer and the items you need to fit.
How long does a custom DrawerSpacer take to make?
Orders are typically built within three weeks. UPS Ground shipping generally takes an additional two to six days, depending on the customer’s distance from the Brooklyn workshop. Check the DrawerSpace FAQs for current production, shipping, and return information