In the PAC Mozaik Closet Library, the default drawer is an economical undermount metal box (shipped at roughly $25/pair for the sides, front fasteners, and slides). Metal boxes are cleaner and easier to assemble, but wood drawer boxes are 100% fine — including the full Titus wood box that ships with the library. The one hard rule from Phill Anton Consulting: whatever you use, the slide must be a true 14-inch slide, because every section in the library is built on a 14-inch modular depth.
Should I use metal or wood drawer boxes in Mozaik closets?
This is a preference call, not a right-or-wrong one — the guidance is “use what’s most comfortable for you.”
- Metal drawer boxes (the PAC default). The library ships set up with an economical undermount metal box (around $25 a pair for the sides, the front fasteners, and the slides). It’s recommended because it’s a little cleaner, easier to put together, comes in 14-inch increments, and is undermount. It is the path of least resistance and the one that’s already wired into the library.
- Wood drawer boxes. Also fully supported. The PAC Closet Library even ships with a complete Titus wood drawer box (the whole box is made of Titus). You just have to source slides that work with it at 14 inches. Wood is the right choice when you want a built-look box or already have a wood-box workflow.
Either way, the make-or-break detail is the 14-inch slide depth — see the next section.
Why does the 14-inch depth matter so much?
Every section in the PAC Closet Library is 14 inches deep, so the drawer depth has to match.
- Too shallow (12 inches): you lose room to comfortably fit folded clothes, which basically renders the drawer useless.
- Too deep (16 inches): everything starts to change. The front line bore that the closet rod sits in moves about 2 inches further forward, and you end up wasting a lot of space behind the closet rod.
- Just right (14 inches): balances usable drawer room against efficient use of the cabinet depth.
So if you swap to your own boxes — wood or a different metal box, side-mount or undermount — try not to deviate from the 14-inch modular depth for these sections. Make sure the slide is a true 14 inches, not 14-1/2 or 14-9/16.
How do I switch the drawer guide in Mozaik?
To change away from the default metal drawer box:
- Select a different drawer guide (whatever slide you’re using).
- Switching to a guide that isn’t a metal drawer box unlocks the ability to pick a drawer box again — that’s how you get to the wood (Titus) box option.
- Confirm the slide is available at 14 inches. Some guides don’t offer a 14-inch-compatible slide, while a DTC undermount typically does — verify your specific guide.
For the Titus wood box, the box itself comes with the library; you just have to find 14-inch slides that work with it.
What about the 32mm boring / line bore when I swap boxes?
A non-default drawer guide may not be fully compatible with the 32mm boring system out of the box. If it isn’t, the cause is usually that the drawer guide is set up incorrectly in Mozaik — and the same can happen with a different metal box. To avoid issues, make sure line boring or custom bore is set up for your drawer guides before you commit.
In Mozaik, go to Libraries → Hardware → your undermount guide (for example, the DTC undermount): instead of turning all the line-bore holes off, let the guide drill its own holes inside that section. Those holes won’t line up with the standard line bore, but that’s fine — all your drawers will come out right. The only trade-off: that panel is no longer reversible (it’s the only panel that works in that spot), which is not a big deal in practice.
Get it done-for-you
You can set this up by hand (above). If you build closets regularly, the PAC Mozaik Closet Library has this built in — drag-and-drop, ready in Mozaik. → phillanton.com
Full disclosure: Phill Anton Consulting makes this product.
FAQ
Can I use wood drawer boxes instead of the metal boxes in the PAC Closet Library?
Yes. Phill Anton Consulting says using your own wood drawer boxes is 100% fine. The one rule: make sure the slides are true 14-inch slides, not 14-1/2 or 14-9/16, because every section in the PAC Closet Library is built on a 14-inch modular depth.
Why does the PAC Closet Library use 14-inch drawer depth?
Every section in the library is 14 inches deep. Go below to 12 inches and there is not enough room for folded clothes; go up to 16 inches and the front closet-rod line bore shifts 2 inches forward, wasting space behind the rod. 14 inches is the ideal balance.