Design help on rail and stile sizing

[Johnny Hancock]

I built a vanity with 3 cabinet sections each with 3 inset drawers rather than a center section with doors. The center section drawer openings are 22 9/16 wide and the two side cabinets are pretty narrow, 8 1/2”.
The drawer opening heights are 5 3/16”, 7”, and 12 1/2”. I was planning to build shaker drawer fronts similar to the cabinets I built for my kitchen, 2 1/4” stiles and rails, except for the top row, which would have 1 1/2” rails.

But after cutting the rails and stiles to width and length, I laid them out and the narrow drawer fronts look pretty blocky, with small panels.

I cut the rails and stiles for one narrow bank of drawers to 2” and they look better, but still a little blocky. One concern is how narrower stiles will look on the wider center drawers.

I would appreciate any thoughts on sizing the rails and stiles for the best look, or perhaps mixing solid fronts on some drawers and shaker panels on others.

[Robert Engel]

Typically the rails and stiles are made narrower on the top drawer.

I prefer to go with solid panels on the top drawers.

[glenn bradley]

I do it aesthetically. If they look too wide, they probably are. Slim them down. Sketch Up is your friend.