The Appliance Garage Is a Clutter-Hiding Kitchen Trick You Need

These modern appliance garage cabinet ideas may surprise you.

appliance-garage-kitchen
Photo: Morley von Sternberg/ArcaidImage/Getty Images

Should you install an appliance garage (or several)? A knee-jerk response may be negative—appliance garages aren't exactly on the list of chic kitchen décor ideas everyone is clamoring after—but that immediate response might be a little too quick to judge. After all, aesthetic components such as kitchen backsplash ideas are great, but they've got nothing on kitchen add-ons that have both visual and functional uses.

An appliance garage cabinet can be any space that tucks countertop appliances—think microwaves, toasters, coffeemakers, and the like—out of sight. They often sit on countertops, as an extension of upper cabinets but can also be part of a floor-to-ceiling cabinetry installation or a pantry.

appliance-garage-kitchen
Morley von Sternberg/ArcaidImage/Getty Images

Morley von Sternberg/ArcaidImage/Getty Images

Calling appliance garages a trend might be generous—they're more of a design or storage tool, like kitchen islands, whereas farmhouse kitchen décor could rightfully be called a trend. Trend or not, they're popping up in more kitchens, with doors that are moderately more stylish than the top-down, garage-style door you may be picturing.

Ben and Erin Napier, the home-updating duo behind HGTV show Home Town, say they've put several variations on appliance garages in the homes they remake on their show. "It's just good design," Ben says.

He also says that, often, appliance garage cabinets are installed as a design trick to cover up a visible supporting post or other structural elements. If a post or pipe must run from floor to ceiling, a ceiling-to-countertop or floor-to-ceiling cabinet installation is a great way to cover the potentially obtrusive item while adding extra storage to the kitchen.

One caveat: As with refinishing kitchen cabinets, this is a job best left to the pros. Certain projects can be completed with a little DIY know-how, but projects like this—those involving what Ben calls finished carpentry—need a little expertise. The Napiers agree. "You need the pros. It's time to call the pros for that," Erin says.

The Napiers recommend looking into the cabinet makeover services from The Home Depot's Home Services array of options. The home services pros can make a floor-to-ceiling cabinet installation look like it was always there and even reface all the cabinets in the kitchen, in just three to five days.

If you're already considering a kitchen update involving some cabinet work, now may be the time to consider adding an appliance garage. If you struggle to preserve counter space amid your many countertop appliances or are forced to pull that coffeemaker out of a low cabinet every time you use it—likely every day—you should especially consider adding an appliance garage to your kitchen storage arsenal. (They also make excellent hidden bars and kitchen coffee bars, if you're so inclined.)

Ben and Erin say this design and storage tool has been around for a while, but if you're still not convinced, scroll on—these contemporary examples may change your mind.

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The Classic Sectional Door

The garage-style door on this appliance garage might resemble the more outdated looks of bygone decades, but a modern white finish makes even this classic look fresh.

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A Lifting Door

A more modern option for the appliance garage cabinet is a door that lifts straight up and out. It blends in neatly with the cabinetry, and—as an added perk—the appliances can be slid directly onto the countertop when needed.

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Double Sliding Doors

Appliance garages can have multiple tiers, especially if several appliances are inside. Doors that slide completely out of the way allow particularly heavy, front-facing appliances—like the microwave—to be used where they are while remaining out of sight when not in use.

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An Extended Overhead Door

Losing a little counter space may be an acceptable loss if it means heavy appliances like that must-have stand mixer are right where they need to be.

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