Hide The Eyesore Of Kitchen Appliances With This Genius Storage Solution

The kitchen is the true heart of the home, and people invest substantial amounts of money to make the space work and look its very best. Since it is such a heavily-utilized hub for families to gather and cook, as well as a space that is generally not cheap to upgrade, homeowners are always looking for thoughtful kitchen storage ideas to maximize the room's functionality, organization, and appearance. You want a kitchen to operate at full throttle, but to appear well-composed and beautifully designed, not like the cooking train wreck it may actually be sometimes.

One of the most popular kitchen storage trends is incorporating what's called an "appliance garage" to hide small countertop appliances from view. This storage solution keeps your counters clear and aesthetically-pleasing, while also allowing your appliances to stay conveniently within arm's reach. It's a win-win! 

How do you do it? Well, over on TikTok, user Chrislovesjulia shared one of the more creative appliance garage ideas out there, which showcases a hidden lift-up door disguised as a backsplash to hide a recessed cubby for storing all of her small appliances (and she fits so many in there!). Let's break down exactly how this recessed appliance garage works, and if it's the perfect storage solution your kitchen has been waiting for.

This TikTok appliance garage uses a door panel that is made to look like a beadboard backsplash but actually slides up behind the upper cabinets to reveal a hidden recessed area for your small countertop appliances (with the fun surprise of a beautifully tiled backsplash behind the panel). The recessed design allows the homeowner to make use of a typical depth countertop and upper cabinets when the garage is closed, further helping to disguise the hidden garage since it looks like the rest of the room follows standard kitchen cabinet dimensions. 

How does this work from a size and measurements perspective? Understand that the upper cabinets are 13 inches deep and the entire countertop from front to back when opened is 38 inches, leaving about 25 to 26 inches of countertop free in front when the appliance garage is closed. This hidden backsplash door design is a clever way to keep your countertops clear while also keeping your appliances close at hand, provided that said appliances are small enough, and your home can handle the extra depth requirements from a structural perspective. Seems like a no-brainer, right?

Well, there is a downside. According to the TikTok user, the hidden garage portion behind the backsplash is 12 inches deep, meaning you would need to recess this area back into the wall and take space out of the room behind. For new construction, this is no issue, but for an existing home, it can make this a tricky option to add later on depending on which room is behind this wall. Don't worry, though, because we'll get you some alternate design options, in this regard. 

What if your appliances are deeper than 12 inches? Aside from taking additional inches from the adjacent room (the further you go, the harder it'll be to reach), the solution to accommodating larger appliances is to create a full-height cabinet that sits on the countertops and is the same depth as the surrounding uppers, which will allow for an extra deep interior. The tall door fronts will blend with the kitchen's other cabinets rather than backsplash. You could use standard cabinet doors, or opt for bifold or retractable pocket doors that allow more open access when in use. Compared to the TikTok setup, you will lose some countertop space when it is closed, but the interior, which can be outfitted with shelves in place of upper cabinets, will have tons of space (about 24 inches including the recess).

Can you still create an appliance garage if you can't steal any additional depth from another space? The great news is that this idea can be reduced in depth to work for a kitchen with standard depth cabinets if you pull the entire full-height cabinet setup mentioned above forward, to sit a few inches shallower than the countertop — nixing the hidden recess and leaving about 18 inches of interior depth. Alternatively, for a retrofitted kitchen, you could create a shallow appliance garage under the existing upper cabinets as a separate compartment with a vertical lift door, bifold doors, or retractable pocket doors (upwards or on the sides). 

Whether you create the deep recessed setup or just add in a small under-cabinet compartment to hide the coffee maker, an appliance garage is a fantastic way to keep your essential appliances easy to access, while out of sight — and your counters clutter-free.