The Appliance Garage: A Kitchen ‘Must-Have’!

With the trend towards modern, clean lines in kitchen design with minimal ‘fuss’, nothing sticks out more in terms of creating a cluttered look than toasters, coffee makers and juicers strewn across your countertop. Enter the appliance garage! There is nothing new about appliance garages from a design perspective, but they have certainly evolved and are gaining in popularity as they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Join us for a little interior design inspo as we take a look at this great addition to your next kitchen remodel!

First of all, what is an appliance garage? It may sound like an obvious question, but many homeowners haven’t heard of them and it’s certainly not always top-of-mind when it comes to kitchen design or home remodeling. Simply put, it’s a concealed storage area for small appliances that can be easily accessed for everyday use. Mostly at counter height (so items can easily be moved onto the counter without heavy lifting), they are usually located near the area where the appliances will actually be used so you don’t have to cart items about the kitchen. The appliance garage concept most people think of features a roll top type door, but with new materials and designs, most are now integrated to look like cabinet doors. 

Right at Home in Contemporary Design

Can you spot the appliance garage In this home remodel? No? Then we achieved our goal! That’s what we love about them – they can be integrated into the overall design of the kitchen. In this example, the appliance garage is located above the peninsula.

Perfect for Smaller Kitchens, too!

You don’t have to have a lot of square footage to have room for an appliance garage. In this townhome remodel in Reston, our clients opted for two appliance garages. One is neatly tucked away at the end of the countertop on the left adjacent to the sink, the other is on the opposite side of the kitchen on the countertop that faces into the dining room.

Easily Incorporated into Transitional Kitchen Design

You also don’t have to have an ultra-contemporary design aesthetic to get the look. This transitional home remodel is another great example of double appliance garages located along one side of the kitchen, by a butler’s pantry with wine fridge and coffee station. Mmmm, wine and coffee: two of our favorite things. 😁

Not sure what ‘transitional design’ means? Find out if you have a more transitional aesthetic.

Appliance ‘centers’

Appliance garages aren’t just limited to countertops. In this recent home remodel in Reston, our clients expanded their kitchen into the dining room and created this appliance ‘center’ along one wall, with room for coffee makers on the countertop but with room for other small appliance storage, too.