Options for Appliance Garages

Keeping small appliances behind closed doors reduces counter clutter, but also requires sacrificing work station areas on the countertop.

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Behind Closed Doors

Tambour Doors

Narrow Garages

Corner Garage

Heat Seeking

Baking Center

Backsplash Garage

Swing-Out Doors

Display Cabinet

Glass Doors

Up, Up, and Away

Not for Appliances Only

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Behind Closed Doors

Including appliance garages in a kitchen cabinet plan is a terrific way to keep these items accessible, yet out of sight. You'll want to specify that the cabinet interiors of a garage be finished. Make sure to plan for multiple electrical outlets and have them installed prior to the cabinet installation.

Tambour Doors

Roll-up doors, also known as tambour doors, are made of narrow wood slats that roll back into the "ceiling" area of the cabinet. The advantage of this type of door is that it takes up no counter space. The disadvantage is that the doors can sometimes be slightly tricky to work.

Narrow Garages

A slim-profile garage offers the benefit of more usable counter area, but you'll need to make sure your appliances fit inside such a narrow space. The door on this cabinet swings forward and lifts up, then pushes in along the top, with a clean look that takes up no counter area when open.

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Corner Garage

A corner area may be just the right spot for an appliance garage. This one has bifold doors that fold back to the right, requiring that the counter be clear. Keeping electrical outlets low on the wall offers a cleaner look when the doors are open.

Heat Seeking

Allow for adequate counter space in front of a garage when it will be used for heat-generating appliances like coffee makers or toasters. In most cases you'll want to slide these appliances forward to use them, so heat and steam dissipate into the kitchen rather than into the confined space of the garage.

Baking Center

A pop-up door like this can be handy when space is tight. The drawback to this kind of door is that any shelves or cabinets behind the door (when it is in the open position) will be inaccessible.

More: Selecting a Dishwasher

Backsplash Garage

Get the best of both worlds by designing an appliance garage, or series of garages, deep into the backsplash area. This will require "borrowing" space from the room behind the wall, yet allows for the most usable counter surface in front of the garages. High-end kitchen cabinets may also offer the option of remote-controlled garage doors.

Swing-Out Doors

Swing-out doors offer a traditional look, but do necessitate a clear counter before they can be opened.

More: Selecting a Kitchen Cooktop

Display Cabinet

This kitchen corner keeps an open look next to a stairway by foregoing upper cabinets. Instead, an appliance garage disguises cords and clutter and acts as a display ledge for pottery and art.

More: Selecting a Kitchen Ventilation System or Hood

Glass Doors

Sleek glass doors -- frosted with a dot design -- allow for a peek at the cabinet's contents. The toaster over shown here should be pulled all the way forward before being used, to avoid heat build-up within the narrow wood cabinet.

More: Selecting a Refrigerator

Up, Up, and Away

Often a narrow space can be made functional by specifying an appliance garage. This space is wide enough for only a toaster, but fits well into this breakfast station area of the kitchen.

Terrific Toasters

Not for Appliances Only

Consider outfitting an appliance garage with other useful necessities -- canisters of coffee, or sugar, or a mug full of spoons or knives. These conveniences can save steps and time on busy mornings.

Options for Appliance Garages

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