Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

North Carolina Home

Everything About Our Beverage Station and Hidden Appliance Garage

August 24, 2022

Okay, it's impossible for me to choose a favorite part of my kitchen, but right now? This is it. This is the thing I'm most excited to show and tell our guests because it's just so brilliant. And it's officially done! Now that our long awaited refrigerator drawers arrived, and the mirrored tile backsplash is installed, I'm resting easy. It's just nice to cross something off your list that's been in the works for over a year ya know? Introducing our beverage station and hidden appliance garage!

Cutting Board Gallery Wall | Pendant | Sconce | Cabinet Hardware | Faucet | Mirror Tile

This used to be a kitchen desk area, so it was a very deep-set part of the kitchen. We had no need for a desk area in the kitchen, so Stoffer came up with the most genius use of this space. A beverage station.

Before

After

We don't drink alcohol but that doesn't stop us from having fun with our beverages. We love making fun drinks, plus we're daily smoothie, protein, and supplement drinkers. Stoffer made sure to design a designated place for our beverage lifestyle and that's just one of the reasons why Jean is the best.

Beverage Station Components

Our beverage station would not be complete without a nugget ice maker over on the left. Ours is the Scotsman Nugget Ice Machine and it works like a dream. For some reason some people were DM-ing me, warning me that their nugget ice machine is super loud, but this one is has hardly made a peep–really quiet and discreet.

The refrigerator drawers took a hot minute to get here, and we actually hung a temporary cafe curtain for a few months to curb the long wait. The day they arrived felt like Christmas, probably because it's also when our freezer arrived. We went with the Subzero Wolf brand, along with the rest of our appliances and they live up to their name–top notch quality. The drawers hold all our favorite drinks including almond milk and coconut water for making smoothies. The last appliance we are waiting on is the Fridge. September cannot come soon enough!

We had to go all the way and make this "bar" a "wet-bar" with a sink! We chose the Strive Undermount bar sink because of how well it paired with the sink at the island. Clean lines, premium stainless steel, plus it includes a bottom rack to help prevent scratching. I especially love the small size of it, while still being deep enough for me to set my Stanley Cup in it for a fill-up. The faucet itself is a work of art.

Beneath the sink is of course some plumbing, but also where we keep a discreet little trash can for convenience!

Appliance Garage: Movable Backsplash

Shop Our Beverage Station

I never tire of showing this appliance garage over on Instagram. It's a genius way to store those commonly used appliances without taking up precious countertop space. But I always get so many questions on exactly how it works. It feels like an illusion when you look at it. Like where is does that gliding backsplash go? Tbh, I didn’t understand exactly how it was going to come together until it actually came together.

You can see more photos demonstrating how it was built, but here's basically how it works!

First, let's get some dimensions straight.

The depth of the full countertop slab from the edge to the mirrored backsplash is 38-in. A standard countertop is 26-in so this leaves plenty of space for storing the appliances.

The depth of the actual garage space where the small appliances live is 12-in.

And the depth of the upper cabinets that are mounted in front of the garage door is 13-in.

So basically, the upper cabinets are deep enough to fit all of our glasses and drink mixes and such, but shallow enough that the appliance garage can glide up behind.

The frame that was built for the upper cabinets to mount on to is not actually the full height of the cabinets. It starts up at the ceiling and only goes down about halfway to leave room for the garage door to glide up behind the cabinets. Here's the exact gliding hardware we used.

At first it was incredibly hard to open, and easy to close. We played with the tension a bit so that it’s much easier to open, and a hard to close, but it has gotten easier! The tension needs to be tight enough that when you lift the panel up, it stays put, rather than sliding back down. The heavy-duty brass pull was't actually in the original design but (with Jean's approval of course) we added it to make it easier to lift!

Mirrored Tile Backsplash

Speaking of things not included in the original design... this mirrored tile backsplash! When you opened up the garage “backsplash” before, all of our appliances were against a white wall and it felt a little lackluster in contrast to the magic of the gliding backsplash. Now when you open it, it’s like opening a little jewel box, rather than a bread box ya know?

We DIY'd the antique mirror backsplash and in only 3 hours time, we now have this beautiful camouflage backdrop to our small appliances. I love it so much I want to use this tile somewhere else in my house.

Upper Cabinet Storage

The open cabinet really demonstrates that the upper cabinets don't go all the way back to the tile backsplash. Again, they had to be shallow enough so that the garage door could slide up behind it. This is where we store all of our mugs and glasses, both for daily use and hosting.

In the other cabinet we have protein powder, supplement powders, pre-workout, and all of our Stanley cups and shaker bottles. It's quite possible this corner of the kitchen gets the most use!

What other questions do you have?

— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Thank you for posting the hardware you used! It was the final piece I needed to realize my vision for a rather unique appliance garage in our new kitchen. Ours is situated against the wall at the end of a standalone peninsula, and we used the space above to house two hidden, upper pullout cabinets that are back-to-back and open to the sides. https://photos.app.goo.gl/1dg6ebwh3NDHr1E97

  2. I would like to know the exact measurements of the depth of the counter please. How did you manage to keep the original space the same without having to extend the walls of that area. I’m not sure if I’m explaining my question correctly.

    1. The depth of the full countertop slab from the edge to the mirrored backsplash is 38 inches. The depth of the actual garage space where the small appliances live is 12 inches. And the depth of the upper cabinets that are mounted in front of the garage door is 13 inches.

  3. I love this what did you do with the floors they look like Brazilian cherry originally and now they are very light and warm? Also what color are the cabinets?

  4. Thanks for the great post! Can you clarify if the space behind the cabinets is sort of a "dead space" now, or if there is something on the back of the wall/behind the beverage station, that takes up that space? Hard to visualize without a floor plan. Thanks

  5. Love it! Great to be able to hide the small appliances if you have the space. Wondering about the mirror effect on seeing double to plug cords though? I might have picked a more serene backsplash but I know you like a '90's throwback!

    Would also be a great space for a "kitchen drop zone" - you know - that place where all the daily stuff of life (kids papers, mail, things that need to be dealt with) could go. In my kitchen, I don't mind having the appliances out, bout I would LOVE a way to hide the daily life clutter when someone is coming over for dinner!

  6. Did you consider ditching the kettle and adding an instant boil tap as part of the sink? I'm guessing that the aesthetic would be wrong, but I do long instant hot and cold water.
    Also - is there a step stool hidden away somewhere? I know you guys are really tall, but those cabinets are really high and I'm pretty sure I'd struggle to get things off the top shelves.

  7. Thanks for this GENIUS idea, and we're planning to do a smaller version on the side of our stove for our blender and food processor. Do you think it would work with open shelves above, rather than cabinets, assuming you can still hide the garage door when it goes up? Our HVAC is requiring open shelving instead of closed cabinets.

  8. Would kill to have this in my home. Seriously- ugly appliances (and honestly even the pretty ones) are such an eyesore and cluttery looking. I'm constantly moving them to photograph the kitchen and would kill for something like this!

  9. That 38” counter is everything 🤩
    I’m wondering if you can share any additional info on your pantry doors? I can’t find anything on Milgard interior doors.
    Thanks Julia!

  10. Absolutely love this idea! It looks so gorgeous even with all the appliances out! Just wondering - do you find you leave the 'garage door' open or closed more often?

      1. If you leave it open…doesn’t that defeat the purpose of this whole garage? Hiding the “ugly” appliances? So much money wasted in this house it’s disgusting.

  11. Hi Julia! Did you grout the tile and if so which grout did you use? Also do you think Musselbound tile mat adhesive would work instead of the Gorilla tube adhesive? Thanks so much!

  12. Love it so much. When we were making building plans we planned a beverage center but we chucked it all and moved to a mountain home. Is the coffee maker behind the sink?Or do you have one out not shown here? It looks so clean and styled. Beautiful.

  13. Just amazing! Love following this kitchen transformation. Have to say that your interesting content, distinctive voice and quality photography are let down by these blog posts with so many proofreading errors.

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Sales

The Best Black Friday + Cyber Monday Deals in 2024

We collected all of the best deals of the holiday season—from tech to home decor—in one place for easy reference. Whether you want the lowest price on one of the best gifts of the year or you have a furniture item in your cart waiting for a discount, we’ve rounded up our recommendations. We're also […]
A white dish of peppermint brownies next to a red & white tea towel
Chris Cooks

Holiday Peppermint Brownies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

I have a few recipes that are perfect for the holidays, and this is one of them. I make a really delicious brownie that can be made gluten-free and dairy-free, but you won't even know it's missing those elements when the peppermint flavor hits. It's really simple, and you're going to LOVE this brownie for […]
Gift Guides!

Unique Places to Shop on Small Business Saturday

In the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season, I love that we dedicate a day to find treasures from small business owners. It's a day of discovery—you may just uncover your new favorite product! (We're proud to partner with a couple of small businesses including Poppy & Pout and Lightwell Co.—both offering great […]
A moody brown bedroom decorated for Christmas with green, burgundy and warm red accents
House Tours

Video: Our Holiday Home Tour 2024

I love a holiday home tour. It's so fun stepping into someone's house to see how they decorate. The scents they chose to represent their home in the Christmas season. Even the way a fire in the fireplace creates cozy shadows on the wall—it just changes the vibe. After we decorated all the rooms for […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES