No Demo Reno Shows Us The Perfect Way To Maximize Countertop Space In The Kitchen

An organized and functional kitchen is a must-have for anyone who routinely enjoys cooking or baking. Creating a space for all your tools and ingredients allows you to easily access what you need when you need it. But, all home chefs know that what's essential in a kitchen is room to work and ample storage. As was the case for Jenn Todryk's client, Melissa, on a Season 2 episode of HGTV's "No Demo Reno." The kitchen had been taken over with cookie-making supplies, leaving little room for other necessary kitchen activities. 

Though Todryk is not a baker, she sought expert advice on ways to maximize countertop space and address all baking needs. "I think it's a very simple thing of how can I declutter their kitchen, hide some of the appliances, and then give them more countertop space," she said (via Max). Todryk loves a good kitchen design trend, and she ultimately decided to add a half-sized bun rack and an appliance garage.

A bun rack in the kitchen island is the ideal place for cookie sheets, whether they're being stored or if cookies are cooling after being in the oven. This allows the cookie sheets to be off the countertops, creating space for decorating or whipping up another batch. The appliance garage also helps to keep the countertops clear by creating a space to corral small appliances that would usually sit on the counters. This storage option puts the appliances and the cords all in one place, freeing room to work and making the kitchen look much less cluttered.

Jenn Todryk brought an essential part of a professional bakery into her client's home. In place of a cabinet in the island, Todryk installed a custom bun rack. The rack has space for six cookie sheets or trays to slide into. You can find these bun racks at restaurant supply stores, such as this one from Restaurant Supply, which is $193.30 and can fit pans as large as 18 inches by 26 inches. This rack is 23 inches tall, which would easily fit in an island, since island cabinets are, on average, 36 inches total in counter height. A similar rack from the Webstaurant Store is $79.99 and can hold seven pans. When building the kitchen island cabinets, build them around these racks before installing them. Or, if you have existing cabinets, opt for unassembled racks that you can build inside the cabinets.

Place the cookie racks strategically in the island to create a baking station. You'll want them to be only a few steps away from the oven so you won't have to carry them across the kitchen when they're hot. However, you won't want them right next to the oven, as that can slow down the cooling time. In cabinets and drawers around the racks, store other necessary baking tools for making the batter or dough and decorating the treats, so everything you need is within reach when you need it.

To create space on the countertops, both for baking and general cooking, Todryk created an appliance garage in her client's kitchen. Appliance garages are cabinets dedicated to hiding toasters, coffee makers, blenders, and other countertop appliances when they're not in use. This keeps them within reach but out of sight, helping to reduce clutter both visually and physically.

There are different styles of appliance garages, so any homeowner can find one that fits with their kitchen. Some can be dedicated cabinets where all the appliances go. Others can be enclosed spaces that sit on the countertops, so items just need to be pulled out to be used. For on-counter storage, you may want to opt for a deeper counter to give room for both storage and regular counter usage. A depth of 1 foot in the appliance garage is good for storing most standard appliances, and standard countertops are 24 to 25.5 inches deep. With these measurements, you would have about a foot of counter space in front of the appliance garage. However, you can opt for deeper 36-inch countertops if you want to maximize space.

Find one on Amazon for about $230 or various sizes from The Home Depot for less than $250. What's great about appliance garages is that they can be customized to fit a homeowner's kitchen needs and interests. While Todryk's client utilized it for baking supplies and tools, you can create a coffee station, hide a microwave, keep barware, or just stash away appliances when not in use.