The No Demo, No Reno Solution For An Appliance Garage On A Tight Budget

If you're sick of looking at your toaster or your coffee pot and find yourself jealous of anyone with an appliance garage, we found a quick, easy way to hide the clutter without the time, money, or mess of construction. Creating extra hidden appliance storage does not have to be a big project. All you need to do is install a rod and curtain in a little-used alcove in your kitchen. The great thing about this project is that you can make it as easy or as custom as you would like.

However, there's just one catch. To get this project done without construction or demo, you will need a counter space that's already suited to the use. A span of counter with enough room to hold the appliances you want to hide with walls on each side — cabinets or another solid, permanent surface will do — is a must. The kind of kitchen nook that might otherwise make a great coffee bar would be perfect. If you've already got a space that fits this description, you're ready to go. If not, you could try creating this kind of space, but that may be crossing the line into reno territory.

Look around your house and either locate a kitchen nook that is just begging to become your makeshift appliance garage or identify the perfect space to add some cabinets and create this kind of space. If the latter is the case, you may need some advice on how to install cabinets yourself. If you have a hutch with an open area and countertop, this may also be a good spot to create a no-demo appliance garage, so be sure to take a look around to identify any space that may work.

The rest of this project is almost laughably simple as @callsigndesign shows us on YouTube. All you need is a curtain rod and some curtains — or fabric — that fit the space. You can use a copper pipe and fasteners, like @callsigndesign, or any rod that fits your space. Using a tension rod would make this DIY even easier. The Ivilon Tension Curtain Rod comes in warm gold and a number of other colors to fit any design. The space between the upper cabinets and the counter is likely shorter than most store-bought curtains, though cafe curtains might work. You can also either use this easy way to hem curtains without any sewing or buy fabric to make bespoke curtains.

There are many ways to create your own curtains, and it can be a beginner-friendly project for novice sewers. You typically need a sewing machine and some basic sewing skills to get the job done. However, the good news is that you can create your own curtains without any fancy tools. All you need is the fabric of your choice and a double-sided, iron-on tape that will work with whatever fabric you buy. If you need to cut your fabric to size, pinking shears will help prevent it from fraying. Once you have the fabric trimmed to size, you can then use heat-activated tape to hem your fabric to fit your appliance garage. Be sure to follow the directions for the specific brand you bought, but generally you will fold over about an inch of your fabric ends and use an iron to activate the tape for finished edges.

If you want to keep things extra simple, use curtain rings with clips, like the Ivilon Drapery Curtain Clip Rings, rather than creating a pocket for the rod. This will also make it easier for you to swap these curtains out whenever you want, or take them down to clean without having to remove the rod. Check out these ways to implement an appliance garage in your kitchen for more ideas on how to maximize your storage space.