Asymmetrical storage niche...

16 years ago

I'm thinking of creating something like an appliance garage, but with no door.

We have 32" wide counter space on the east side of our range where we could have 9" extra inches of potential counter depth. I thought we could recess this entire area (32 wide x 18" tall x 9"deep) and this could be the perfect spot to store the coffee maker and toaster pushed back to maximize working counter space at front.

If you could recess a storage niche next to your stove-but only on ONE side-would you do it? Or would this look odd? I love the idea from a function perspective, but I can't picture the form. We'd put the same simple backsplash behind the niche for continuity. (If it matters, the range will have a stainless steel backsplash and the adjacent backsplash will be tongue and groove bead boards painted in a similar tone to the off white cabinetry.)

This potential extra space is one of our old house quirks, seems cool to take advantage of it, but still want the kitchen to be pretty :)

I don't really like appliances garages and with only 9", I don't think we have quite enough depth there to fit everything back there hidden behind a door anyway.

Has anyone done something this/have pictures to share? Or is this a crazy that sounds good in theory but wouldn't work in practice?

Thank you!

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Comments (3)

formerlyflorantha
16 years ago
This idea sounds clever to me, if you can carry it off. Best to camouflage the one side so that the two sides look symmetrical when door is closed.

Can anyone remember the photo posted recently of sliding panels that hid items left and right of range? It was a modern kitchen with custom wood battens running horizontally, I think. There was an Open and a Closed photo, probably with spices and oils in the hidden space.

If you are crazy for backsplashes, you could put the backsplash on the sliding door--beadboard? lightweight tile? Custom art work?

Sliding panels in a track have the problem of only allowing access to one side or the other, but I suspect you can figure out how to make this work; even 3 doors so they stack tighter. You can remove a sliding panel temporarily if you need access to entire cubbyhole--such as for a baking binge at holidays.

You will have a track at bottom, though, which will require you to lift items in and out, not slide them.
Fori
16 years ago
Since it's a small hole, I think you'd want a door that goes up, hinged on top.

Or no door. Especially in an older house--with beadboard--you expect to find little niches and it's part of the charm. You could visually balance it, if symmetry is big for you, by hanging a utensil rack or a small spice display or a decorative plate or something on the other side. But I don't think you'd need it. Do have continuous counter into the niche!
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different_drummer
16 years ago
I like the idea. If you generally keep your coffee maker and toaster on the counter, then it's just an extension of your counter that allows you to tuck those items just a little further out of the way. The fact that it is counter items is what makes it work, I think.

As fori said, you'd need to continue the counter material in there, and I think you need to wrap your backsplash beadboard around the three sides of the niche, to make sure it looks like a feature, and not an afterthought. But it will look very clever, and I think people will be admiring your use of space.

What is on the non-range side of the space?