What is an appliance garage in a bathroom?
House Beautiful describes an appliance garage as a designated storage spot for appliances, known for its accessibility, and quotes designer Amy Sklar on hiding "the least sexy things in my kitchen" that are still used every day. Thomasville Cabinetry sells one and describes it as a way to conceal small appliances while keeping countertops free of clutter. House Beautiful and the two Reddit kitchen-remodel threads we read are written for kitchens, and none of the four pages we read, including a cabinet maker's product page, discusses a bathroom. A bathroom version follows the same idea with different contents: a hair dryer, a straightener, an electric toothbrush on its charger or a shaver, kept at counter height behind a door or
panel.
Which bathroom items belong inside it?
House Beautiful reports that Sklar's two garages hold a coffeemaker and toaster, and a SodaStream and a charging station for devices, with drawers for school supplies and mail beside them, all at countertop height but hidden from sight. The bathroom equivalent is a short list you can name: the tool you use every morning and the charger it sits on. A commenter in a Reddit kitchen-remodel thread gives the test in one line: if there is nothing you will specifically use it for, skip it. Write the list before you draw the cabinet, and measure the tallest item with its cord wound.
Where should it sit next to the sink?
In the same Reddit thread, a commenter says counter space right next to a sink is too valuable to block with an appliance garage, and another asks whether water would damage the cabinet. The original poster answers that water damage is a concern and that the cabinet would be caulked, but "we all know how that goes". A bathroom adds splash and shower steam to that worry, so keep the compartment off the splash side of the basin and keep clear counter on both sides of the sink. Another commenter, with an appliance garage next to the sink, says it holds a toaster, blender and can opener ready to go. Our guide to bathroom dimensions that leave room to
move helps you test the counter.
Which door suits a bathroom appliance garage?
A commenter in the first Reddit thread explains that the tucked-away look uses pocket door hinges, with the doors attached to the cabinet, and that this custom work costs extra labour. The original poster later wrote that doors which tuck into the cabinet sides need inset doors, while the rest of their cabinets were full overlay, so they dropped the idea. House Beautiful shows another route: designer Matthew Ferrarini used custom wooden door panels that slide over a prep station.
A commenter in the second thread had a roller-type door that broke and found the garage not very useful. The search-result description of a National Stone video lists a tambour roll-top door and pocket doors among its options. For a vanity, choose the door style for the whole run first.
| Decision | What to settle | Where the sources point |
|---|---|---|
| Contents | The few tools used daily, with cord and charger | House Beautiful: daily-use items kept hidden |
| Position | Clear counter beside the basin, away from splash | A Reddit thread questions sink-side placement |
| Door | One door style across the vanity run | A Reddit thread: tucked-in doors need inset doors |
| Power | How any outlet is protected and where it sits | IAEI lists bathrooms under 2020 NEC GFCI protection |
| Heat and steam | Cooling time and airflow for each tool | A Reddit thread asks about venting heat |
| Cabinet body | What the body, shelf and door are made of | Fadior states 304 stainless steel cabinet bodies |
How deep and wide should the bay be?
No source we read gives bathroom sizes, and the numbers published are for kitchens. A commenter in the first thread describes a pocket-door build with a base cabinet at least 33 inches wide and says what you are looking at is "15-18 depth". In the second thread, a commenter says that if you build one you should go deeper than 12", at least 18". Those are single commenters' suggestions about kitchens, not a bathroom standard. For your own bay, measure the tallest tool with its cord, the charger and the space for the door to open or slide.
What does power in a bathroom cabinet involve?
In the US National Electrical Code, bathrooms are one of the locations with GFCI requirements. IAEI Magazine lists dwelling-unit bathrooms, under section 210.8(A)(1) of the 2020 US National Electrical Code, among the locations that require GFCI protection for 125- through 250-volt receptacles on single-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground. Local rules and the adopted edition vary, so ask your electrician how an outlet inside the bay will be protected. A 2020 press-release listing on the Rev-A-Shelf site describes a Vanity Outlet Grooming Organizer, the 445 VB Series, as available with an integrated electrical outlet with two 120V plugs. The NKBA planning guidelines list electrical planning and functional storage as separate topics, so settle both before the
cabinet is made.
How do heat and steam change the plan?
A commenter in the first Reddit thread asks whether appliances get enough venting to release heat and moisture, says their air fryer blows off hot air that melted their blinds and thinks a coffee machine would give off a lot of steam. The original poster replies that the cabinet would be open, which should help with the steam. Those are kitchen examples, but hair tools can stay hot after use and a bathroom can fill with steam, so follow each tool's own instructions for cooling and clearance and let it cool before it goes behind a door. Our guide to power, heat and ventilation checks for a kitchen bay walks through the same questions for a kitchen, and the wet-zone
material guide explains how to match a cabinet body to splash and steam.
Why does the cabinet body matter in a wet room?
Fadior's kitchens, wardrobes, baths and storage systems use 304 stainless steel cabinet bodies, while doors, finishes and countertops follow their own specifications. Fadior's bath and vanity page says the 304 stainless steel body does not absorb moisture like wood-based board, and adds that steam, splash and cleaning suitability depend on the complete specification and maintenance. Fadior states a 30-year cabinet-body structural warranty, with terms per contract.
For an appliance bay, ask what the compartment body, its shelf or panel and its door are made of, and which of them the warranty covers. Our guide to storage and ventilation in a full bathroom plan covers the same room, and the Fadior 304 residential material page explains the 304 cabinet body and what to check about finishes.
What can a Fadior bathroom show about hidden storage?
In Fadior's Navy Blue Double Vanity real home in Foshan, a floating navy double vanity has closed drawers below two basins and red open niches that keep chosen items visible, while a second washroom uses a short vanity beside the toilet. The case suggests deciding who uses each bathroom and what must stay on the counter before placing fittings, niches and drawers. It does not show an appliance garage; the lesson is how one vanity separates open storage from closed storage. Its cabinet bodies are 304 stainless steel, and the drawer fronts, finishes and countertop materials are specified independently. More documented rooms are in the Fadior Real Homes portfolio.
How do you start planning a bathroom cabinet with Fadior? On the Fadior contact form, Name, Email and Phone are required, and Country, Project type, Budget range, Company and Message are optional. The contact page suggests sharing the room type, country, approximate timeline, drawings or site photos if available; the project type list includes Bath & Vanity.
