Drew and Jonathan Scott have surely seen their fair share of kitchen horrors. During the latest episode of HGTV’s Celebrity IOU with Superman star Rachel Brosnahan, Drew proclaimed the one thing the Property Brothers are staunchly against when it comes to kitchen organization: “Nothing is worse than seeing a counter that is full of—in fact, you can’t even see the countertop because there’s so many appliances on it,” he said.
Their go-to solution for freeing up counter space while making a kitchen look cleaner is a widespread designer-favorite: appliance garages. For the kitchen of Brosnahan’s best friend’s parents, at their home in Topanga, California, the duo installed built-in appliance garages into fresh kitchen cabinetry to fix their overcrowded counter dilemma. They designed the upper portion of the two-tone cabinets to look like furniture thanks to a mix of glass fronts and wood doors. The wood doors right on top of the counter act as the appliance garages, so everything inside is easily accessible but can still be tucked out of sight.
Not only do the appliance garages hide unsightly essentials, like a crockpot and blender, but nearby outlets also make them functional. That means there's no need to remove the appliances to use them, as would likely be the case if they were hidden in a typical pantry or lower cabinets.
With five more new episodes of Celebrity IOU on the way, the Scott brothers are sure to drop more clever tips and tricks as they help everyone from Josh Gad to Jane Seymour gift the special people in their lives a home makeover.
Kelly Allen is the Associate Editor at House Beautiful, where she creates design, culture, and travel content online and in the magazine. She’s been on the team since 2019, writing features on dreamy TV sets and movie filming locations, in-depth city guides, and inspiring home tours. From researching ethereal estates to discovering can’t-miss set decoration details onscreen, she’s always eager to answer burning pop culture questions through a design lens. In her five-year career, she’s built a strong network of designers across disciplines to tap for their invaluable expertise. Her background includes honing reporting skills while tackling viral news for Delish and contributing to Cosmopolitan’s entertainment coverage. When she’s not watching every new film and TV show, she’s browsing vintage home stores, attending industry events, and wandering around New York City—highlighting it all on Instagram.
