14 Strategies for Hiding the Microwave

When I embarked on a kitchen remodel a few years ago, one of my main obsessions was to hide the microwave (Jerome, remember?). My kitchen is tiny, and it proved a challenge to find an unoccupied niche. But we prevailed, and I’m happy to say I haven’t had to come face to face with my microwave for the past decade. Here are 10 spaces where the microwave is tucked away from aesthetically appraising eyes.

Above: A Dumbo loft designed by Marco Pasanella and Rebecca Robertson features a microwave tucked inside the kitchen island; see the whole project at A Whimsical Family Loft in Brooklyn. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

Above: In creative director and designer Sarah Sherman Samuel’s LA bungalow, the microwave fits neatly beneath a Calacatta marble counter. See Ikea Upgrade: The SemiHandmade Kitchen Remodel.

Above: Alison Davin of design firm Jute (a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory) tucked a microwave in a kitchen cabinet; see the whole project at Rehab Diary: A Small-Kitchen Makeover with Maximum Storage. Photograph by Drew Kelly.

Above: In Sheila Narusawa’s Cape Cod kitchen, the microwave and other small appliances are tucked away on pullout shelves fitted with hidden outlets. See Kitchen of the Week: A Streamlined Cape Cod Classic.

Above: Traditional cabinetry with a built-in microwave slot; via Heartwood Kitchens.

Above: A microwave and a toaster oven tucked under a countertop ingeniously solves two problems, via Gepetto.

Above: Barbara Bestor tucked a microwave in a side cabinet in A New England Kitchen by Way of LA.

Above: In the back parlor turned kitchen of a 19th-century Brooklyn townhouse, architect Shauna McManus hid the microwave into the coffee counter. See Kitchen of the Week: A Something Old, Something New Kitchen in Brooklyn.

Above: Ann DeSaussure Davidson and Scott Davidson tucked a compact microwave under the counter in their Brooklyn galley kitchen; the monochrome white helps it to blend in with the cabinetry. For more, see the Remodelista book. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

Above: Allison Bloom of Dehn Bloom Design tucked her microwave in a niche in her kitchen island (see Steal This Look: Mill Valley Loft-Style Kitchen). Photograph by John Merkl.

Above: A built-in Viking Microwave is a sleek, discreet (and expensive) option.

Above: For a Silver Lake, California, remodel, designers Project M tucked the microwave tucked under the kitchen counter; see the whole project at Before/After: A Cool and Confident Kitchen in LA by Project M .

Above: A clever slotted bookshelf, spice rack, and microwave niche, all hidden behind pocket doors; via This Old House.

Above: Ikea cabinets with swing-up doors for countertop appliances; via Dwell.

Interested in more storage ideas for the kitchen? See our posts:

• 15 Ideas to Steal from High-End Kitchen Systems
• 10 Easy Pieces: Built-In Microwaves
• Mise en Place: Kitchen Tool Drawer Organizers

N.B. This post is an update; the original story ran April 9, 2013.

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