June 28, 2012

Making A Kitchen Utensil Rack

One of my pet peeve clutter areas is utensil storage. In the past I've had both a stonewear pitcher and a drawer, but they always end up a mess. Plus they take up space I could use for something else, so a rack of some sort, one that I could put under the wall cabinets, seemed like a good idea. First I looked for one locally, then online, and finally figured out how to make one. All I needed was a dowel or rod, and some hooks......

shower curtain hooks & mini-pendant rods for a utensil rack
Shower curtain hooks & rod sections
leftover from the mini-pendants we hung

The rod sections were leftover from the mini-pendants I bought awhile back for kitchen lightening. The hooks were harder to find. Hardware type s-hooks were either too big or too small, and specialized hooks too expensive. Walking through Walmart one day, I saw the shower curtain hooks you see in the above photo. They were even the right color!


The decorative wall brackets we used for my shelves had the perfect cutout to run the rod through. This is not my original idea, there are plenty of examples of the same thing around the internet. The finial is from an old ceiling light fixture, and just happened to fit perfectly.


Because the rod is over 48 inches long, Dan used a cup hook to secure it in the middle, to prevent sagging.


There you have it!

We're actually down to only a few projects to finish the kitchen. Dan's work schedule has changed though, so he's home less. This has slowed things down a bit, but I still hope to be presenting you with my new kitchen soon.

28 comments:

Farmer Barb said...

Doesn't it just make you get all squirrelly when you walk in the room in the morning? I just LOVE an organized space!!

Three cheers for the Organizer!

Yea, Leigh!

Theresa said...

Oh wonderful idea! I have always disliked the stone crock that sits by the cooktop, but it's handy and it works. I would love a SS bar of sorts on the island for hanging the doo-dads, but it would get in the way of doors and drawers on that unit. I might have to sit down and come up with as nice a creative solution as you have done!

Carolyn said...

It looks great, especially with the shelf! I've been meaning to do the same exact thing for years now.....maybe I'll get on it this weekend. Thanks for the reminder!

Anonymous said...

Clever!!

Sherri B. said...

This is a brilliant idea..My drawers are a mess and I'm sick of digging around in the middle of cooking a dish. Love the shower curtain hooks! xo

Rob said...

Bravo....

DebbieB said...

Perfect solution. I love the last picture - looks like you've moved in and gotten comfy with the space!

Nina said...

I love the look of your kitchen rail. There are several stainless steel versions on the market, but they look so "new". It's a very practical idea!

Anonymous said...

I have been trying to explain this very thing to my husband!! Thank you for being like-minded and posting pictures so I have something to refer him too!! Ha ha Looks great!

Benita said...

That's a great idea - and you see what you need in an instant, rather than have to dig through the drawer for the right utensil.

Woolly Bits said...

I have my knives on a magnetic holder on the wall, but not enough space to hang the rest. so some things are in odd corners (why do sieves have such akward shapes?:)), some in the crock and some in a drawer... I sort through it every once in a while, but it always becomes clogged up with stuff nobody really needs... and worst of all: if someone else puts the stuff away - I can't find anything and have to hunt around the whole kitchen. lucky you with your new organized kitchen:)

Misty Pines Homestead said...

Its perfect! What a great idea and your kitchen is coming along really nice.

bspinner said...

What a great idea!!! Looks nice too.

Leigh said...

Oh Barb, I'm delighted to be able to do all this. The real feat will be keeping it organized!

Theresa, that's what comes from months and months of looking at kitchen books, LOL.

Carolyn, you go girl!

Stephanie, thanks!

Sherri, this is the result of that very thing, tired of digging around to find something at the moment I need it!

Rob, thanks!

Debbie, it's a work in progress. :) We still have a few more things to do but I have started unpacking boxes.

Nina, that's true about the SS ones. This all just happened to work out, but I'm so glad it fits in with my decor.

AHH, you're welcome! I think most of us who spend a lot of time in the kitchen appreciate the same ideas. :)

Benita, that's the best part!

Bettina, we thought about one of those magnetic knife holders too, but realized wall space was at a premium. I opted for an in-drawer knife holder instead. I agree about somebody else putting things away. As much as I appreciate the help, it makes it impossible to find things afterward!

Annnightflyer, thanks!

Barb, good to hear from you! And thanks!

CaliforniaGrammy said...

Yet another great solution for your kitchen organization project...bingo!...no more clutter!

aimée said...

What a fabulous idea and it looks lovely. At first I thought the small shelf was your entire work surface and you had giant ladels!

Unknown said...

Great job! I've been thining about trying somthing like that but we have under counter lighting so the space is weird. Great idea under a shelf though!

Susan said...

That is such a good idea! I have both a ceramic holder and a drawer (or two) and they are all dysfunctional. I will have to eyeball the kitchen to see if I have a place for something similar.

Farmer Jen said...

Excellent!

trump said...

More storage is always a welcome thing, Im always running out of room for most of my stuff! Richard

Leigh said...

Janice, I hope so anyway. It still requires me to neaten up and put things away, LOL

Aimee LOL. Thanks

Nancy, well, I wanted under cabinet lighting too. We attached a small flourescent light perpendicular to the shelf, right under the corner cabinet. It works well and still left space for the utensil rack!

Susan, I'll end up using those as well, for things I can't hang. Still, just having all that stuff hung up is a tremendous help.

Jen, thanks!

Richard, me too! So I looked at tons of books and magazines to find solutions. Thankfully I found some. :)

Sue said...

You are making me want to get started on my kitchen! All these wonderful ideas...

Shannon said...

Love that idea! I might need to do something like that as well. I love new ideas for organization. Thanks for sharing!

Bridget said...

Brill! Probably a lot more satisfying than just buying one.

Anonymous said...

Hi Leigh I hope this goes through.Thanks for the quick response to my email. Elizabeth

Leigh said...

Sue, that's why it pays to look at hundreds of kitchen design books, LOL

Shannon, thanks! I can't take credit for the idea, and actually thought I'd have to buy one. It just worked out really well.

Bridget, that is so true. Not just the expense, but using something that was otherwise not needed. :)

Elizabeth, well done! So glad you were able to negotiate the process. Welcome aboard. :)

Unknown said...

What a wonderfully perfect idea, i love it! SO much better than digging in a crammed pack drawer and looks great too.

Leigh said...

I'll probably end up with a few of those anyway, LOL, for all the stuff that didn't fit on the wall.