10 Places To Use A Gorgeous Gallery Rail In Your Home To Add Functional And Stylish Design

Gallery rails have long been a chic and easy way to hang art for display, allowing the walls behind to remain pristine and damage-free. These slender rails attach to the wall at intervals and are usually made of brass or other metal for sturdiness and functionality. While your first impulse on how to use them may be for hanging art and décor, there are actually many ways to put these handy metal rails to work in different contexts, including storage and display that work splendidly everywhere, from the bathroom to tight entryways. 

These slender bars are a great way to add texture and architectural interest for a gorgeously layered room with old-world charm. Hang one on the wall for a unique metal accent that can add tons of stylish storage. Or, use them as a chic way to top off a table, bookshelf, or other piece of furniture for an elevated look. Most gallery rails include small supports that attach to the wall or surface with holes for threading through the metal rod. With pieces costing anywhere from $20 to $50, they can be a relatively budget-friendly way to get a very expensive and refined look instantly. 

Use gallery rails to keep items securely on wall-mounted shelves in any spot in your home. This works especially well in the bathroom, where you can avoid items tumbling into the sink, tub, or toilet. It's also great if the bathroom is small and the shelves may be jostled or brushed against. Or, use an attached rail to keep dishes and other items from falling off the open shelving in your kitchen. 

For the most obvious use for these slender rails, given their name, employ them to create a perfect gallery wall anywhere. The hanging system uses hooks attached to the bar and strung vertically with chains or fishing line and smaller hooks to suspend adornments and photos. Not only can you avoid driving a plethora of nails into plaster or drywall when hanging pictures or art, but items can be easily arranged and swapped out when desired. Use a gallery rail in a small space like a hallway or above the stairs, where they can help prevent frames from getting knocked crooked or off the wall entirely.

Use the space directly above a half-paneled wall for a slender ledge to house artwork, books, and other décor. This clever idea provides some extra storage and a display surface while also giving an elevated and finished look to the paneling. In a bedroom without nightstands, you can install a slender shelf of paneling behind the bed to display items. This also works in a tight entryway as a surface for keys and other essentials as you come and go, but the ledge has to be within reach.

Use gallery rails to perfectly style your home bar. Add them to the edge to keep bottles and glassware in place and give your set-up an old-world feel. These rails are also a great way to turn another piece of furniture, like a console or buffet, into a bar with more contained edges. Or add rails to a cart to create a vintage-inspired bar trolley that supplies glasses and bottles and won't slide off when in motion. 

Gallery rails work perfectly to help create plate racks that show off your collectible dishes and fine china as décor in your kitchen or dining room with stylish farmhouse flair. Build a simple box casing with narrow shelves, using the rails to hold the plates upright and in place. With slightly deeper shelves, the rack can also accommodate large trays or bowls on display. 

Whether practical or simply decorative, adding brass gallery rails to your bookshelves creates an old European look and can keep books securely on the shelves, especially at the top or in spots where the bookshelves may be brushed or knocked against.  Adding gallery rails to the shelves can also provide a place for incorporating art into the shelving.   

Add a brass gallery rail underneath a shelf to provide a spot for hanging items above your countertop. Not only does this help tame clutter on the counter, but it also provides a great spot to display your collection of mugs above your coffee prep area. You can also use it for hanging potholders, towels, small baskets, and utensils. 

Hang a segment of gallery rail along the side of a cabinet or kitchen island to transform your kitchen into a cozy cafe by creating a slender pot rack with attached hooks. This is a slender alternative to bulkier pot racks that hang above the counters or on the wall and take up space you may not have available. You can also use it to hang other kitchen gadgets and dish towels. 

Install a gallery rail along a wall to provide a space for hooks to keep your cleaning supplies neat and organized in a corner, closet, or mudroom. Hang brushes, dustpans, small brooms, feather dusters, aprons, and rags from the rail. Similarly, you could use a rail in your garage or potting shed, where you can hang gardening tools, watering cans, and other supplies to keep them neat and categorized. 

If you have room to create a small alcove in your kitchen, you can turn it into a beautiful spice rack with the addition of some gallery rails to keep the spices from sliding off.  This can also work to create slim shelves for spices and shakers inside a closet or pantry door so they won't tumble around when the door is opened or closed.