This Affordable Kitchen Rail Alternative Looks Like The Real Thing

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Few places in your home can be as difficult to keep clean and organized as your kitchen. Cooking upward of three meals a day not only leaves behind a lot of messy food prep, but can also clutter your countertops with appliances like toasters and microwaves, tools like pots and pans, as well as recipe books. Finding clever storage solutions for these items will help maximize your kitchen space, and decluttering is known to improve your mood and relieve stress. Loose pots and pans could be hung up for a rustic feel reminiscent of '60s icons like Julia Childs, but nabbing a traditional kitchen rail can be expensive — upward of $300 at some online retailers. Luckily, you can achieve the same effect with affordable alternatives like curtain rods.

Kitchen rails are little more than a sturdy rod attached to the wall that has hanging hooks for your wares, with room for variations like receptacles that can house a variety of whisks or other handheld utensils. Curtain rods are a fraction of the price at local big box stores while offering the same form factor as a traditional kitchen rail. However, some offer extra utility. For example, a Zipglo tension rod can extend, helping you make the most out of your small kitchen or fill out a larger space. A cheap curtain rod might be too flimsy for heavy utensils and pots when compared to a sturdy kitchen rail, but it can certainly offer the same aesthetic charm.

If you're looking to install a curtain rod as your makeshift kitchen rail, a tension rod is going to be the easiest option. It doesn't have to be affixed to the wall with nails or screws, making it renter-friendly. The main issue is that it requires two relatively close-together walls to form the namesake tension, which could be an issue if your kitchen has no natural dividers built in (extending too far could cause the middle to bow, which would make it harder to support the weight of kitchen items). A curtain rod that screws onto the wall will be your safest choice, whether the rod has a curved section at either end to attach as one piece or you have a basic straight rod that needs to be supported with a pair of wall-mounted brackets.

Installing curtain rods should be an easy process, even if you're doing so in the kitchen. However, drywall could fall apart and leave holes if you try to hang anything too heavy, so you'll want to give yourself the best chance at things holding by inserting wall anchors into pre-drilled holes that go directly into the studs. Or, you could use something like these Alise curtain rod holder brackets, making sure you space them out along the length of the rod. If the hooks you're using to hold your kitchen gear are looped directly onto the rod, make sure they're on before screwing the new rail in place. For tougher walls made from materials like brick, you might want to follow some tips on how to secure curtain rods on block walls.

As mentioned, there are many different kinds of curtain rods on the market, which means there's room to accessorize your alternative kitchen rail in whatever ways fit the setting. For example, rather than installing a single rod, you can find a combination double curtain rod at IKEA that will fit on your wall in much the same way. Having two rods that are typically meant for hanging curtain pairs like sheers and drapes will offer you the chance to layer your kitchen accessories for a more dynamic look. The material of the makeshift rail you choose can also offer a different aesthetic, whether you're using a cheaper plastic rod or finding one that resembles a copper rail to organize your kitchen, for more of a rustic appearance.

Regardless of what you choose to fashion your new kitchen rail, having this storage space available dovetails well with other kitchen storage hacks, like using rolling shelves that let you put items further back into each cabinet, buying magnetic spice jars to save room in your pantry, or keeping a mobile kitchen cart around that gives you extra counter space. The important thing is that you're utilizing otherwise unused kitchen space, like the walls, for more practical purposes than just décor. Just be careful to avoid installing your kitchen rail above appliances like the stove or oven, to prevent the items from getting too hot and burning you when you go to grab one.