The Smart Way To Use A Shoe Rack In The Kitchen

Looking at a shoe rack, your first thought likely isn't going to be, "You know, this would look fabulous in the kitchen! Maybe even in the cabinets." However, one TikToker may have done just that. Sarah Teresinksi shared some clever storage ideas utilizing an old shoe rack that you may have lying around your home. One solution is to transform a small two-tiered wooden slat shoe rack into a suitable sheet pan divider, fit for keeping kitchen counters clutter-free with a decorative solution or maintaining an organized cabinet space. 

Using a shoe rack as a storage device for stashing baking sheets, pans, muffin tins, and cutting boards could help you save space while repurposing an item that may no longer serve you. Simply slide baking trays and cookie sheets in between the slats of the shoe rack. The slats will hold the pans up vertically, creating enough separation to keep them tidy while also saving space by holding the pans upright. You can place the shoe rack in a cabinet or the pantry, depending on the space available. Or, add it to the countertop if you're an avid baker who needs your trays within easy reach. If you don't like the look of your shoe rack, you can always paint it to better match the surrounding decor. This solution could be a great way to store and organize pots and pans for a clutter-free kitchen. But keep in mind, it may not work in every space.

If you have a two-tiered shoe rack with large enough slats to hold your cookware, it can be a great method for keeping pans and baking trays organized in cabinets on a budget. The shoe rack keeps trays and pans separate, yet orderly and tidy. The trouble with storing baking sheets flat on top of one another, you'll have to pull them out one by one in order to reach the cookie sheet you need for your baking needs. Therefore, many experts suggest stashing baking sheets vertically to make it easier to grab what you need. Thankfully, this shoe rack hack keeps pans upright and vertical.

Another reason folks might enjoy this storage trick is that it's a great way to upcycle something you already have. If you have a shoe rack that fits the description mentioned above, you can repurpose it, saving yourself time and money from sourcing a custom sheet pan storage solution. Although don't fret if your shoe rack isn't exactly as described, any smaller two-tier shoe rack could greatly aid your kitchen organization. Some homeowners have utilized a shoe rack inside base cabinets to act as additional shelving. Just keep in mind that you may still have to lay sheet pans on top of one another rather than stashing them vertically if your shoe rack doesn't have wide enough gaps between the slats.

While this genius hack can aid in your kitchen organization, there are a few things to consider before you jump on the idea. First, you'll want to use a smaller shoe rack as opposed to a larger one. To fit inside a base cabinet, for example, the shoe rack would need to measure less than or equal to roughly 34.5 inches in height and 12 to 48 inches in width. Another consideration is that the slat sizes on shoe racks vary greatly. Some small shoe racks have slats that are too close together to slot a baking sheet in between. Others may have no slats at all. And larger racks may have gaps that are too large, causing your sheet pans to rub up against one another, which in some cases could wear on the material.

If you do find a shoe rack that is small enough to fit in a cabinet, on a countertop, or that has the right size slats, you might encounter a limitation on how many pans and cutting boards this vertical storage solution can hold. Depending on the shoe rack being used, challenges with storing multiple pans per slot could be an issue. While this shoe rack hack can help you upcycle an old item, custom organizers made specifically for storing baking sheets could be more ideal. These organizers are made to fit neatly inside cabinets without taking up too much space.