Turn A Towel Rack Into A Clever Way To Hang Vintage Blankets And Tapestries

If you're a curator of vintage blankets and tapestries, then you know that finding a perfect spot for them in your home can be a long and winding path, riddled with styling mishaps and a case of too many blankets, not enough space. When they first arrived in your home, you likely put them in the living room hutch. The problem? Out of sight, out of mind. So much for using them as part of the decor. Then, you draped them over the back of the couch. Unfortunately, every time anyone sat down, the blanket wound up decorating the floor instead of the couch. Finally, it strikes you: this is a job for that antique towel bar you found at that yard sale. Displaying your prized blankets, quilts, and tapestries on this rack turns them back into accent pieces and keeps them tidy and organized in one fold of the blanket.

The towel rack as a storage solution operates under the same logic, and in the same space, as the blanket ladder. It takes advantage of the vertical storage space that your wall provides, leaving your floor open for other items like benches. If you live in a studio apartment or a tiny house, you know how precious floor real estate is. 

Because the towel bar doesn't jostle around like your couch does when someone sits on it, blankets and tapestries stay off the floor (and remain cleaner for longer). Unlike hutch storage, which hides your quilts and tapestries behind closed drawers, the towel bar keeps your blankets organized in style and out in the open where their beauty, texture, and vibrant colors are displayed.

Think about how floating shelves transform a space. You may hang one or two above the couch, another in that odd corner above the radiator, and one more just above the entryway table. In each case, the shelf fits in a small spot where few other storage items could go, including the ladder. The towel rack serves the same function as the shelves here, and can be the difference between you being able to take advantage of the small spot on the wall. Or, leave it blank and underutilized.

Then, there's something specific to tapestries that's good to keep in mind. Usually, they're hung up on hooks or rings and strung on curtain rods because this setup is hardy enough to accommodate their often heavy weights. Due to their construction, towel racks are kinda like mini curtain rods, making them a particularly attractive option if you have a long, vertical tapestry that takes up a lot of wall space.

Finally, on a purely decorative note, if the towel rack is an antique, using it integrates more meaning and history into your decor. Modern designers have likened leveraging antiques to "foraging for decor," per Architectural Digest. Using foraged decor pieces, like the towel rack, does the same thing as foraged food does. It brings something delicious and unique into your home that appeals to your taste in a way that nothing else will. 

Command strips might be your first thought when deciding how to hang an antique towel rack. However, screwing the rack into a wall or door ensures the unit can consistently support the weight of a vintage blanket or tapestry.