When we downsized from farm life back to the city a year and a half ago, the size of our kitchen was reduced as well (check out then vs now). While we lucked out on a home where the sellers had just renovated the kitchen with decent cabinets and countertops (I'm a convert to quartz, never could have predicted that!), both of us prefer a open "chef's kitchen" style...NOT closing everything off in cupboards pretending you're not in a room meant for cooking.
Easy access to the things we need is key, which means being able to visually spot our most commonly used tools, from pots and pans to spatulas and tongs to colanders and knives. When I removed and sold the upper cabinets (yes, there is a market for these on Craigslist!), it left the big beautiful brick wall on one side of the kitchen (the back side of our fireplace) completely exposed and ready for...something! After much Pinteresting, I realized it'd be the perfect spot for my All-Clads (bought them 18 years ago and they're still going strong!) and my most-used Griswold cast iron skillets (one passed down, the others scored at an antique store in Portland - THE way to procure cast iron for cheap, folks). Hanging these on brick was a no brainer, because drywall just is not cool with drips if one of your pots accidentally didn't get dried well enough. But two things freaked me out: the cost of a pot rack, and drilling into masonry.
The solution? An Ikea towel rack, a masonry bit, and our hammer drill (to make the job much quicker than an ordinary drill)...and these easy-peasy instructions.
The other challenge for me was, once the cabinets were removed, I'd have to either work around or update the existing backsplash, either via replacement or painting. Not particularly interested the latter options, I installed my open shelving began at the top of the backsplash, and then whimpered when I had no idea where I was going to hang my implements - you know, the skillet, stirring spoons, tongs, etc. At the farm, my stainless backsplash I'd installed included a bar for them in the perfect spot above the stove, so the solution here? Get over my fear and learn to drill through tile. All you need is tape and the right bit and...voila! The stainless bar and set of hooks, by the way, are two other Ikea items I've had for eons - those things have so many uses and are one of the few things in that store that are made well and infinitely reusable/recyclable.
Finally, the one that didn't require a bit at all - my colanders. I've always liked to see these babies on the wall, and not clanking around with the pots and pans, so these are literally just hanging on cup hooks that I manually screwed into the drywall. Sure you could anchor them if you want, but they're so lightweight, I've never had an issue. Ba-da-bing.
These things aren't nearly as scary as they might seem - just make sure you test out where you want them before committing to making those holes, because one thing's for sure, patching up brick and tile is not like patching drywall!
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