the perfect pot rack

We did a partial update of our kitchen a couple years ago, but still had some projects that got put on the back burner. And we still have a few things to take care of before we officially declare the kitchen “done.”

Since we actually lost some storage space with the redo, I felt like we needed a pot rack, but was looking for something cost-effective and unique.

Pinterest to the rescue! I found an idea for repurposing an old ladder as a pot rack. 

I’ve had the ladder for a while and got it either free or dirt cheap…I can’t remember exactly because it’s been that long.

The only thing it really needed was to be cut to the size we wanted, varnished, add a few hooks and hang it up. This last part is the reason it took so long. 

Since we have an almost century old home with aging plaster ceilings, my husband wanted to be confident the whole thing wouldn’t fall down or cause the plaster to crumble. His solution was to secure two parallel links of wood to the ceiling (painting them to match the ceiling color) and make sure they were firmly in the joists. That way when he bolted the hooks for the ladder in place, he knew it would be secured into a piece of wood and not just some plaster and thin lathe.

Originally, I envisioned using S hooks for the pot storage itself. However, my husband used sturdy J bolts instead (the same kind he used for hanging the ladder). I actually like this solution better since the S hooks probably would have slid back and forth as we tried to hang the pots up or retrieve them.

I think this entire project cost us less than $20, if that.  

If you don’t have a ladder (with round rungs) that you can repurpose, try getting one for free. Facebook groups, craigslist for free groups are all great resources. Then all you need are the hooks, chain and varnish. Plus scrap wood if you want to use the same approach as my husband for attaching it to the ceiling.

I love the way this project turned out. Not only does it free up storage space in our cabinets, but the ladder goes with the style of our home, it is a savvy use of materials and fills in the dead space that was above the stove.