Guest Post by Jakob Barry
Just because a tiny home has a small kitchen doesn’t mean there should be any less of an appetite for entertaining, as a little creativity can go a long way in finding space for all the necessary items.
To help pack in the cutlery, food making accessories, plates, bowls and more a ceiling rack is perfect for alleviating some of the spatial stress in cabinets and cupboards.
It won’t solve all your problems, but can make accessing frequently used cookware a little easier while adding some extra character to the kitchen. If you think a ceiling rack would be useful in your tiny home here are a few things to consider:
- Size/weight: Ask any remodeler and they will tell you to measure the designated space before going out and looking for a rack. That way you won’t purchase the wrong size and you’ll have a better idea which rack will best fit your needs. Also, you will need to consider not only the weight of the rack but the weight of the pots and pans it will hold when determining how to securely mount it to the ceiling.
- Placement: Even in a big kitchen there are limited places for a rack. For example, don’t hang one over the oven where reaching for a pot may cause injury or splatter from cooking may leave residue. Second, it’s preferable not to place a ceiling rack in front of a window because not only would hanging pots block the view and incoming light but dust and other organic matter coming through the screen will likely settle on pots and pans.
- Materials: Kitchen ceiling racks are made from many different materials such as metal, bronze, steal, wood, and more. In most cases going simple works well in small homes. At the same time making your own rack from fencing, bars, or other found objects can be a fun project. You’ll save on the purchasing costs and help the world by repurposing.
- Color/décor: Depending on your taste and sense of small home interior design kitchen ceiling racks can be enhanced creatively to better fit the room layout. Try painting or adding other décor to the rack that will help it blend in easier and don’t be afraid to express yourself with a little personal touch here and there.
- Accessories: There are a few accessories that sometimes come with ceiling racks or need to be purchased separately. One includes the hooks used to dangle pots and pans which need to be sturdy yet easy to release and return pots. A second is a light fixture, as sometimes the only place that a rack fits best is in the same spot as a kitchen ceiling light. For situations like this the fixture can become incorporated into the ceiling rack.
- Installation: Finally, kitchens have enough dangers that whatever decision is made proper rack installation is essential. That way it doesn’t become a worrisome part of the kitchen experience. Whether you have the know-how to do it yourself or plan to hire someone, make sure the rack is hung correctly so it functions well as a useful tool in your tiny home.
Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He also blogs for pros across the U.S. like Nashville,
TN carpenters and Miami, FL
painters.
I don’t like things hanging overhead, tends to interfere with lines of sight (and heads and such)but for some people it’s a valid choice. Other alternatives include making sure your pots and things nest well and customising your cupboard space to fit what you have without wasting space or having to move too many things to get at others. One thing I learned, drawers or slideout cabinets make more sense than shelves behind doors. Even a well-fitted box you can pull out to access contents allows you to use the space better. Another thing for tiny house kitchens is you don’t need to make the cupboards a full 24″ deep. 18″ is plenty, even 16″ for some spots. There won’t be as much room for countertop appliances but they can be accommodated in other ways than just taking up space on a long open counter. Even if you have a 24″ deep appliance there’s no need to make full depth counters around it. All depends on how you use your kitchen but it’s something to think about when every inch counts. Having extra counter space that pulls out when needed rather than always being there allows for more open space the rest of the time.
This might make sense if we could see a “real” example of one inside a tiny house. The picture is of a hanging rack in a standard home.
If you have ever been in an RV or Trailer while it is on the move…you will notice that travelers have a reason to lock down and make sure all their cupboards, storage bins, cabinet doors & drawers are secure. Having something hanging from a ceiling in a tiny house that is “mobile” is just asking for trouble!
Our kitchen isn’t as small as some, but it’s far from being big. When we remodeled we installed two deep drawers, they are awesome for pots and pans and storage containers.
I have one I love it. The one in the first picture is however hung around the overhead light. The pots and pans would cast shadows over the work area = dangerous. I made that mistake myself initially.
This falls in the category of ANY house. Looks like an advert to me.
I like pot racks and we’re planning to install one in our tiny home, but those who move their houses a lot might want to consider one of the alternatives, such as a pot cabinet.
Smartest thing I ever did for my small kitchen was was donate all of my pots and pans to good will and pick up Magma’s 10 piece stainless steel nesting cookware set. All assembled it takes up about one cubic foot. My pots and pan cabinet went from looking like a bomb went off in it to being the most empty cabinet in the kitchen. Had them about two years now and can attest the quality is top notch.
http://www.amazon.com/Magma-Nestable-Stainless-Steel-Cookware/dp/B002TV7QD2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_2
Before anyone contemplates a tiny and sustainable existence, you need to edit your life down to the things you use daily. Table service for four. clothing enough for a small hall closet or equivalent.
When you consider the reduction in space and consumption a a tiny home offers, why would you need any more than two or three pots? In a typical 7’x16′ or 7’x20′ mobile footprint, a two burner cook top is optimal. A countertop convection microwave takes care of most baking needs.
What would help is a Tiny House cookbook, with complete meals in as few steps, ingredients and implements possible.
For my part, here’s my ramen noodle casserole for one:
1 pyrex bowl
1 cup boiling water
One package your choice of ramen noodles
One egg
Boil water
Preheat oven to 325
Noodles in bowl
Soak noodles in boiling water per instructions
Stir in one egg, add green onion or chives or romano cheese as you like, or a little leftover chicken, and bake for 20-25 minutes
Makes a nice, savory, noodle-y custard.
I just stir the egg in after cooking the noodles so no need to turn an oven on but I only eat this once or twice a year as it’s not really that good for you.
Somebody should design a complete set of dishes, cookware, bakeware, etc that all nests snugly in its own largest item and is cushioned with the tea towels, dishcloths and pot holders when on the move. Some of the restaurant supply places have things that stack better than the usual household items but an entirely purpose-made set would be handier.
Magma makes a fully nesting set of pots and pans that takes up about 1 cubic foot when full nested. It’s pretty awesome. I haven’t looked into anything similar for bakeware as I never bake (except bread, but I have a bread maker for that). Check the link in my comment above or search google for Magma nesting cookware.
I have a tiny kitchen with so little counter space that when the draining board was out it nearly filled the counter. I found a small, light, metal occasional table (probably Ikea) with two adjustable height perforated/mesh-like shelves. The table straddles the sink with both shelves up high enough so that I can clearly see the sink and access the taps. The draining board is on the first shelf above the sink and the shelf above can be used for extra dishes or dry dishes or whatever. The dishes drain directly into the sink and none of it takes up any counter space at all.
See above — it is the dish rack that’s on the shelf, not the draining board. The dishes drain directly from the rack through the mesh metal shelf and into the sink.
Hi Christina, your dish rack set up sounds great, any chance you could post a picture of it, or link to a picture, thanks 🙂
I have a tiny kitchen in a reasonably-sized, though very small by most standards, house. I love my pot rack, it hangs over my range. Easier access when cooking, hang-dry hand-washed pots instead of sprawling them across my very-limited counter-space.. efficient and elegant all around. I also have a schoolbus conversion cabin, and am mounting a pot rack above my range due to very limited shelf/cabinet space. I like hanging racks as opposed to built-in cabinetry in my bus because it maintains the openness of the space. I don’t like buses or RVs that have been densely built-in with cabinetry and dividers, it feels very claustrophobic. Additionally, I utilize an alcohol Cookmate range that can be stowed under my countertop for more prep space when doing raw foods and snacks..
I’d Have to agree with wome of the posts already made. A ceiling hung rack is for high ceilings or over an Island way.
A small Kitchen like I have ( I live in a 180sqf semi-shit hole) with lower ceilings being the norm. Over head is definitly not the answer.
On the wall however is… or in my case my ceilings are 8.6 feet. and I have a shelf over the kitchen sink that has a cuboard on each side – like the old days up in the NE America homes. It is kinda nice – I put all my vegi-cans up there stacked three high. Pots below the sink. Pans on the wall – which i put those cheap paper thin clear cutting boards on the wall first – frying pan second so’s not to get any grease on the wall or wall plaster /paint on the pan.
Small living is… well, crampt to say the least if you want to have any kind of anything in the house.
I can have a bycicle – a small bed – and a flat screen – and I have to move the bike to open the fridge.
Hang stuff from the ceiling…no way. I’d be ducking bobbing and weaving just to make it 10 feet.
Could you make storage for the lids to the pots as well with a ceiling rack?
Uhm, Scotty, I’m not sure how to upload a photo of my over the sink table space solution without it becoming my avatar which would be very sad because, while it’s very practical, it’s also very ugly. The pretty is all in the living room. Any ideas?
I think a hanging rack like the one shown would be impractical in tiny homes. Unless the person is short they would bump into the pots and pans. Space is at a premium so I’d only have a 2 skillets and 2 pots with lids. A rack positioned over the sink would probably be more suitable for a tiny home because its unlikely that anyone would walk into it.
LED ceiling lights are always the best since they consume less electricity.:
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