Kitchen racks today are used more for decoration than for storage. Kitchen racks, or bakers racks, as they were once called many years ago are now used in many other rooms of the home. Some of these racks have wine racks built in and some have drawers that pull out.
The original bakers rack was made for cooling baked goods and was used not only by commercial bakers but also by the women of the home since the seventeenth century. The concept of these racks was to have open shelving which was very important in speeding up the cooling process for all those great home baked pies and goodies.
The kitchen rack has become very popular today because it adds scroll designs, and fancy metalwork to a kitchen that is usually only for cooking and baking. They can be used in almost any room of the house for displaying houseplants or collectibles. They are usually constructed of wood or metal and can have shelves made of glass, wood, or metal. Stainless steel bakers racks typically have shelves that are made of wood, glass, or metal. They can be very simple in structure or they can have elaborate decorations that could include fancy metalwork or ancient scroll designs. Even bakers racks and kitchen racks that are constructed of wood will have the open shelving design that was common many years ago.
Most bakers’ racks will have a main shelf that is wider than the rest of the selves this is because it was classified as the working area for bakers. The remainder 3 or 4 shelves will probably be all the same width and were usually used for storing baking equipment. Many bakers would set these racks up against or near a wall with a window for opening and cooling the baked goods. You can also use them for displaying houseplants in a sunny window location in a different room other than the kitchen. Some racks are not free standing on the floor; some hang from the ceiling and are used as cookware racks and pot racks. Many are attached to the wall for dish racks or spice racks.
Beautifully decorated wrought iron bakers racks are sometimes used for showing off a favorite collection in a family room or dining room. They can be used in a guest room or guest bathroom to hold towels, soaps and beauty products for overnight visitors. Instead of using a bulky sideboard you can use a free standing rack that is equipped with drawers or cabinet doors to hold silverware, serving pieces and china. Some are specially designed to fit in a corner so as not to take up very much room.
These decorative kitchen shelves are also handy for plants, baskets, small appliances, kitchen towels, fresh cut flowers from the garden and cookbooks. Other racks or shelves are small enough to mount inside a cabinet door for spices. Free standing kitchen racks and bakers racks can add beauty to your kitchen, dining room, family room, guest room and can be very useful in a home office.
