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Posted: 2022-03-09T10:45:01Z | Updated: 2022-03-09T10:45:01Z Julia Child's Kitchen Pegboards Are A Must For Organizing Small Spaces | HuffPost Life

Julia Child's Kitchen Pegboards Are A Must For Organizing Small Spaces

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The late Julia Child in her home kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1972, with an eye-catching peg board.

The late, great Julia Child was known for loving butter, embracing mistakes and making home cooking as enjoyable as possible. While this was often shown through in her encouraging on-air disposition, it was also shown in the physical layout of her kitchen. Child always had everything she needed right on hand — largely because of her giant kitchen pegboard, which housed her pots, pans and every other beloved utensil .

If you’re not a Julia Child stan, you may not know that she is largely credited for popularizing the kitchen pegboard. (The real stans will know it was actually her short king husband, Paul,  who came up with it, but I digress.)  At 6-foot-2, Child was no stranger to the concept of vertical space. Rather than storing her pots and pans horizontally in a drawer or cabinet, she hung them from the wall vertically, taking advantage of all the wall space she could. 

I’ve always loved the look of a kitchen pegboard or those to-die-for Pinterest kitchens with the copper hanging pot racks . I lusted after them for years, wrongfully assuming I’d never have the space to install one in a small, compact city kitchen. After moving into my current studio apartment with a “kitchen” that’s really just a singular wall, I spent months figuring out how to store my cookware. With limited cabinet space and no closets, it seemed impossible to ever find a stress-free solution to organizing my kitchen.

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Courtesy of Griffin Wynne
My green pegboard that I use literally every day of my life.

One night, when deep in an internet wormhole, I realized my pegboard dream wasn’t just achievable in my small apartment it was going to completely upgrade the way I cook. On Amazon , I found an emerald green, metal kitchen pegboard , tall enough to hold all my pots but thin enough to fit on the small section of wall above my stove. I ordered it immediately, along with an idiot-proof drill , some wall anchors  and some extra hanging accessories.  

I installed it the day it arrived and instantly hung all my pots, pans and utensils. I was amazed at how nice it made my kitchen look, clearing off surfaces and not making every open place look so cluttered. A few weeks later, I ordered a spice rack holder with a paper towel bar  that attaches to my pegboard, clearing even more space from my shelves and window sill. Because it’s right over my stove, it makes it super easy to grab all my spices or to rip off a paper towel to wash my hands after preparing raw meat. 

If you’re not super handy, I’d definitely ask a friend to come help with installation. Essentially you find where you want to hang it, make sure it’s level, and then drill it into the wall. It wasn’t Ikea-furniture difficult, but the boards are seven pounds each and can be a little cumbersome to lift and level alone. And if you have drywall, you’re going to want to anchor your pegboard into the wall, which I promise is easier than it sounds!

I always knew I loved the look of a kitchen pegboard, but I never realized how much it would improve cooking in a tiny kitchen. It’s such a smart way to really make the most of the little space you have, and looking super Instagrammable is really just a bonus. My love for my metal kitchen pegboard goes beyond words. It’s so practical, looks so cool, and means I don’t really have to dry any of my pots and pans and can let them “air dry” on the board. 

For the love of Julia or general kitchen organization, here’s everything you need to install a dreamy metal kitchen pegboard of your own. 

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A colorful metal pegboard with 1/4 inch holes
Here she is, in all her glory. This is the exact pegboard I have (mine is the green board with blue hooks , but I didn't like the metal hooks that came with it and got different plastic ones, listed below). This is a 14-pound metal pegboard that will hold all your kitchen needs. It has a magnetic powder-coated finish so it won't get rusty or moldy, and it comes with two 16-by-32-inch panels which you can choose to hang together (making a 32-by-32-inch square) or separately, as well as vertically or horizontally. It has 1/4-inch-wide holes and slots, all an inch apart, which you can utilize however you want. It comes with tools for mounting, but because my apartment is drywall, I got special heavy-duty screws and wall anchors, listed below.

This comes in nine colors: black, blue, green, matte gray, metallic silver, silver, red, yellow, orange and white.
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Heavy duty drywall anchors
If your place is drywalled like mine, you're going to need to anchor the board into the wall, which is way less scary than it sounds! These anchors hold up to 75 pounds, which is perfect for the 14-pound metal pegboard plus pots and pans. For the pegboard listed here, you need at least 12 screws and anchors, so the 25-pack was perfect for me to have extras. I've used them to hang other shelves in my apartment.
3
A user-friendly cordless drill with the basic accessories
If you're not a professional carpenter and you're just trying to hang a kitchen peg board in peace, a basic cordless drill set like this is perfect. It's small enough that you can stash it away in a drawer or closet, but it's not too dinky, so it will work all around your house.

This comes with a USB charger, 10 different drill bits, 10 drivers, a level measure and 10 screws and anchors (though you shouldn't use these for the pegboard, but rather the heavy-duty anchors listed above).
4
A mix of "L" and "J"-shaped 1/4-inch hooks
Your pegboard's magic derives from how personalized it can be. While the pegboard above comes with some metal accessories, I found that this collection of L- and J-shaped plastic hooks work better for my needs. I use the L-shaped hooks to hang larger pots and pans and the J hooks for things with smaller handles or hoops, like my colander and oven mitts. I got this pack because it came in the smallest amount I could find, which is still a quantity of 50. These are 1/4-inch wide, so they work with the pegboard listed above, but make sure to check the size if you're getting other accessories. They come in black and white.
5
A basket with a paper towel holder
I thought I knew how much and I loved my pegboard, and then I got this spice rack/paper towel holder to hang on it. This basket has been the best addition to my kitchen overall. It lets me store my most-used spices right near my stove, and keeps the paper towels at a perfect horizontal level that's easy to use. This works for a 1/4-inch pegboard like the one listed here. There's a ton of different basket styles available from this seller, but I love the 15.25-by11.5-inch basket with the towel bar .

Before You Go

Small Kitchen Appliances That Will Save You Tons Of Space
Always Pan(01 of12)
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Nothing says small kitchen-friendly like a multipurpose pan that does almost everything. The Always Pan from Our Place is designed to replace eigh traditional pieces of cookware, including a fry pan, saut pan, steamer and skillet. It has a non-toxic, nonstick ceramic coating and is suitable for all types of cooktops. (credit:Our Place)
A Breville Nespresso Essenza mini espresso machine(02 of12)
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Just because you're low on counter space doesn't mean you have to be low on energy. This compact, single-serve Nespresso machine includes a complimentary starter set of capsules so you can get your day started faster. It comes in black and white and measures 8 by 4.3 by 12.8 inches. (credit:Amazon)
A mini two-cup rice cooker(03 of12)
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The key to shopping for a small kitchen is to prioritize mini appliances, such as this rice cooker that comes in eight colors. It cooks two cups of rice, which is smaller than the average 5.5 cups in typical cookers. But it doesn't just cook rice; you can also use it to make two cups of oatmeal, stew, soup, quinoa or pasta. All you have to do is add water and your grain or food of choice, press the "cook" button and it will be ready in less than 20 minutes. (credit:Amazon)
A bright yellow toaster(04 of12)
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Both functional and eye-pleasing, this bright toaster take up minimal space on your counter and fits two slices at once. It measures 5.3 by 9.4 by 7 inches. It also comes with seven browning shade settings, a removable crumb tray and defrost, reheat and cancel buttons. (credit:Amazon)
A compact air fryer(05 of12)
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Air fryers can be a bit clunky and take up way too much counter space, but this one is specifically designed to be compact and best for small meals. It fits up to 1 1/2 pounds of food and has adjustable cooking controls suitable for whatever you're making. (credit:Amazon)
A mini waffle maker(06 of12)
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You've likely seen this mini waffle maker everywhere, and if not, today's your lucky day. You can make 4-inch waffles with it in just minutes. The length of the machine itself is only six inches, so it will fit perfectly on your kitchen counter with room to spare. Color and design options are plentiful and include mini waffles as seen in the photo here, copper, orange, pineapple, pink and rainbow. (credit:Amazon)
A breakfast sandwich maker(07 of12)
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There's no need for a griddle and pans. Making your bacon, egg and cheese in the morning will be a whole lot easier with this tiny sandwich maker. Simply build the layers of your desired sandwich on each level of the machine and in five minutes, breakfast is ready. It's even dishwasher-safe and has removable parts for hassle-free cleanup. It comes in black, coral, mint, silver and red. (credit:Amazon)
An electric hot pot(08 of12)
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Don't have a stove? No problem. Your cooking needs will be met with this electric hot pot, in which you can saut foods like steak, chicken, fried rice, noodles and eggs. It even comes with a silicone spatula and an egg rack. It holds up 1.5 liters and comes in a compact size for smaller spaces, and the non-stick liner inside makes cleanup simple. Color options are green and purple. (credit:Amazon)
A rapid egg cooker(09 of12)
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If you haven't quite mastered the art of hard boiled eggs, this egg cooker will do the job for you. It fits up to 12 eggs and requires little monitoring to get your eggs just how you like them. You can also produce soft-boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs and individual omelets. It stands 9 inches high and 8 inches wide and comes in purple, red, black, white, cream, aqua and yellow. (credit:Amazon)
A Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 4-cup food processor(10 of12)
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This small food processor does a variety of tasks, from chopping vegetables to grinding cheese. It comes with a 24-ounce work bowl with a handle and has an auto-reversible smart blade. (credit:Amazon)
A Kitchenaid Artisan Mini Plus tilt-head stand mixer(11 of12)
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If a handheld mixer just won't cut it and you really want to splurge on a stand mixer, consider this Kitchenaid version that comes in a mini 3.5-quart size (average stand mixers are 5-7 quarts). It has a tilt-head design and 67 touchpoints around the quartz stainless steel bowl for better mixing results. It also comes with a flex edge beater, coated dough hook and 6-wire whip. Color options include matte black, silver, ice, red and matte avocado cream. (credit:Amazon)
A handheld electric can opener(12 of12)
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Get rid of your space-stealing countertop can opener and try this ergonomic, hands-free one instead. It's AA-battery operated (pick up some here ) and it's built for safety as the blade automatically cuts along the side of can you're opening. (credit:Amazon)

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