If they aren't used regularly, the clean pots and pans stored on a pot rack will be covered in dust. If you really want a pot rack, get one that is mounted to your ceiling. This thing just looks odd.

May we see an image of your space?

We have a pot bar attached near the ceiling. It was there when we moved in and I decided to leave it and see. I keep my most used skillets there, which happen to also look cool (grandmother’s 1920 cast iron, a cobalt blue le Creuset, and a small mineral crepe type skillet, plus my grandmother’s antique colander). I like that I can just reach and grab my most-used items, but I think the look/design of them also plays a role.

Love to see more photos; I’d love to have a guest/Airbnb space!

Pot racks are great if they are used, a pain if they are just more stuff to clean. When I had a pot rack it was in a tiny kitchen and quite useful.

So here is the space currently. These are the cabinets I’m pulling out, reworking the layout and using IKEA lehryttan in black I think. The ceiling is vaulted so a pot rack, if hung from the ceiling would be on really long chains.

This is my hoped for redesign. I’m flipping it around so I don’t have that peninsula jutting into the room. So in this layout I can store pots and pans in the corner pullout or on the open shelves of the island.

The room is an open studio type apartment with a separate bathroom. Here are some other pics, mid redecorating.

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No. If it were against the wall, then okay. But not in the middle of the floor.

Can I just say that you have a gorgeous space? We do a lot of Airbnb travels, and your listing would have definitely caught my eye!

A Julia Child Peg board rack on the wall to the right makes the most sense for the space.

12x I’ve tried to upload the image from her kitchen. Houzz upload is terrible. I’ll just link it instead. https://www.tastingtable.com/entertain/national/julia-child-kitchen-design-book

We have that island, with the rack, and it's wonderful. Yoou'll be able to pile a lot of things on the lower shelves. That's where we keep a bunch everyday pots and pans and baking dishes that get a lot of use, plus food processor and some other stuff. But the rack? Nope, major dust magnet.

Peg board pot rack is perfect.

A peg board may be the best option. Or a few rods?

Recordaras, thanks! The competition around here is pretty fierce, hence the upgrade of the kitchen, and hopefully the bath as well.

If you’re ever venturing to the North Georgia mountains, look us up!

Sushipup1, thanks for the insight. Yeah, I think I’ll skip the pot rack add on. How much height is on the shelf space if you don’t mind checking?

Both about 12", there's an upper lip.

Your space is gorgeous!

Annette, what's the name of your island? We got this one several years ago, so not sure if there are modifications since then. Ours is white.

Lovely home! I stay in a lot of Airbnb’s as well, mostly because I can cook in them! Seems you’ve already decided against a pot rack, and I agree that in an Airbnb it’s too much of a dust collector because I’m not sure everyone who stays in an Airbnb cooks that much anyways. I just wanted to add that as a guest, I wouldn’t mind it at all if the pots and pans were behind solid cabinet doors, but I always appreciate it when an Airbnb kitchen is organized sensibly. I’ve been amazed at how many places I’ve stayed in and there seems to be no rhyme or reason for how the contents of the drawers and shelves are organized! Now, if the cabinets next to the range are... slim and it’s the least bit awkward to get at a large pot for pasta or a skillet to make some scrambled eggs then I say absolutely store those items under the island and use the cabinets flanking the range for a cheap cookie sheet or two stored vertically... and that would still make a lot of organizational sense. FWIW, when I first enter an Airbnb where the owner is not present, one of the first things I do is check the bed and bedding, and then I go straight to the kitchen and open all of the drawers and cabinets (and check out fridge and appliances really quick) to see what is there and how it’s organized... then I check out the bathroom and make sure it’s clean. If that’s all good I unload the van.

It looks like that thing has storage on one side and stool seating on the other.

Skmom, I follow a few bloggers who make a living helping people design and market their short term rentals. According to surveys a large portion of people who rent “whole home” rentals as opposed to shared rooms is because they want to be able to cook. I am having a great time reading these posts and making lists of what I plan to provide in my space. You may be just the person to look at my plan of what I’m storing where to see if you think it is a usable plan for someone who enjoys cooking.

Oh, and the number one thing that cooks don’t find at many Airbnb kitchens....a meat thermometer.

This is the blog post that got me rethinking my rental space. A fun read for foodies.

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That’s really interesting and it’s good to know I’m not alone in why I prefer Airbnb’s. (Though I like them for quite a few other reasons too, they’re more relaxing and homey feeling that any hotel, and if I’m traveling with my family of seven, or splitting accommodations with my fellow sports parents then I can use Airbnb’s for a larger group.) We once stayed as a family in an Airbnb... it advertised that it slept 8, so perfect for our family of 7... until we got to the kitchen and I’m not even kidding that they had only 3 cereal bowls, maybe 4 place settings of silverware, about 5 cups, and ZERO condiments, not even salt and pepper, and it’s not like I expect a variety of specialty food items. I was so upset... we blew our food budget for that week because we had to buy sooooo many extra things. We contacted them privately and told them that if they can sleep 8 then they need place settings for 8 as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run to the dollar store after I get to an Airbnb and I end up leaving things like salt and pepper, a can opener, I even left a skillet at the last place we stayed in a few months ago. Sometimes if I’m driving I’ll pack a few of my favorite kitchen items that I might need for a planned meal, but sometimes I have to fly to a location, it’s not like I have room in my luggage to pack kitchen items when most airlines charge extra for luggage. Anyways, sounds like you’re an excellent and thoughtful host and I’d be more than happy to chime in and help you brainstorm! One of the best ‘owner not present’ Airbnb’s I ever stayed in was up in Montreal, and in my comments I noted that even though the entire place had recently been remodeled (and was advertised as such) that it seemed really obvious that the owners had also spent some time “living” in the unit because it so easily had everything I might have ever needed. (I also like staying in Airbnb’s where the owners are still there... they always have those daily living things too... and it’s usually a lot of fun interacting with the hosts!)

LOL! I just read the blog post you talked about... I could’ve saved my rant and just said “big fat DITTO!” LOL! I’ve stayed in very few that actually had well equipped kitchens, and even in the well equipped ones, the knives were still dull! LOL!

LWO, I know it’s Julia Child’s kitchen, and we all revere her, but does that peg board look appealing to you? Did you put one in your kitchen? Theres a reason that look didn’t take off.

Annette, if you like it, go for it. I think the table looks silly with the rail, but it wouldn’t keep me from renting the place.

Best of luck with your reno.

These days, we are all about "Looks" whether we cook or not. In Julia's day, function came first.

Random thoughts:

You say you need to be practical -- but you're talking about removing existing cabinets and replacing them with some pricey things (glass fronts). I assume you're doing an Airbnb for profit? I'd keep the cabinets you have /perhaps paint them. Yes, it would be nice for the peninsula not to protrude into the room, but how many times will you need to rent this place to pay for those new cabinets?

Imagine you're renting an Airbnb. What're you going to consider first? Probably location. Then beds /bed size. Then general space and amenities -- your balcony and seating areas are great. But would you really look at an Airbnb online and say, "Oh, I'll stay in this one because it'll be so easy to find things in the kitchen!" No. I think you're losing sight of the focus: profit.

Note, too, that your space seems to be set up for couples ... so you probably only need a few small pots and pans. This isn't a place that'll be rented by big families who'll need full sets of cookware. Even people who do cook in an Airbnb is going to focus on quick-and-easy -- after all, they're on vacation, and few of us put lots of effort into cooking when we don't have our favorite knives, all our spices, etc.

What I think you should emphasize: your small appliances. A couple is
going to want a coffee maker, a microwave (probably for rewarming
leftovers from meals out), and a toaster.

Also, an above poster made a good point about ample tableware. Personally, I think it's reasonable for a renter to assume that they'll have "two meals worth" of plates /bowls. I mean, if a couple stays here, they should be able to assume that they can eat breakfast /put their plates in the dishwasher and still have plates in the cupboard for their dinner meal. The problem, of course, is that the owner must constantly keep up with these things -- if a previous renter broke /threw away a bowl, the cupboard is now "short". A smart owner would buy a BUNCH of tableware, but not necessarily put it all out at once.I would expect -- as a renter -- to find a small set of basic cookware, a large /small casserole dish, a cookie sheet, a pizza pan, a pitcher and a couple cooking spoons /spatulas /knives.

I would not expect a meat thermometer and similar things. People who expect to cook in Airbnbs/similar places plan to cook basic meals -- probably things that they can do without a recipe, with only a couple ingredients. They don't assume spices beyond S&P, and they don't want to buy a bunch of groceries that won't be used up. I'd assume Airbnb renters would cook up a steak and baked potato, or they'd bake a couple chicken breasts with broccoli -- nice food, but simple.

With that in mind, do you have a small closet in this space that could be "locked up space" for you or a maid to access cleaning goods, extra tableware, light bulbs, etc.? You don't want to give renters full access to all your "extra stuff" because some will take it with them.

As for a pot rack, I'm not a big fan. My mother had a huge one over a small island when I was a child, and the pots that weren't used often definitely picked up a "haze of dirt" -- probably because they were so close to the range that they picked up grease from cooking. And -- in our case -- the light was above the pot rack. Worst choice possible: The light was diffused by all the pots, while highlighting the grease on dirty pots. But my mom loved that thing because it opened up cabinet space.

That little Ikea island looks ideal -- small, affordable. Perhaps a local carpenter could whip up something similar? Yeah, it'd cost more, but you have to do what's possible.

No to a Julia-Child pegboard. This space looks like it's a one-room space (great option for a couple), and a pegboard isn't all that attractive. If the kitchen were in a separate space ... no, not even then. Inside a pantry ... that's a yes. But not for this space.

Having said that, your space looks lovely. I think you'll be successful in renting it as a romantic get-away space for couples.

Hi sushipup - long time no see. I don‘t think it’s all about looks, although that is the point I made. That pegboard gets dirty too. In various images of the space you’ll see it gets painted different colors probably due to wear and because it can’t really be cleaned. And is it more efficient to have a pan stored on a wall, or in a drawer under or next to a cooktop? The latter makes more sense!

Julia Child was wonderful. I still don’t want her kitchen. And honestly, neither do you or LWO. I’ve seen your beautiful kitchens.

I’ve done real life peg board sections in real life homes. No, they aren’t photogenic. :-) But they are functional. They get mounted on cleats, so it’s very easy to remove them to vacuum behind them. Just like any other kitchen wall surface.

We did one in my sisters real life non photogenic kitchen, where the clock is in this shot. I don’t have a pic of it because it was too busy getting used and never quite unused looking enough for a photo shoot. Just after the floors went in and before the finishing touches. Corgi approved!

I've had a wall-mounted pot rack since 1969 and I love it. BUT...it's filled with the posts I use regularly and they don't get dusty a they are used and washed. I doubt many renting an Airbnb dod a lot of cooking and one would then have to be sure the cleaners wash these pots between each use. I don't particularly like the rack on that island cart.

Julia Child's peg board was popular with serious cooks who had kitchens that were separate rooms. No one today would want pegboard of any cooking utensils visible in today's "end of the LR kitchens". Heck, people even want to hide the coffee pot and toaster!

I had one at my last house. It looked cool at first, especially with copperbottomed pots hanging there. But I grew to hate it. Everything hanging was a dust magnet. Plus I didn’t like the feeling of stuff hanging over my head.