My kitchen in Brooklyn, New York, is actually an entryway. When the apartment was remodeled, the kitchen was obviously an afterthought; it's smashed between the bathroom and the front door. Forget counter space! We don't have any. What we do have with is 15 or so inches of backsplash height to work and a tight budget. That's where Ikea's Grundtal Series comes in handy.
Back in 2008, we wrote about Open Rail Storage Systems on Remodelista, and the budget system that continues to endure six years later is the Grundtal Series, which comes in a classic brushed stainless steel finish and includes everything from the rail-and-S-hook system to a hanging dish drainer and magnetic knife rack. Given its price (the most expensive component is $26.99), it is remarkably appealing. Here we've rounded up 10 kitchens that use the Grundtal series in creative ways; it looks so good, you wouldn't guess it came from a big-box store.
Above: Containers and S hooks hang from a single rail in a Paris kitchen via Room of Creativity.
Above: An all-stainless-steel kitchen is equipped with multiple rails, shelves, a magnetic knife rack, and hanging containers—all from Ikea. Photograph from Swedish blog Modette.
Above: DJ and design blogger Myles Henry Tipley of Brooklyn set up his home bar using a Grundtal wall shelf and S hooks; see more at Steal This Look: Myles Henry Liquor Bar.
Above: A full Grundtal setup at Table on Ten cafe consists of wall shelves, dish drainers, and hanging containers. Photograph by Matthew Williams from Old Is New: Table on Ten in Upstate New York.
Above: A single 31.5-inch rail is mounted onto the backsplash in a Swedish kitchen from Stadshem. (Also shown: the Ankarsrum Swedish food processor.)
Above: Australian blogger Sarah of A Beach Cottage rehabilitated her entire kitchen with the Ikea Grundtal system. Says Sarah: "If you like the whole Scandinavian gig—wood, modern touches—and your budget is teeny-tiny, Ikea is the answer."
Above: Two Grundtal rails are mounted under-shelf and a single wall shelf sits above the oven range at a rustic cottage in Australia. Photograph by Sharyn Cairns via Home Life.
Above: In the kitchen of SF Girl by Bay's Victoria Smith, Victoria used Grundtal wall shelves and S hooks as a makeshift hanging pot rack. She also used two rails above the kitchen sink for additional storage.
Above: Rails and S hooks are stocked with Japanese brushes, sieves, and linens. Styled by Remodelista Market alum Anzu New York.
Above: The Grundtal rail hanging in a Swedish kitchen via Hus & Hem.
Above: Swedish design blogger Annaleena Karlsson of Annaleenas Hem uses a trio of rails across her concrete and stainless steel kitchen. To view the rest of her kitchen, see House Call: Annaleena's Swedish Kitchen.
For more Ikea-related stories, explore our past posts:
Domestic Dispatches: What I Love (and Hate) About Ikea
Ikea Upgrade: The Semi-Handmade Kitchen Remodel
Superfront: An Instant Upgrade for Ikea Cabinets
Steal This Look: Guest Cottage Kitchenette by Ikea
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