How To Build a Spice Rack: Susy’s White and Minimal

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
Follow
updated Jun 5, 2019
pinterest
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Susy Hammermeister)

2009_03_20-Rack.jpgWhen we showed you Susy’s simple and perfectly organized kitchen, several of you immediately went ga-ga over her minimalist spice rack. One reader sent us the photo above and begged us to tell her where to find.

Well, you can’t buy it, but you can build it! Susy built the spice rack out of common and inexpensive materials, and she very kindly shared her template with us. Read on for instructions, photos and even a diagram!

1 / 5
(Image credit: Susy Hammermeister)

Susy says she is rather embarrassed by all the attention the spice rack received; she says it’s rather silly and inexpensive. We think she’s being overly modest – we love how simple the rack is, and how many spice bottles it holds. This is far more usable than the tiny 6 or 12 bottle racks we usually see. Also, even though the spices are exposed to light, we like that they are far away from the stove. Even a drawer near the stove can get hot, and a rack on the wall is probably better.

Here are Susy’s instructions:

How To Build a Spice Rack Out of Vinyl Moulding

• The molding came from Home Depot. It’s plastic – almost like a Styrofoam – and square. It’s easy to cut in a miter box. (I’m always on the lookout for stuff like that.)

• Molding specs: “Blind Stop White Vinyl Never Rot” cellular vinyl moulding. 5/8″ by 5/8″. $5.15 per 8′. SKU 246871.

• I made ten 2-foot pieces and three 22-inch pieces.

• With little white brads, I nailed 5 of the cross pieces at equal intervals on the uprights (just far enough apart for the jars). I then nailed 5 more cross pieces onto the existing cross pieces to make the shelf wide enough for the spice jars. I’d originally intended just one piece but the resulting shelf was too narrow for the jars. Then I nailed it to the wall, again with brads (it’s very light).

• The jars are from Cost Plus originally but I’ve also found them at Bed Bath and Beyond. I alphabetize them roughly (they’re out of order all the time) and also label the tops with Avery removable round stickers. Mainly I just pick ’em by sight when I’m cooking.

Thank you so much, Susy!

• See the rest of Susy’s kitchen here: Look! Susy’s Perfectly Organized Kitchen

Related: Look! Beautiful (and Cheap) Spice Storage Solution

(Images: Susy Hammermeister)

Filed in:
Seasonings
Tips & Techniques