Goodbye, Coffee Mug Clutter: This Storage Solution Outshines Cabinets & Shelves

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

It's early, it's dark, and you need your coffee. You fumble into the kitchen, open the mug cabinet and reach for your favorite one. But first, you need to sift and sort, lifting other mugs out of the way and hoping they don't tumble out and fall to the floor. There's a better way to store and organize your mug collection, and ensure you get your much-needed caffeine ASAP each morning.

Hanging your mugs from a pegboard that's mounted to the wall keeps them within easy reach. This wall organizer also frees up space in your cabinets and shelves, so you can tuck away less attractive, but useful, kitchen gear and pantry items. If you've got a collection of funky or valuable vintage mugs, hooking them onto a pegboard lets you show them off in style.

Pegboards have come a long way since Julia Child used one to organize her now-famous kitchen. They're available in a range of sizes, colors, and materials, from wood to metal to plastic. Choose a small board to set up a coffee mug display in a corner or, if your collection is big enough, go large and display your mugs across an entire wall. While old-school pegboards required you to build a frame to hold the board in place, modern kits, such as the Colville Pegboard Wall Organizer Kit, can attach directly to your wall with screws, nails, or adhesive pads. However, always check the specifications first to ensure the pegboard can handle the weight of your mugs; the aforementioned kit has a weight capacity of 60 pounds.

You've got options for hanging a pegboard — the easy way or the harder way. The harder way to hang a pegboard requires you to mount furring strips on the wall. Meanwhile, the easier way involves using a kit and attaching it to the wall with nails, screws, or adhesives, according to the package directions.

While using furring strips or building a frame for your pegboard storage solution will require more work on your end, it also gives you more options for customizing the final result. You can paint the board or cut it to fit into an awkward-sized space. To hang a pegboard using furring strips, you'll need a pegboard, 1 by 2 pieces of lumber cut to the length and width of the board, plus screws, a drill, and a screwdriver. A level will ensure that the board is even — no tilted mugs for you.

When it comes to displaying your mugs, you've got options, too. A mug's handle is perfect for draping over a pegboard hook. Consider creating a coffee station by hanging a French press or Moka pot from the pegboard and placing the board above a kitchen trolley outfitted with everything you need for your morning brew.