The Unique Coffee Mug Storage DIY That Frees Up Space In Jam-Packed Cabinets

Many coffee and tea drinkers have a go-to rotation of mugs, with their favorites permanently situated in the front row of the kitchen cabinet. Then there are the benchwarmers, the mugs stuffed in the back which only see the light of day when all other options are in the dishwasher. But with the right DIY coffee mug storage hack, you won't have to play favorites anymore. Just repurpose an old window shutter into a hanging kitchen rack.

In its most basic form, this project involves mounting a window shutter to a kitchen wall, attaching S-hooks to the shutter's slats, and hanging coffee mugs on the hooks. However, the storage rack can be customized based on how you want it to look and how much work you want to put into it. DIY content creator Priscila Raposo, who uses the handle @minhacasaminhasescolhas, posted an Instagram video showing a few modifications. Raposo fastened wooden planks to the shutter with brackets to create small shelves, then placed a rod through the top brackets to hang kitchen towels.

The first step is finding the perfect window shutter. Louvered shutters are best, since the horizontal slats are well-suited for S-hooks. However, other types of window shutter styles, like raised panel shutters or board and batten shutters, can work by using screw hooks or wall hooks. If you don't have an old window shutter lying around, try sites like Etsy and Facebook Marketplace, or test your luck at secondhand stores.

The vision for your window shutter mug rack can be separated into two parts: aesthetic and function. One aesthetic consideration is whether you want to stain or paint the shutter. Staining the wood and letting its rich, natural grain show can imbue a rustic, farmhouse vibe, while paint might provide a more contemporary look. Then, you can add various accoutrements to personalize and decorate the shutter. Fun ideas include faux garland, chalkboard tape labeled with different storage areas, and tiny wall planters encircling the shutter.

Regarding functional concerns, one question is whether you want the shutter to be mounted vertically or horizontally. In Raposo's video, she uses a wide, two-paneled shutter, but if you have a slim, single-paneled shutter, like this one from Alpha Shutters, you may want to mount it horizontally and turn it into a floating storage shelf. To do so, find a shelf bracket you like, drill it into at least one wall stud, and mount your shutter to the bracket with one edge against the wall, going longways left to right. Then, add hooks to the slats and let your coffee mugs dangle underneath while using the storage space above. Other functional modifications might involve hanging a wire or wicker storage basket from the slats, or screwing mismatched hooks and doorknobs into the shutter's frame and rails. With such room for creativity, this upcycling project is a unique and resourceful way to display your mugs, free up cabinet space, and add a statement piece to your kitchen.