Small Kitchen Ideas: Tension Rod Above the Sinks and Open Shelving

2 Materials
$5
15 Minutes
Easy

The kitchen in my rental apartment was all white and not all that interesting when I moved in. So one of the first thing I did was to remove the sliding doors above the sink to create some open shelving. It's a great spot to add some color with dishes. To keep my precious counter space free, I installed a tension rod above the sink for my dish towel and to keep my sponges - and by using red accessories, it also became another place to add some color.

I know that electrical outlet isn't to code, but I have no choice to use it - it's the only one in the entire kitchen and the landlord just won't do anything about changing it.

I also added a deep blue accent wall to really bring in some color - I actually covered the wall with temporary wallpaper before painting so I wouldn't have to repaint the wall when I move out. But another option would have been to use this navy colored temporary removable wallpaper - it's not exactly the color I wanted but it's very close.

You can watch the whole kitchen transformation in the video below.

Suggested materials:
  • Bins   (online)
  • Temporary wallpaper   (online)
Engineer Your Space
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 12 questions
  • SheilaFlorida SheilaFlorida on Jul 22, 2017

    I don't know how much the removable wallpaper cost - but wouldn't it be just as easy and cheap to repaint white when you leave? I love the fabric and glass backsplash and I'm going to do the tension rod above my sink.

  • Jeanette Nicole Jeanette Nicole on May 27, 2019

    Where did you get the little hanging buckets?

  • Dixie Stoll Dixie Stoll on Mar 05, 2023

    My mom always hung her dishtowel on the handle of the oven door which I do now too. I like the idea of the curtain rod above the sink to dry the dish cloth rather than draping it over the faucet

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 274 comments
  • Judy63 Judy63 on Jan 31, 2022

    Looks amazing I will try some of these in my kitchen. Thanks for sharing

  • Vicki Bushert Vicki Bushert on Feb 02, 2024

    caveat

    It’s funny, I use a tension rod in a similar way above my stove to hang metal cooking utensils.

    After experience, I would not put them above/behind my sink. I now consider that area less hygienic area, due to small splashes and droplets from washing things in the sink especially if your sink has a sprayer. I did try it once there but things got dirty fast. It dawned on me that if I’m washing my hands that have chicken or beef blood on them and that water splatters I’m just spreading it all over.

Next