18 Inspiring Ways to Add Pegboard to Any Room

By Catherine Smith, Houzz

Remember Grandpa’s garden shed with those neat rows of tools hanging on pegboard? Pure bliss for every organizing freak. Thank goodness pegboard has come out of the backyard and into the foreground of the home. Inside or outside, a new verb is on the rise: pegboarding. Here’s where to make it work.

Wyndhamdesign, original photo on Houzz

1. Workshop. Pegboard is a staple of the old-school garage. Younger generations are funking up this classic idea with some groovy colors. Think pink, which is having a modern moment. It just might make you feel more creative and inspire great things.

Cactus rack, original photo on Houzz

2. Garage. Try pegboarding on a bigger scale in the rest of the garage. Cover an entire wall in pegboard, add hooks, and you have instant order.

Tip: If your brooms and rakes don’t have ready-made loops, drill a hole in the handles and thread in cord to hang them from the hooks.

3. Utility room. Keep up the good work in the laundry or utility room. Hanging brooms, mops and cleaning paraphernalia makes them much easier to grab for cleanups.

And yes, copy Grandpa: Outline and name where every item lives, so other members of the household will learn to put things back in their proper places. Maybe.

4. Mudroom. With pegboard, you can create the mudroom you’ve always wanted. There are new, cool and rather expensive large-scale boards around that take dowels. But you can make your own on a piece of plywood or MDF with the right-sized drill bit, a length of dowel and a steady hand. Try different lengths of rods, add shelves (they’re not that sturdy, so don’t use for breakables), and you’ll never misplace the dog’s leash again.
Dodie, original photo on Houzz
5. Kitchen. Julia Child’s husband, Paul, created a pegboard kitchen wall for her in the 1950s. (You can see it at the Smithsonian, complete with copper pans.) It’s been imitated by countless cooks, for good reason. It makes the most of a tiny space, makes it easy to grab the pot you need, and stops cooks from damaging items by stuffing them in a drawer. And even without all the copper pans, it looks gorgeous.

6. Drawers. If you like drawers in the kitchen, pegboard still has its place. Kitchen suppliers now offer pegboard drawer liners. Move the pegs to snugly fit around plates and pans so they don’t slide around when the drawer is opened and closed.

STACT Wine Displays Inc, original photo on Houzz
7. Wine rack. There’s even a pegboard creation for wine bottles these days. This Stact system uses aluminum rods on wood panels. (If you want to experiment, it might be best not to practice with your finest wines.)

8. Living room. A wall of beautiful wood veneer drilled with holes is a style statement in itself — a nod to midcentury modernism. Hang artwork or clocks on it, or just admire the rhythm of the pattern.

9. Crafts. A design studio or craft room begs for pegboard. Run a full-length panel all the way to the ceiling to hold long tools. Clip fabric samples or drawings with bulldog clips so they don’t get crumpled or lost.

10. Closet. If your work space is no more than a tiny cupboard, line the door panels with pegboard to hang baskets for notions, tools and inspiration. Use deep, curved hooks (rather than flat, L-shaped ones) so items don’t slip off when you open and close the doors.

11. Playroom. Start them young by hanging toys where small fingers can reach them. Organized toy storage teaches kids the good habit of putting things away when they’ve finished playing. Plus it looks awfully cute. Even soft toys can hang from their tags; or tie on a pretty ribbon to slide over the hook.

12. Desk space. As they get older, kids’ collections tend to multiply. A pegboard over the desk corrals displays and can be moved about as interests change or acquisitions grow. Have fun sticking to a color scheme so displays don’t get too chaotic.

13. Homework. For older students, tuck a section of pegboard into a quiet study corner. Assignments or clipboards can be hung off hooks, keeping the desk free and acting as a visual reminder of projects due.

14. Walls. You’ll never lose another plastic toy again when it’s off the floor and on the wall. Any small (or big) person could have a huge amount of fun rearranging characters and creating scenarios.

Avocado Sweets Design Studio, original photo on Houzz

15. More walls. Pegboard doesn’t always have to mean holes. Evros Agathou, who designed this colorful family house in London, made a reverse pegboard — starting with a Lego wall. Who could resist? No more late-night cries of pain after stepping on a Lego brick. This idea turns post-play cleanup into a game itself.

16. Bedside. Create a headboard out of pegboard and hang all those tiny treasures that might otherwise get lost in a nightstand drawer. Hooks can even hold a reading lamp.

Tip: Use a cooler LED bulb, and hang the fixture where it won’t burn the pillow.

17. Dressing room. Tuck a sliver of pegboard beside your mirror to hang delicate jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other accessories. (Or install some on the inside of your closet door.) You’ll wear your pieces more often if you can see them on display.

TomMarkHenry, original photo on Houzz
18. Whole hog. What the heck, why not cover the entire room? This meeting space at Kellogg’s head office in Sydney was designed by TomMarkHenry to inspire creative thinking.

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