6 tricks I use to display pans in a kitchen as an interior stylist that are both practical and pretty

We've all been there… you could have the best kitchen layout in the world, but trying to organise kitchen paraphernalia, crockery and glassware into cupboards and drawers can often result in a bulky set of saucepans taking up most of the room. Unless you've got some roomy pan drawers as part of your kitchen storage ideas it's often the case that they're put into the deepest cupboard, which makes accessing ones at the back quite tricky. So what to do?

Modern chef-style kitchens have shown us that pots and pans don't have to be hidden away and can actually enhance your kitchen decor if styled well. As a professional interior stylist, I often use pans within my collection of kitchen props to create beautiful imagery.

Need convincing? I'm going to let you in on six of my favourite six ways to display saucepans in a kitchen that not only keep them organised but look picture-perfect too.

1. Use a hanging rail

When cupboard space is tight, one of my favourite ways to organise pots and pans is to turn to your walls for some extra storage, with a hanging rail and hooks that you can use for everything from frying pans to sieves and colanders. You can find a simple pan-hanging rack for less than £30 on Amazon.

On a shoot, I'd make sure to keep the hooks looking nice by using some pans as my 'base' and adding in a few hanging breadboards (of varying shapes and sizes), as well as some hanging plants or herbs scattered among them – trailing greenery will help bring the display to life and make it a more aesthetically pleasing area.

Hanging a tea towel or two from the hooks is another way to style your rail. However, try not to clutter it with too many other things if you want to ensure it is practical and looks good.

2. Display on open shelves

Adding a few open shelves to your kitchen walls is another way to show off pans and makes them easy to grab when you need them.

For this kitchen shelving idea, I'd suggest either displaying them in height order (from largest to smallest) or mix them up with saucepans in varying colours – like this selection of light grey, bronze and stainless steel pans. I'd make sure all the handles were facing the same angle for a neat look.

However, in a working kitchen, you'll also want to take into account that they're easy to reach for and aren't going to be in the way at all.

3. Mount a ceiling rack

If your ceiling height allows, a mounted ceiling pot rack can utilise an otherwise unused area and create a great focus point. On shoots, I'd hang a range of pots and pans and I love to add in some worn-looking pans rather than keeping them all looking too new – it needs to look like it's a working kitchen after all, rather than a showhome.

At home you'll need to make sure that you can reach the pans once they're hung – you don't want to have to go and get a footstool every time you want to cook something! – and also that they're not going to be in the way of anyone. Over an island unit works well, as no one will be standing underneath them, and they'll usually be close to the cooking zone too.

4. Place on top of kitchen units

When I'm faced with a kitchen that has a lot of blank space above wall units, I often use pans and baskets to add a bit of colour and life to the area. This ideas works best for saucepans that you use more occasionally, rather than everyday designs, as when they're placed up high they're less likely to be in easy reach.

At home, for example, I have a big paella pan on top of my unit, which would take up tons of room in a cupboard but sits above it perfectly.

5. Store on a butcher's block

Is there anything more homely and comforting than a seeing a butcher's block-style island filled with pots and pans? On shoots, I like to use a few pans stacked inside each other, plus a colander and even casserole dishes.

If your butcher's block is painted, like this one, you could always get coordinating cast-iron pots to complete the look.

6. Show them off in another room

Pots aren't only for kitchens and when I'm styling dining rooms and there's a cabinet or shelving unit, they come in handy for setting the scene. Again, to use this idea in your own home you don't necessarily want to display pans you use everyday. But it's ideal for colourful cast-iron pots or casserole dishes you use less frequently.

Having a shelving unit on castors, like this one from Amazon, is handy if you want to move it away from your dining space or use it for other purposes (like a Christmas bar in December, for instance).

As for how to style your shelving unit, there's no real right or wrong, but I like to use one pot per shelf and fill it with other decorative objects and utensils in a variety or shapes and heights to give it interest.

If you have the space in your kitchen, or lack of cupboard space, give one of these ideas a try.