Most professional stagers and interior decorators agree that the baker's rack is an indispensable piece of furniture. 

Traditionally, baker's racks were made of metal and used in bakeries so baked goods could cool quickly. Today's versions can be made of metal, wood, bamboo, or even plastic. And they may have newer features like wheels, closed cabinets, drawers, or specialized racks. No matter their size or material, they all share that signature open-shelving style.     

If you are staging a home, a baker's rack could be one of your most useful pieces. If you don't already own one, now could be the time to buy one. Don't worry. Baker's racks don't have to be expensive or difficult to find. Let's look at the best places to find them and the many ways they can help with decorating and home staging.    

Online sources

Shopping the web for a baker's rack makes sense because these unassembled shelving units can usually be shipped in boxes that aren't oversized. Both Wayfair and Amazon sell dozens of different styles for less than $100, and many more versions above that price point. Larger units can be priced as high as $300, but these units will feature extras such as cabinets, drawers, lighting, wheels, or microwave compatibility, features you don't necessarily need for staging. 

Besides the common retailers, Facebook Marketplace and Etsy are great places to score a baker's rack for your home staging. It's common on these two sites and at auctions and flea markets to find older ones, unusual ones, or distressed ones at good prices, but sometimes you'll need to be patient and ready to negotiate.

Bookcase

Whether metal or wood, or a combination of both, the shelves in baker's racks are generally a good size for book storage and display. Baker's racks look less dense than a bookcase that has a backing, so for home staging, they help create a more open look to the room.  

A baker's rack is a natural place to display books.
For staging, you can add paper book jackets to
disguise distracting colors and titles. Photo: Fativo

Display area

If you have an interesting collection of objects that helps make your home look more interesting or valuable, a baker's rack could be the perfect place to display it.  

A colorfully staged baker's rack by your front door
helps give people coming to view your property 
a good impression of what's inside your home.

Room divider

If you want to break up a large space or add a cozy touch to a room, there are bakers's racks for that. Look for ones that are accessible from both sides.
This unit from Overstock both separates and decorates
two rooms. The top and bottom shelves have a back
to them, but the other shelves are pass-through.

Beverage center

I've blogged about the style a bar cart, or coffee station, or an etagere can add to homestaging. A compact baker's cart can do the same thing if styled right. 

This simple 3-tier rack gives you a ready-made wine rack,
complete with a shelf for bottles and a rack  
to hang cups and wine glasses. Photo:Overstock

Plant stand

I love to see a collection of plants on a baker's rack. Because many of them are made of metal, baker's racks are suitable for outdoor display.

Whether inside or outdoors, plants are a perfect 
choice for arranging on a metal baker's rack.
It's practical because water won't damage
the metal, and plants get good air circulation.

Kitchen storage

If you want to be true to tradition, the rightful place for a baker's rack is in the kitchen. There, it can be used for storage of everyday ingredients and cooking tools. Or, if you want to use it as a backdrop for what makes a kitchen look special, stage it with status kitchen equipment, or else with what's most attractive or interesting.

This simple rack on wheels makes a handy place 
to display an assortment of kitchen paraphernalia.
The use of baskets keeps the assortment 
from looking haphazard or messy.  

Drop zone

A baker's rack can be a helpful addition to a back door mudroom or an entry hall. Yes, you can turn what can be a domestic eyesore into something that speaks well of you, your family, and your house!

Whether you are living in your home that's for sale,
or you have moved and the house is staged,
a baker's rack just inside a front or back door
is easy to stage with what you already own.     

Statement piece

Almost any style of baker's rack provides suitable shelving to display decor props perfect for home staging. If you are fortunate enough to own a vintage baker's rack, you have an ideal way to display a collection or an assortment of antiques. I never advise stagers to use anything so valuable that people on your will be tempted to steal it. The rule is to use items that are too large to fit in a pocket or purse.

A baker's rack styled mostly with blue and
white china is a simple way to fill a space and
make a statement. Photo: Maria Kellam.



A wooden antique rack like this is a terrific
background for this equally charming 
collection of white dishes and dinnerware.

Hidden storage

Staged homes always need pretty places to stash the ordinary essentials. Use attractive containers to hide these kinds of things, and arrange them on a baker's rack in a convenient location. 

You can use interesting baskets, boxes, bins, and
buckets to stash stuff on your baker's rack. 

Bathroom shelving

Looking for a way to make a bathroom look less cluttered but still provide places to keep all the essential towels, grooming, medicinal, cosmetic, and paper products? Baker's rack to the rescue.

Most baker's racks can accommodate a good amount
of things, and still look attractive, especially if you 
take the time to keep things uncluttered.   

Get the look, get the book

Its versatility is probably the one feature that makes a baker's rack so valuable. When you are "dressing up" a home on the market, you'll appreciate all the ways you can use it. 

If you are prepping a home for sale, or if you are a decorator, or a Realtor helping clients get more money for their homes, you need my homestaging eBooks! Download them now by going here.