Five Favorites: The Useful—and Inexpensive—Accordion Peg Rack

Yesterday’s tour of the Sunshine Stories tropical compound—see Two Swedish Surfers in Sri Lanka, Guest Camp Included—sent me on a surprise search mission. The Sri Lankan wooden accordion peg racks used for hanging towels and bathing suits looked incredibly handy, and I immediately wanted to introduce some on my own walls. As a longtime flea market hound, they also struck me as very familiar.

Sure enough: The accordion peg rack, a close relative of the wooden clothes drying rack and accordion wine rack, is widely available in both new and vintage versions, all extremely affordable too. Who came up with the concept for this ingenious expandable storage? I have yet to find a history of the design and am hoping one of you can fill us in. In the meantime, here are five to consider.

Accordion racks can be put to use all over the house: in the entry, for hanging coats, hats, bags, and scarves; in the kitchen, for organizing mugs and dish towels; in the bedroom, for keeping often-worn clothes, such as jeans, on hand; and in the bath, for storing towels and bathrobes.

Prefer a metal rack? Terrain offers a Zinc Accordion Rack with hooks instead of pegs for $38. And Anthropologie’s handsome Metallic Accordian Peg Rack comes in pewter or brass-finished cast-iron; $98.

Vintage racks are easy to come by: Search “accordion wall racks” on sites, such as Etsy, eBay, Bonanza, and Chairish—and expect to be astonished by the range of variations, including elaborately hand-turned and painted accordion racks.

Obsessed (as we are) with simple storage? Browse our Storage & Organization archive for many more ideas. Here’s a sampling:

• Objects Lessons: The Shaker Peg Rail
• Stylish Budget Storage: 10 Kitchens with Ikea’s Grundtal Rail System
• 10 Easy Pieces: Indie Toilet-Paper Holders