Why You Should Put a Curtain Rod on Your Ceiling (It’s a Brilliant Storage Hack!)

Whether you own or rent, there’s probably been at least one point in time where you wished you had more storage. One efficient way to make use of your smaller-than-desired storage space is by investing in vertical storage. You can get tall shelves or stackable boxes, but don’t overlook your ceiling. There’s a whole world of storage waiting for you up there, and all you need to access it is a curtain rod.

I first encountered this clever idea in an Instagram video by Greer Gagnier, who creates content about home decor and renovations. She got the idea while helping her sister, who collects vintage wicker baskets, with a kitchen renovation. “Hanging them from a simple rod from the ceiling was the perfect way to display them that’s beautiful and useful,” Gagnier writes in the video’s caption. 

Yes, it’s that simple: She mounts the curtain rod to her kitchen ceiling, hangs S-shaped hooks along the rod, and hangs a basket on each hook. The result is a charming, rustic display that showcases this basket collection in an eye-catching way and creates quite a bit of storage space in the process.

Putting a curtain rod on your kitchen ceiling may sound odd at first, but when you think about it, it isn’t so different from other forms of hanging storage commonly found throughout the home. In my kitchen, I have pans and measuring spoons hanging from hooks on shelves, and most people probably also have some sort of storage rod in their bathroom to hang towels and whatnot. Storing a collection of wicker baskets might not be relatable for everyone, but you can fit all sorts of items on a horizontal rod, from pots and pans to faux plants and flowers.

The actual curtain rod in Gagnier’s video appears to be a brass rod from The Home Depot, which adjusts from 28 to 48 inches wide and costs $22.77. For those with more space to fill, she also recommends an 84-120” brass rod from Bed Bath & Beyond that costs $38.99, and if you prefer a rod with rounded edges, she found another brass option on Amazon for $35.91 that adjusts from 48 to 84 inches.

If brass isn’t your thing, there’s a simple 36-72-inch silver rod at The Home Depot ($34.98) and an 18-45-inch faux wood rod from Amazon ($16.99). If you want a curtain rod that makes more of a decorative statement, Amazon has this gold one with a swan on both sides ($26.99). No matter which curtain rod style you choose, just remember to make sure it can be safely mounted to your specific ceiling before you break out the drill, and that it can hold the weight of what you plan to hang on it.