Like Rodney Dangerfield, towel rails get no respect. They are often an afterthought in American homes. But when you think about it, they’re one of the most important additions you can make to a bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room, keeping towels readily available and air-drying quickly.
Choosing the right bars for your home isn’t rocket science. But there are some tricks of the trade that will help you choose the right towel rails for your home, tips that will make them more convenient and useful.
When choosing the right bars, know that they come in different sizes. The most common stock sizes are 7 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, and 24 inches. If you need a size in between, many styles allow you to easily alter the length by simply cutting the required inches from the next larger size. So if you need a 20-inch bar, I’d buy the 24-inch long one and cut off four inches.
When choosing the right towel rails for your bathroom, the first consideration is the location of each bar. You want the towels to be convenient for you and your guests, so think about the room and where someone is likely to want a towel. Obviously, the sink and shower/tub are two natural places where towels will come in handy.
For the shower/bathtub, you need at least two towel rails. Fortunately, there are many models that have two built-in bars, with the lower one sticking out more than the upper one to allow towels to hang freely. If you are choosing the right towel rails for your shower/bathtub, make sure you have enough wall space to mount the bar. And if you have extra terry towels, make sure the space between the two bars is wide enough to hang the towels quickly and easily.
Choosing the right bars for the sink area is a bit more complex. That’s because you’ll probably want to have a couple of hand towels and at least one, if not two, washcloths. You could possibly choose two different towel racks: one the size of a hand towel and the other the size of a washcloth. Or you can layer them on a single bar, which is a good idea if you have limited wall space near the sink.
If you have twin vanities, you may need two shelves, one at each end. If your space is really limited, you may need to use a smaller towel rack and do some creative folding of your towels.
When choosing the right towel racks for your bathroom, always try to make it as large as possible, as family members and guests always appreciate fresh, dry towels. No one likes holding onto a towel that’s still damp from two days ago, especially when they just got out of the shower.
Choosing the right towel rails for your kitchen is a bit more challenging, largely because space is always at a premium in kitchens. Since the walls are lined with mounted cabinets, it can be a real challenge to find towel racks that fit well. If you’re choosing the right towel rails for your kitchen, you may need to get a little creative, such as getting a smaller bar and mounting it horizontally on the side of a cabinet near the sink. You can also opt for a stepped bar, allowing towels to cascade down the front of the cabinet.
Finally, you’ll want to make sure that the towel rails you choose fit the style of the room. It is best to match the hardware in the room, such as door handles, cabinet handles and knobs. You can also go for wood, matching the color of the wood or stain to those of the room.