Our Hopeful Home: How To Install Farmhouse Kitchen Towel Bars

kitchen towel bar install sink dummy drawer

I can't believe it's been more than 8 months since our farmhouse kitchen reveal. We've been very happy with the results. But hey, even great rooms can be improved upon, right? That's why I convinced my husband that after 13 years we finally deserve to have a kitchen towel bar that's actually within reach of the sink. Truth be told, this kitchen has never had ANY built-in towel bars whatsoever. Nada. So we had to get creative.

This post contains affiliate links. A purchase of any one of these items helps to support this blog and its creative efforts at no cost to you. To read more, please see my disclosure page.

As obsessed with farmhouse kitchens as I am, you can be sure that I've scoured Pinterest for towel bar ideas. One really clever idea I found, and the best idea in my opinion, is to use that empty space just below and in front of the sink to install your towel bar. Genius! I mean, it's not like anything else is going on there, right?

As you can see, no towel bar in sight. That area right in front of the sink is actually called a "dummy drawer" since it looks like there's a drawer there -- but there isn't. (You can actually buy kits to turn it into a real drawer, or tip out tray, but that's a whole other blog post.)

Just look at that empty space in front of the sink, begging to be used! So we did. It was all very innocent, really. My husband and I were at Menard's for a completely unrelated project, and as we were walking past a certain display I noticed that it was all about stainless steel barpulls. And the light bulb went off. Why not use one of those extra large barpulls as a towel bar in front of the sink?

So, I just so happened to have the dimensions of the space written down in my purse (hhmmm what a coincidence), and it was 27 inches wide. Wouldn't you know it, they had pulls that were 25 and 3/8" wide, perfect! And the stainless steel would match nicely with our newly installed brushed nickel kitchen hardware, a.k.a. farmhouse cup pulls and knobs.

Here's the farmhouse cup pull we used.

white farmhouse kitchen cabinets with brushed nickel knobs and cup pulls

Here's the full effect of the new cup pulls, cabinet knobs and freshly painted (by me) hinges.

And here's the same sink with its own towel rack and some gorgeous turquoise dish towels! Do you see the same transformation that I do? Looks great and is utilitarian at the same time. So, how did we do it?

How To Install Kitchen Towel Bars

First, we measured our kitchen sink's front panel to be sure to get the appropriate sized towel bar.
Then we took a pencil and rubbed over the towel bar's screw holes so that when you firmly placed the towel bar against the front panel it left rubbing marks showing us where we'd need to drill our holes.
After we matched the drill bit size to the diameter of the screws provided with the towel bar, we carefully drilled all the way through the wood panel, creating the hole for the screw.
Then we did the same for the other side of the panel. After that, we countersank the screws by inserting them into the towel bar from the back, or inside of the counter.

This part can be tricky depending on your cabinet's configuration. Our sink front towel bar was not too bad to install, however we went the extra mile and installed one in front of the stove as well. That one was not as easy.

Here's the stove area before the towel bar installation. It has the same dummy drawer as the sink does.

I hadn't really thought about it but Mr. OHH had to lift up our electric stovetop to get to the inside of the cabinets and install the towel bar due to that whole countersinking thing.

Once that was removed, he was able to install the towel bar in the same way he installed the towel bar in front of the sink.

Here it is, after install in front of the stove.

I do think the towel bar blends in seamlessly with the cabinets.

I already feel like its always been here.

And here we are back in front of the sink.

Some might argue that the towels will get in the way of opening the lower cabinet, and that's true. However, for as little as I open those cabinet doors and as easy it is to slide the towel that's in the way aside, I'm ok with it. Also, on a regular day -- aka not photo shoot day -- I'd only be hanging two towels, not three, so that's even less to get in the way.

I do wonder about the finish on the doors if they're subjected to too much water/dampness from the towels. However, I've not heard anyone complain that this is a problem for them. Plus, the rule in this house is not to hang up super wet towels anyway. I'm a freak that way. I always put really wet towels right into the laundry room.

Plus I'm the one who painted the cabinets so I can always manage a touch-up if necessary.

I'm totally happy with these two simple, economical kitchen updates. I mean, what's not to like? Don't you just love it when making a small change like this can create a big impact? I do!

So where do you hang

YOUR kitchen towels?

Well, that's it for today, friends!

I hope you enjoyed reading

How To Install Farmhouse

Kitchen Towel Bars

and that I inspired you in some way.

Don't Forget To Pin It!

Be sure to stay in touch:

Click HERE to subscribe.