Build Your Own Painting Storage Rack
A practical, step-by-step guide to creating adaptable painting storage for your studio.
When I moved into my new studio, I was starting with a completely blank space and no built-in storage. Like many artists, I had accumulated a lot of large canvases, frames and finished paintings, and I wanted a way of storing them that kept everything accessible without sacrificing the useful space above.
So I built my own floor-standing painting storage rack. The guide is based on the rack I actually built and now use in my studio, including some of the awkward room-specific details, the things I adapted as I went along, and a few additions I found useful once I started loading paintings into it. My rack is approximately 300 cm wide × 100 cm deep, with 170 cm uprights and a full-width upper shelf.
After sharing the build, quite a few artists asked how I had made it, so I’ve put the process together into this free downloadable guide.
What’s inside the guide?
The guide takes you through the rack I built in my own studio, from the initial timber frame through to the upper shelf, bracing and finishing details.
It includes:
the materials and tools I used
a worked-example cut list
clear diagrams and measurements
how I built the 300 cm × 100 cm floor base
how I positioned and fitted the uprights
the 300 cm upper shelf frame
MDF panel sizing and positioning
rear metal cross-bracing
lower supports for storing smaller paintings
hanging rails for spare and empty frames
anti-tip wall restraint
notes on adapting the design to suit your own studio and paintings
The PDF also explains where I simplified some of my room-specific measurements so that the plans are easier to follow and adapt.
About me
I’m Hannah Ivory Baker, a British painter working primarily in oils across landscape, seascape and floral subjects.
I’ve worked professionally as an artist for more than fourteen years, and alongside my painting practice I share the behind-the-scenes side of studio life, making work and the practical realities of building a life in art.
A quick note before you build
This guide records how I built my own studio storage and is intended as a practical reference rather than structural engineering advice.
Every studio is different, so please take your own wall construction, floor, room dimensions and intended loads into account. If you are unsure about the structure, fixings or weight you intend to store, seek competent on-site advice before loading your rack.
