!: Etagere - Do I Really Need Something I Can't Pronounce?

To pronounce étagère is actually a lot easier than you might think but trying to decide where to display and use such a piece of furniture will probably be more difficult. Much of the confusion with any quality étagère is that the piece seems identical to a baker's rack--at least at first glance. In truth, the bakers rack and étagère look very similar but there are some subtle differences that help determine the best use for each piece of furniture.

A bakers rack, for instance, simply sounds like it might go in the kitchen and this is precisely the case. A bakers rack tends to be 4-5 feet tall and is made with several shelves where the aspiring chef in you can store a wide variety of items necessary for creating your masterpieces. One very critical difference between a bakers rack and a premium étagère is that many baker's units are made with a place for wine storage as well.

Just like a quality étagère, a bakers rack can be built from a wide range of materials. In a traditional kitchen, the rack would probably be constructed from a solid wood such as oak while units used in more contemporary (or even rustic actually) homes might be constructed from wrought iron or some similar material. However, whether the home décor is very rustic and traditional or ultra-modern and contemporary, a bakers rack and étagère are constructed in a wide range of materials that are at home in any interior design scheme.

In general, a quality made étagère is not used in the kitchen and tends to be less functional in nature than a true bakers rack. It is very common for simple etageres to be used to display plants in the living room or even bathroom. Another traditional use for a quality étagère is for the display of collectibles and other items of value. The open-shelf layout of etageres make them perfect pieces of furniture to display ornamental objects while also being a decorative element in their own right.

Typically, a quality étagère is more ornate and less functional than a typical baker's rack. While the basic layout and construction are similar, an étagère is definitely a more decorative piece of furniture while bakers racks tend to be quite functional and made to hold and display heavy objects (such as wine racks). But, for anyone wanting to display a favorite collection or just looking for a great way to organize and place their plants, a quality étagère makes a perfect addition to any space.