A mountable article retaining system for retaining articles in a storage mode or a display mode is provided and includes a grid layout having an open wire grid and a plurality of corner assemblies secured to the open wire grid. The open wire grid has a rectilinear substantially planar suspension engagement area. The mountable article retaining system also includes a liaison component, the liaison component being securable to an external structure on which the grid layout is to be mounted and the liaison component being operable to maintain the grid layout relative to the external structure such that the rectilinear substantially planar suspension engagement area of the grid layout has a non-horizontal slope with at least one corner assembly being higher than another given corner assembly.