Kitchen counters lure clutter with their smooth horizontal surfaces; it's easy to get in the habit of using counters as a drop zone for mail, homework, or a toy picked up off the floor. Even kitchen equipment can visually read as clutter–there are only so many canisters, appliances, and tchotchkes a kitchen countertop can support before it hits maximum capacity. Clear your counters and gain valuable workspace with these tips.
Play to Your Habits
A completely bare counter looks unnatural and un-lived in. Here's the short list of what should stay.
- If you know you will always drop mail and to-do essentials on the counter, contain paperwork with a shallow basket or pretty platter.
- Sarah Kimmel, the Organized Mom, offers this advice on countertop appliances:
- Only keep appliances that you use DAILY on the counter. We even store our toaster in the cupboards because we do not use it every day. If you use it every day then it’s not worth the effort to pull it out, but even if it’s just a few times a week, it’s not that much harder to pull it out and plug it in.
- Keep counter items congruent with kitchen use: a crock of often-used utensils, a candle or two, hand soap, and a fruit bowl belong. Backpacks and laundry do not.
Go Vertical
Need more room for food prep? Check out these space savers.
- The Utensil Pot Clip eliminates the need for a traditional spoon rest. From Crate and Barrel, $6.95
- Mount paper towels on the wall with the Perfect Tear Chrome Paper Towel Holder. $17.99 at Amazon.com.
- Hang towels off the counter–they'll dry more quickly. The Rationell Variera Towel Rail holds three towels and can be mounted on the wall or inside a cabinet door. From IKEA, $9.99.
- Take back your counter with this ceiling mounted 3-Tier Hanging Basket. Use it to hold fruit, garlic, or kitchen essentials. $11.95 at Sur la Table.
What's on your kitchen counter? Join the discussion at the forum!
Loading ...
Comments are closed.