1. Play Favorites
Your kitchen counter can only hold so many gadgets before it starts to look chaotic, so you’ll want to offer a permanent seat to only your favorite appliances. “If you love toast every morning, leave the toaster out,” clutter coach and breakthrough specialist Kim Sneath advises. “If you’re a dedicated coffee drinker, keep the coffee maker out and place it on the counter closest to the cupboard with the cups.” Items that you use less frequently can live in the cupboard, and those that only make rare appearances can be corralled in the pantry or even stored in the basement, Sneath adds.
2. Make Trays and Vessels Your Friend
If you have smaller items such as spices that you feel inclined to keep out on display at all times, place them in a tray, suggests Melissa Keyser, a professional organizer and certified KonMari expert. “Visually, it’s more cohesive than scattered around the counter,” she notes. And don’t be afraid to transfer frequently used spices out of their plastic jars. “It’s definitely a great idea to transfer salt and spices into nice containers on a luxurious tray that adds character to the kitchen without cluttering,” designer Adam Meshberg says. Then, place cooking utensils in a crock to stay organized. “Choose utensils that are a cohesive plain wood or stainless steel,” Keyser advises. “It will visually look less cluttered than, say, a hodgepodge of random colored spatulas and spoons.”
3. Don’t Forget About the Backsplash
“Utilizing backsplashes also helps get items off the countertop,” comments designer Highlyann Krasnow. “Magnetic knife racks or hardware for hanging cooking utensils are great tools to clear off items that are usually stored on the countertop.”
4. Utilize Those Cabinets or Install Open Shelving
In order to keep your counters clear, you’ll need to transfer some of the hard work over to your cabinets! “Store [items] where they are used—keep sugar for the coffee in the cabinet right above the pot instead of several steps away in the pantry,” Keyser suggests. “Use lazy susans to make it so you can easily spin them around to find what you need instead of reaching in and shuffling.” Open shelving systems can also be a prime solution for keeping go-to spices and cookbooks within view yet off the counter, designer Rozit Arditi adds.
5. Don’t Let Mail Pile Up
You’ve gotten your counter looking nice and clean. So how can you ensure it stays this way day in and day out? Don’t let mail take over. “One of the biggest pain points for kitchen clutter is the mail,” blogger and organization pro Michelle Hansen notes. “We often swing by the mailbox on our way home and promptly leave the mail in a pile on the counter. But clutter is just another form of delayed decisions. So instead of dropping it in a pile, take time to go through your mail every single day.” This shouldn’t be too hard, Hansen notes, and come with a slew of benefits. “Most of it is just junk mail anyway! Something that would be even better is to go online and opt-in for paperless bills. This will save you time, and it’s better for the planet.”
6. Make Your Counters More Aesthetically Pleasing
Additionally, now that your counters are sparse, you can do a little makeover if you’re so inclined. “If you have a countertop that is in disrepair, you can always tile over it to make it fresh without having to replace the entire top,” Krasnow suggestions. “Otherwise, a deep clean and replacing any grout or filler to make it look fresh is also helpful.”
