3 Easy Steps to Declutter Kitchen Countertops
Detailed steps of what you need to do; How to create stations on your kitchen countertops; The different tools you can use to create stations; Pinterest board links; Product links of what I have.
Are you secretly hoping your kitchen countertops would not be as cluttered so that you would have the room to spontaneously start cooking a storm without having to move everything? Or maybe, just so that you could easily clean-up the kitchen after dinner and enjoy your evening?
We all have different personal reasons why cluttered kitchen countertops bother and overwhelm us. Whether you know the real reason or not, you know that it bothers you. Let’s do something about it!
It can be hard to keep your kitchen countertops in order. For many of us, the kitchen is basically the center of the home. It’s where we cook and eat our meals and it’s also where we hang out as a family or when we have company and guests over. Keeping it tidy can be practical and efficient for several reasons.
- it’s easy on the eye and is not overwhelming
- it makes items easy to find when you are looking for them
- it makes it easy to put things back in their place with minimum effort
- when we wake-up and the kitchen is clean and tidy, it’s motivating and a good way to start your day
If this these outcomes are tempting to you, here are 3 easy steps you can follow to achieve the look and feel you are seeking for your kitchen countertops.
1- Start with a clean slate
Take everything off your kitchen countertops. Put it all on your dinning room table or kitchen island, which ever is the closest and easiest for you.
While you are at it, take the opportunity to wipe down your kitchen countertops. I can’t stress this enough: starting with a clean slate is sooo important! I personally like to wipe down my kitchen countertops with a little bit of Lemon Essential oil for a fresh smell.
2- Go through your stuff and only keep what you love
Although that pile of kitchen countertop stuff on your island or dinning room table may be and/or feel overwhelming, it’s important that you go through it all. With each item, ask yourself:
- Do you love/like the item and how it looks?
- Does it serve a purpose or is it just decor?
- Do you need this on your countertops or should it be stored or tucked away?
By doing this “triage”, you should be able to get a better sense and idea of what you want, like and need to have on your kitchen countertops as well as the style you are going for.
Maybe you are more of a minimalist and don’t need or want to have that many items on your kitchen countertops. Or maybe you are more of the type that likes to have items, plants and colorful decor on your kitchen countertops. As long as you do you and what you like, you will be well on your way to achieve the kitchen “feel” that you want.
3- Create stations
Now to create stations and better flow in your kitchen. Ah! I bet you didn’t think that getting your kitchen countertops in order would also give you better flow, but I can assure your that it will.
To create “stations”, you may want to take your kitchen cabinet’s content in consideration. Here is what I mean.
COFFEE STATION
When you are deciding where things will be going, you want to be strategic so that the space/station is practical. For instance, in our kitchen, the coffee cups are with our drinking glasses in our upper cupboards. Because I’ve decided to store all our drinking glasses in these cupboards, I figured it would make the most sense to have our coffee maker as well as our coffee and tea accessories on the kitchen countertops below that cabinet. By grouping similar items together, this will create better flow in that section of your kitchen.
SPICE/COOKING STATION
I’ve mentioned this before on a post I made on social media that our salt and pepper shaker/grinder have not always been on our kitchen countertops. I don’t like having too many items on our counter tops however, having to constantly open and close our spice cabinet to reach for the salt and pepper was not efficient. For that reason, they now have a home on our kitchen counters. But not just anywhere.
I strategically placed them below our spice cabinet so that they have a practical and efficient home, still close to their peers. This also is a great indicator for anyone helping out in the kitchen that the rest of our spices are probably close by the salt and pepper grinder.
On the other side of our stove, I have a bottle of olive oil. I’ve placed it on the right-side of the stove mainly because I’m right-handed. Its location makes it easy for me to reach for it when I’m at the stove cooking.
OTHER STATIONS
You don’t have to create stations solely based on what your cabinets contain. You can create your own if you wish.
a- Fresh Fruits and Cookbooks
For instance, I like having our fruits (that don’t go in the fridge) easily accessible on our kitchen countertops. I also like to have my iPad handy when I’m looking for ingredient conversions or a specific recipe on my OrganizeEat applicaton. I’ve placed these items in the corner of our kitchen countertops for easy access and visibility.
Pssst: I’ve listed great cookbook holder options in a previous blog post of mine, in case you are looking for ideas for your own kitchen.
I also love the idea of storing cookbooks in a station so that they can easily be accessed and act as a decor aspect in your kitchen. It makes for a personalized decoration that has a purpose. Win-win!
b- Kitchen Island
If you have a kitchen island, it can also contain a certain category of items and become a station. I personally like to have this glass dessert display server or a cookie jar to display sweets I’ve baked.
c- Kitchen Command Center
Many of us do the “planning” of meals, activities and more in the kitchen so having a command center can be helpful. If you have the space, create one that works for you household. There are many different options for creating these so I suggest you find ones that you like on Pinterest and then see where you could locate yours. I keep ideas handy on my Pinterest page under “Command Centre” so you can start your search there.
d- Miscellaneous
Toni Hammersley @abowlfulloflemons uses good-looking baskets and bins to contain items of a category on her kitchen countertops. It makes for a designated area that is contained and restricted to certain items only.
Here are some other great ideas I’ve found on Pinterest. As you can see, anything can be used to create a station. Better yet, try to shop your home and find a piece that you love that can also serve as a station deliminator. You can use a tray, a tiered tray, a basket, a cutting board, a container, etc.
The key to remember is to only add what you need and know you will often use. An item’s look and purpose should always be considered before being assigned a permanent position on your kitchen countertops.
After reading this, did you get any ideas and inspiration to create your own station on your kitchen countertops? Let me know in the comments below.
