3 Ways to Conquer Clutter on Kitchen Benchtops... for Good
Figuring out what’s taking over your benchtops is half the battle. These steps will help you win the war against clutter
That vast expanse of open kitchen bench space probably looked appealing when you first moved in or renovated. But over time, what you’d hoped would be a wonderful space for baking, homework projects, and long chats over wine with friends has probably become a magnet for clutter, with layers as complex (though not as interesting) as an archaeological dig. If you’re ready to reclaim your kitchen bench space, these tips and strategies will help you master your clutter so you can revel in acres of free bench space again.
The first step towards a clutter-free benchtop is understanding where your clutter comes from. Excavate it to see what you have: unopened mail, magazines, rubber bands, pens, receipts, school papers? Make a mental note of exactly what sort of clutter you tend to accumulate in this area, and keep that in mind as you read through the solutions that follow.
1. When the kitchen is also your entrance
- Carve out a command station: If your kitchen also acts as the most-used entrance in your home, your benchtop likely holds detritus we come in the door with, such as car keys and shopping bags.
- Trick out the pantry: No room near your entrance? Try outfitting the inside of your pantry door instead.
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- Repurpose pretty bowls: There’s no need to buy new containers for organising your clutter when you probably have what you need hidden away in your cupboards.
- Use a mail tray: If the easiest spot to stash the mail when you get home is the kitchen benchtop, roll with it. Giving the mail a dedicated tray to land in helps keep it from spreading over your entire cooking surface. Be sure to dedicate a regular time to sorting through the mail each day (or several times each week) to stay on top of the pile.
2. When clutter from other rooms migrates to the kitchen
- Wall-mount the magazines: If you and your family members enjoy reading magazines in the kitchen (or saving them for recipes), these items can quickly take over your bench space. Dedicate some wall space to a storage rack, and you can quickly scoop up the whole pile and get it out of the way when you’re ready to cook – and grab them again when you want something to read while the soup simmers.
- Stash a basket (or two): If the benchtop is used for projects – whether it’s your knitting or the kids’ homework – it’s helpful to have a few big baskets on hand to store the related supplies. Use a cleared-out kitchen shelf to store the baskets – your before-dinner clean-up time will be a whole lot quicker.
3. When your kitchen is also your workspace
Picture Perfect: 40 Workstations Woven Into Kitchens
- Decide what your true essentials are: A little desk in the kitchen sounds like a good idea, but so often the drawers just end up filled with junk: inkless pens, too many rubber bands, an economy-sized box of staples.
Picture Perfect: 40 Workstations Woven Into Kitchens
- Install extra shelving: If you’ve been using your kitchen as a workspace but it lacks a built-in desk, you may need more storage.
- Dedicate a drawer to technology: If your devices and charging cords tend to sprawl across the kitchen benchtop, consider creating a hidden charging station. You will likely need to hire a pro to get this done. A joiner or cabinet maker can do the job if an outlet is already in an accessible spot; hire an electrician if you need to add a new power point.
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Ideas for moving forward
- Keep it beautiful: Focus on what you want to use your kitchen benchtop for, and consider what you can do to emphasise that purpose beautifully.
- Maintain habits that work: Most important of all, to keep your benchtop clutter-free, you’ll need to commit to shifting some ingrained habits – no easy feat.
Keep this up for a few weeks, and pretty soon you’ll have a new, clutter-busting habit that will keep your benchtop beautifully clear.
Your turn
What tricks do you use to keep your kitchen benchtop clutter-free? Share your secrets in the Comments below, like this story, share it with fellow mess makers in your home, and join the conversation.
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Need more inspiration to declutter your house? Find out the 8 Secrets of People With Beautifully Organised Homes