Clutter Busting Ideas to Free Up Kitchen Bench Space
We give you a rundown on the main clutter culprits on kitchen benchtops, and ideas on how to deal with them
For kitchen benchtops to fulfil their role as surfaces on which to prepare food, they need to be uncluttered. Yet all too often they become crowded out with everything from utensil pots to knife blocks and bread bins.
So what to do? Take a look at the clever ways these homeowners have tackled some of the most common clutter culprits, whether by devising alternative storage methods or carving out space in a cupboard for bulky equipment. Are you ready to clear the decks?
So what to do? Take a look at the clever ways these homeowners have tackled some of the most common clutter culprits, whether by devising alternative storage methods or carving out space in a cupboard for bulky equipment. Are you ready to clear the decks?
Tidy away that toaster
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The toaster. It turns bread into a thing of extreme deliciousness, but they don’t half take up space too!
SOLUTION: Tuck it in a cupboard. If you’re about to redesign your kitchen, consider having a small appliance cupboard created that can hold your toaster and kettle. Or get creative: this genius solution stashes the toaster away in the dead space behind a built-in oven, so it can simply be wheeled out come breakfast time.
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The toaster. It turns bread into a thing of extreme deliciousness, but they don’t half take up space too!
SOLUTION: Tuck it in a cupboard. If you’re about to redesign your kitchen, consider having a small appliance cupboard created that can hold your toaster and kettle. Or get creative: this genius solution stashes the toaster away in the dead space behind a built-in oven, so it can simply be wheeled out come breakfast time.
Stash jars on high
CLUTTER CULPRITS: Storage jars. They might be holding essential items, such as tea and biscuits, but storage jars can quickly hog bench space, using up useful work surfaces.
SOLUTION: Shelves, of course. Position the bottom one low enough to be easily accessible, so you don’t lose any of that grab-a-teabag convenience. Try using short shelves fitted one on top of another to create a neat, vertical stack and lots of storage rather than using up too much wall space.
CLUTTER CULPRITS: Storage jars. They might be holding essential items, such as tea and biscuits, but storage jars can quickly hog bench space, using up useful work surfaces.
SOLUTION: Shelves, of course. Position the bottom one low enough to be easily accessible, so you don’t lose any of that grab-a-teabag convenience. Try using short shelves fitted one on top of another to create a neat, vertical stack and lots of storage rather than using up too much wall space.
Find another space for fruit
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The fruit bowl. Or, if you are particularly focused on getting your five-a-day, fruit bowls. The fruit may be nourishing you, but the bowls are eating up bench space.
SOLUTION: Fruit baskets hung from the wall. Why not? We are used to keeping potatoes and onions in basket storage inside a kitchen cupboard, so why not bring this idea out into the open and keep fruit in baskets attached to a free wall?
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The fruit bowl. Or, if you are particularly focused on getting your five-a-day, fruit bowls. The fruit may be nourishing you, but the bowls are eating up bench space.
SOLUTION: Fruit baskets hung from the wall. Why not? We are used to keeping potatoes and onions in basket storage inside a kitchen cupboard, so why not bring this idea out into the open and keep fruit in baskets attached to a free wall?
Build a raised display space
CLUTTER CULPRITS: Art, postcards, invites, photos, cute pictures your kids have created…
SOLUTION: Incorporate a teeny tiny shelf for keeping bits on display, but out of the way. This one is simply a small lip at the top of the splashback, but you could just as easily fit a slim shelf or picture shelf above your benchtop.
CLUTTER CULPRITS: Art, postcards, invites, photos, cute pictures your kids have created…
SOLUTION: Incorporate a teeny tiny shelf for keeping bits on display, but out of the way. This one is simply a small lip at the top of the splashback, but you could just as easily fit a slim shelf or picture shelf above your benchtop.
Tuck away your loaves
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The bread bin. It needs to be able to hold several loaves and, for that reason, a bread bin is far from compact. With one of these big kitchen beasts sitting on your benchtop, you’re sacrificing a huge portion of space.
SOLUTION: A bread drawer. Contemporary kitchens often include these, but what’s to stop you dedicating a regular kitchen drawer to bread storage duty?
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The bread bin. It needs to be able to hold several loaves and, for that reason, a bread bin is far from compact. With one of these big kitchen beasts sitting on your benchtop, you’re sacrificing a huge portion of space.
SOLUTION: A bread drawer. Contemporary kitchens often include these, but what’s to stop you dedicating a regular kitchen drawer to bread storage duty?
Purge your utensil holders
CLUTTER CULPRITS: Utensil pots. It’s a fairly common practice to keep large utensils, such as ladles, mashers and rolling pins, in chunky pots. Time for a rethink.
SOLUTION: Hang up the utensils. A rail will help you rid your benchtop of a large container, while still keeping your favourite sieve and spaghetti spoon to hand.
Why not hang your pots and pans?
CLUTTER CULPRITS: Utensil pots. It’s a fairly common practice to keep large utensils, such as ladles, mashers and rolling pins, in chunky pots. Time for a rethink.
SOLUTION: Hang up the utensils. A rail will help you rid your benchtop of a large container, while still keeping your favourite sieve and spaghetti spoon to hand.
Why not hang your pots and pans?
Attack the block
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The knife block. The name says it all. This kitchen item is blocky and cumbersome.
SOLUTION: Store your knives on the wall. Simple magnetic strips are one way to keep blades off the benchtop, or try a hanging block, fitted to a rail system, like this one.
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The knife block. The name says it all. This kitchen item is blocky and cumbersome.
SOLUTION: Store your knives on the wall. Simple magnetic strips are one way to keep blades off the benchtop, or try a hanging block, fitted to a rail system, like this one.
Ditch the kettle
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The kettle. It’s a classic feature of a kitchen benchtop, but there are other options…
SOLUTION: A boiling-water tap. This genius innovation is not a budget option, but it will make your life easier and your benchtop clearer by delivering boiling water on tap. Some designs can deliver hot, cold and boiling water all from one spout, helping to streamline the look of your sink area and surrounding work surface.
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The kettle. It’s a classic feature of a kitchen benchtop, but there are other options…
SOLUTION: A boiling-water tap. This genius innovation is not a budget option, but it will make your life easier and your benchtop clearer by delivering boiling water on tap. Some designs can deliver hot, cold and boiling water all from one spout, helping to streamline the look of your sink area and surrounding work surface.
Minimise the mixer
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The food processor. It may be invaluable, but a food mixer can be heavy and bulky too.
SOLUTION: Install a lifting shelf. The clever jointed arms of this shelf allow the mixer to be pulled up and out when needed. Fit one in an existing cupboard, ideally with access to an electrical socket inside, so the mixer can remain plugged in and ready for use.
TELL US
Do you have any tips for banishing clutter culprits from kitchen benchtops? Please share them in the Comments below.
MORE
Clutter Busters: How to Accumulate Less
9 Steps to a Clutter-Free Bathroom
Storage Dos and Don’ts for Your Home
CLUTTER CULPRIT: The food processor. It may be invaluable, but a food mixer can be heavy and bulky too.
SOLUTION: Install a lifting shelf. The clever jointed arms of this shelf allow the mixer to be pulled up and out when needed. Fit one in an existing cupboard, ideally with access to an electrical socket inside, so the mixer can remain plugged in and ready for use.
TELL US
Do you have any tips for banishing clutter culprits from kitchen benchtops? Please share them in the Comments below.
MORE
Clutter Busters: How to Accumulate Less
9 Steps to a Clutter-Free Bathroom
Storage Dos and Don’ts for Your Home
CLUTTER CULPRITS: Brushes, cloths and scourers, which can litter the benchtop around a sink.
SOLUTION: A storage caddy large enough to hold them all will still take up surface space, so hang them up instead. Simple hooks fitted into a wall will do the job neatly and minimally. For sponges, find a suitable small wall-hangable basket to contain them – a vintage one would look lovely in this kitchen.
Cast-offs reinvented as storage