A clear kitchen counter-top is seen by many as the pinnacle of an organized home but the truth is that for most people, it is not a realistic or helpful goal. See below for 3 questions to ask yourself to figure out what to keep on the counter and what to put away:
1. What is my preference? – there are some people who absolutely HATE having anything on the countertops. If that’s your preference and it doesn’t make things annoying for you, go for it! Alternatively, there are people who keep EVERYTHING out on the countertop. If that works for you, then again, go for it! Most likely the answer for you is somewhere in between.
2. What do I use on a daily basis? - For many people, there are 1 or 2 machines/large utensils that they use every single day and putting it away/ pulling it back out again is an annoying to do. The most common machines to keep out are; coffee makers, toasters, microwave ovens, a Vitamix, etc. It is often the case that people keep on their counter-tops daily medications and vitamins because if they didn’t, they wouldn’t remember to take them.
3. What do you have space for? – Once you’ve identified your preferences and your habits, you then come to the reality of the situation: if you have a large amount of counter space, this is not a factor but if you live in an NYC apartment, you’ll most likely have to make some concessions. Maybe you want both the toaster and the coffee machine on the counter but you recognize that the toaster is lighter and takes up less space in the cabinet so you opt to keep out the coffee machine instead.
If you do choose to keep everyday items on the counter like coffee and vitamins, I am a fan of Yamazaki’s pantry canister with rack, which is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. I put coffee and sugar in the canisters and my medication and vitamins on the top. I often see clients improvising a similar situation so if you’re in the same boat, this is a great alternative!
This post was done in partnership with Yamazaki Home, however all opinions are my own.
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