25 Kitchen Counter Organization Ideas to Declutter Your Space

Tired of battling kitchen counter clutter? A well-organized countertop is the secret to a calm and efficient kitchen.

From chic storage solutions and clever organization hacks to inspiring DIY projects, reclaiming your counter space is easier than you think.

Dive into these brilliant kitchen counter organization ideas and styling tips to transform your counters from chaotic to beautifully composed.

Showcase Your Skills with Innovative Kitchen Drawers

Pin

via HGTV

Creative people go far beyond organization when they also care about the decorative value of their kitchen.

This unique cabinet is narrow but covers the width of almost the entire wall to provide enough storage places for dry food.

This idea will be also very practical for spice and herbs storage.

Enhance Your Herb Storage with Pull-Out Drawers

Pin

via Stadshem

A stand with organized herbs and spices is a dream come true for cuisine lovers.

However, the countertops of the kitchen do not always have space left for this extra feature.

In those cases, you can utilize the vertical space between the counter and the cabinets.

A small cabinet with transparent drawers of different sizes will let you store such products in a clutter-free and stylish way and also have a mini pantry.

Utilize Under Cabinet Rod and Hooks for Efficient Storage

Pin

via Red Farmhouse

This upcycled towel organizer is an alternative to Ikea’s rails and baskets. Being a DIY, it adds a unique vibe to the kitchen.

If you like the idea of repurposing a bicycle basket, go to the local store for suitable hardware to hang it on.

Hang a Utensil Rack

Pin

While grouping utensils in a container on the counter is common, it can also take up a lot of counter space.

Consider hanging your most-used utensils directly under upper cabinets by installing pegboard or hooks.

This will keep countertops free of clutter and utensils within reach.

Optimize Corner Space

Pin

Hang shelves near work surfaces to lift canisters, cookbooks, and attractive serving pieces off countertops.

A trio of stacked shelves makes the most of an awkward space between the end cabinet and window and the dropped ceiling and backsplash in this contemporary kitchen.

Other ways to stretch akitchen’s storage capacity? Mount a vintage corner cabinet in a forgotten corner and add shallow shelves behind the sink and range.

Designate Kitchen Drawers

Pin

Some storage units are meant for expansive countertops with enough room to accommodate everything from cookbook racks to knife blocks.

But when space is tight, it makes sense to move what you can into suitably situated cabinets and drawers.

Look for drawer inserts that help you organize chef’s knives, spice jars, and cooking gadgets in an area near where they’ll be accessed most often.

Construct a Spice Drawer

Pin

Insert specialty holders into base cabinet drawers to boost their usefulness.

Spice-jar racks keep seasonings visible, organized, and within a chef’s reach but off counters and stove tops.

Use cutlery trays, bamboo dividers, and compartmentalized acrylic trays to customize a system that stores and sorts the smaller things that are likely to bring chaos to countertops.

Find a Freestanding Organizer Bin

Pin

Streamline countertops by containing like-minded items in bins, baskets, trays, and jars that don’t take up more than their fair share of space.

Opt for holders that can be pushed beneath upper cabinets as needed to liberate the workspace on the outer countertop.

Set Up a Bar Area

Pin

Bar areas work better when there’s a clear surface for cutting fruit, placing ice buckets, and lining up liquor and wine bottles.

A shelving unit mounted on this tiled wall handles glassware and cocktail-party serving pieces; the unit converts the kitchen countertop and tiled wall into a full-service entertainment station that’s always stocked and ready for pop-up parties.

Utilize Empty Corner Space

Pin A Beautiful Mess

The space beneath corner kitchen cabinets in an L-shaped or U-shaped space is often overlooked. 

A Beautiful Mess turned this valuable countertop real estate into a designated storage zone with a tiered wire basket that helps to maximize the small space.

Hang a Rod on the Wall Above

Pin Kate Marker Interiors

If you have a small kitchen with limited counter space, hang a brass rod with matching hooks on the wall above.

Kate Marker Interiors hung a small collection of copper cookware and wire basket, leaving space on the countertops for layered essentials and decor.

Use What You Have

Pin Design by Tina Ramchandani Creative / Jacob Snavely Photography

Rather than buying new items, lay out a pair of spare serving bowls on your kitchen countertop to accommodate a changing array of produce.

Tina Ramchandani Creative stacked a set of cutting boards against the backsplash to keep them handy and warm up this minimalist kitchen.

Create Storage Zones

Pin Liz Marie Blog

Create well-defined zones for storing essentials on kitchen counters. 

Liz Marie Blog extended open cabinetry down to the countertops in this modern farmhouse kitchen to provide plenty of space to nestle appliances and large glass jars of baking supplies in the same place.

Use Decorative Containers

Pin Pluck Kitchens

Choose a variety of decorative storage vessels to keep your kitchen counters organized without sacrificing on style.

The counters in this London space from Pluck Kitchens are styled with an assortment of vintage containers like a footed fruit bowl, blue metal canisters, and a wide-lipped jar, with not a plastic container in sight.

Employ DIY Styling Tricks

Pin Casa Watkins Living

Keep your countertops organized with DIY styling tricks that won’t cost you a thing.

Casa Watkins Living styled countertops and a wall of storage in this maximalist kitchen with a series of vignettes—from a neat group of sparkling water bottles to a display of blue-and-white china—to keep it from looking cluttered or chaotic.

Set Up a Coffee Tray

Pin Design by Tina Ramchandani Creative / Jacob Snavely Photography

Organize coffee- or tea-making supplies and equipment on a large wooden tray that can be left out for ease of use.

Tina Ramchandani Creative corralled coffee-making items on a wooden tray that can be moved around as needed, and returned to the same place until your next caffeine hit.

Maximize storage with a kitchen island.

To keep their kitchen counters organized, the owner of this historic Lyon apartment added a cute kitchen island with room to store things like dishes and kitchen utensils.

The island also comes with a spot for a chair and a sturdy wooden top, which makes it the perfect place to do homework, prep food, and more.

Install open-shelving on an open wall.

If you can’t imagine parting with anything in your kitchen, make room!

We love how an under-utilized kitchen corner in this Savannah home is a beautiful place to house favorite entertaining pieces and serveware, thanks to the simple addition of a few wooden shelves.

Use trays to keep your daily essentials looking pretty.

There’s no need to get rid of everything on your kitchen counters, especially if some of those items are things you use daily — or more.

Here, this kitchen counter of this Hollywood home features a vintage-inspired tray that functions as a coffee bar to ensure that stumbling to the French press each morning is a bit easier. 

Install a pegboard for ample wall storage.

A pegboard opens up so many storage possibilities, making room for organized kitchen counters.

This pegboard stores several types of items that are often stored on top of the counters, including oil and vinegar bottles, a pepper mill, wooden spoons, canisters, and a cutting board.

Add a shelving unit for a more efficient cooking zone.

Adding a shelving unit to your kitchen can make your counters the workspaces they’re intended to be.

The wire shelving unit above stores several typical “counter items,” including a stand mixer, fruit bowl, and knife block.

Hang your fruit.

We get that leaving your produce out helps ensure that it gets eaten before it’s past its prime.

But traditional fruit baskets take up valuable counter space.

A hanging fruit basket  makes excellent use of vertical space and frees up usable square footage on your countertop.

Use a ceiling rack for more than just pots and pans.

S-hooks allow you to hang just about anything from a ceiling rack that’s traditionally used for pots and pans.

Hanging cooking utensils like spatulas and tongs that are often stored in containers frees up your countertop yet keeps them perpetually within reach.

Match Storage to Decor

Pin Becca Interiors

Match your storage vessels to your decor for a harmonious look.

In a neutral space, using simple dedicated storage pieces like a white jar for cooking utensils and a wooden slab for pepper and salt will ensure that everything has its place, like this kitchen from Becca Interiors.

Reserve Space for Produce

Pin Studio Peake

Keep your kitchen counters organized by reserving space for fresh produce like potted herbs and a bowl of lemons. 

Studio Peake installed a pair of open shelves to store everyday dishware, glassware, and other items above.

Double Up on Cabinets

Pin Becca Interiors

Keep countertops clear by installing double-height cabinets if your ceiling height permits.

Becca Interiors added a row of storage cabinets that kiss the ceiling in this streamlined black-and-white kitchen to help keep the open-concept space looking sleek.

Stick to Black and White

Pin Becca Interiors

Kitchen tools, dishware, and other accessories come in a variety of colors.

Choose black, white, and wood finishes to reduce visual countertop clutter, like this space from Becca Interiors.

Label Storage Jars

Pin NEAT Method

Decant pantry goods into matching containers with user-friendly labels to keep kitchen counters from looking chaotic during marathon baking sessions, like this space from NEAT Method.

Decorate With Essentials

Pin Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Margaret Austin Photo

Choose simple containers, cooking accessories, dishware, and decor items made from quality materials that are pleasing to look at and can be rearranged on the fly, like this kitchen from Cathie Hong Interiors.

Install an Under-Shelf Rack

Pin NEAT Method

Optimize the space beneath open shelves with a rack for hanging small utensils or dry bundles of herbs, leaving countertops more space.

NEAT Method added a tray with a large glass cloche to house baked goods in the corner of this kitchen counter that keeps the contents fresh and has an appealing cafe counter feel.

Organize Coffee Supplies

Pin NEAT Method

Organize coffee essentials on the countertop next to your espresso machine.

NEAT Method topped a small wooden turntable with a glass jar to store pods and a matching creamer and sugar jar to create this simple coffee station.

Try a Freeform Spice Rack

Pin Design by Emilie Fournet Interiors / Photo by Rachael Smith

Use your DIY skills to come up with simple storage solutions. 

Emilie Fournet Interiors skipped the spice rack in this small London kitchen, lining up frequently used spice jars and condiments behind the stovetop to free up counter space.

Store Utensils in Open Jars

Pin Pluck Kitchens

Store utensils in matching open jars on the countertop to keep them at the ready, like this kitchen from Pluck Kitchens.

Source secondhand pieces at thrift shops or online to add charm to your space.

Leave Space for Decor

Pin Becca Interiors

Install a pair of shelves above a small countertop to offload some essentials.

Balance practical items with decor or art on the countertop, like this kitchen coffee station from Becca Interiors.