Countdown to More Counter Space

Cut over the sink. Cutting boards that fit over the sink have been around a long time, but Catskill Craftsman in Stamford, N.Y., have gone one better with their Cut 'N Catch model. It, too, fits over the sink, but it has a plastic insert that's level with the board, so you can chop and then slide the stuff into the tray and carry it to its destination. If you leave the tray out, you can shove debris from the cutting board down into the sink for an eventual date with the garbage disposal.

Cart your counters around.If you have occasional need for more counter space, like for summer vacation when all the cooks are home, a rolling kitchen cart will do the trick. It may be your one chance to get the counter surface you've always longed for, too, with models such as the Boos Butcher Block Kitchen Cart from Williams-Sonoma. But you have to be careful, here, says professional organizer Lynda Foxman of the Organizing Group in New York City. "If you're just using it for special occasions, you have to have a designated place for it to live or you're just asking for trouble." The dining room, deck or even laundry room all make sense for the rolling cart's semi-permanent home.

Roll and fold the kitchen cart. A more practical option for those who are truly strapped for space, says Foxman, are island carts that fold up and can be put away, such as those by Oasis. "I used one for a client recently and it's really cool--just folds up like a ladder," she says.

More Info

Blancocosmo 5 S Circular Sink
www.kitchen-sinks.co.uk

Custom cut hardwood pull-out cutting boards
Mission Door Bells
www.missiondoorbells.com

Corian pull-out cutting board
Meraz & Associates
www.eraz.com

Cut 'N Catch Over-The-Sink Model 1337
Catskill Craftsman
www.catskillcraftsmen.com

Heavy Duty Chrome Mixer Lift
Rev-A-Shelf
www.kitchensource.com

Oasis Folding Island Carts
www.kitchensource.com

Lynda Foxman
Professional Organizer/President, The Organizing Group
www.theorganizinggroup.com

Debbie Lillard
Professional Organizer
www.spacetospare.com