15 Clever Ways to Organize a Kitchen Counter

Take a good, long look at this designer-concocted kitchen and bar, where toasters and tongs are tucked away to let its gorgeously-veined stone counters and the stylish produce and cocktails topping them take center stage.

This is the one-two punch of a well-wrangled kitchen: Pare your space down to its most essential elements, then breathe life back into it with items you’ll use immediately (the sips and the salad) and a few fetching-and-functional pieces (the serving tray with spherical feet and the elegant pitcher) that add character without contributing to clutter. Ready to create your own mix? Read on for our favorite ways to organize your kitchen countertops.

Sure, you could hang less-than-lovely handled items like kitchen shears and utensils directly from the pegs beneath these upper shelves, but where’s the appeal in that? Invest in ornamental and useful hanging vessels like these leather-handled baskets to keep tools at hand and out of sight.

Here’s a no-fail recipe for culinary cohesion: Top a footed tray like this one with a diminutive table lamp, then finish the array with frequently-used, elevated essentials like wooden salt and pepper grinders and a spice canister. Functional decor like this both gives your space character and establishes a permanent landing spot for easily-misplaced supplies.

Spare overnight guests a rummage through your cabinets creating a coffee station with a classic mug rack. Its minimal footprint won’t dominate the counter, and its height and silhouette can counterbalance less-than-lovely coffeemakers. While you’re at it, decant your coffee to a glass jar like this one; your supplies should be identifiable, but there’s no reason they need to remain in their original packaging.

Want to present fewer (or handle-less) vessels? A simple stand like this one is both sculptural and space-saving, and the organic look of its simply-finished wood pairs beautifully with a contemporary utensil crock. Speaking of utensil crocks…

Organization begins with visual cohesion, and committing part of your kitchen budget to matching accessories is well worth your while. The covered canister, utensil crock, butter dish and oil cruet flanking this range are a breeze to arrange; once you establish that white ceramics surround your cooktop, returning everything to its rightful place is as simple and intuitive as pairing like with like. Items that clash with these pieces, by contrast (no pun intended)? Those need to go back to wherever they’re kept once you’re done with prep.

Much as color-coordinating countertop vessels can provide visual clues to what should be tidied and what can stay put, making a point of creating smaller, temporary work stations can keep your culinary projects from overtaking (and remaining to clutter up) your kitchen. As pro chefs know, mise en place (or the organizing you do prior to cooking) is key to success; it’s also key to long-term countertop clarity.

Trays and cake stands are lovely, but when was the last time one had a killer recipe for banana bread? Stack a few favorite titles, then top them with grinders and a few prep items to create a satisfying, compact design moment in your kitchen. (Hint: Aim for a triangular shape like this one, just as you would when styling items on a coffee table.)

Looking to arrange a larger or more irregular collection? Borrow a move from shelves in other rooms and deploy proper bookends like these to display your best-loved cookbooks.

Did the folks who cook in this sleek kitchen decide to stash brunch dishes in the sink and rejoin their guests instead rinsing up and loading the dishwasher? We’ll never know, since they have a cutting board customized to perch over and conceal the contents of its left side. (If you’re not in the market for a bespoke block but yearn for this kind of freedom and bonus space, simply search for an over-the-sink cutting board with dimensions that exceed your sink’s.)

Speaking of peek-a-boo features, might we interest you in converting an underused cupboard into a next-level serving spot? A task sink like the one here is luxe, but you can do without it; as long as your appliances have access to an outlet, you’ve got everything you need to turn closed storage into a delightful surprise (and whisk all the items it involves out of sight).

An unused corner, in turn, is the perfect place to create an organization station for tablets, smartphones, miscellaneous mail and stationery … you get the idea. Find a desk organizer that complements your kitchen decor, drill ¼-inch holes in the back for threading charging cables, then congratulate yourself for making the most of every last inch of your countertop (and getting your devices out of sight while they’re not in use).

If you’re not looking to tackle tech, consider a simpler riff on the same idea: Perched horizontally on the kitchen counter, a former file box is now a two-tier destination for cookbooks, fresh herbs and salt vessels. Antique and vintage store aficionados, this use case is ideal for quirky crates you encounter in the wild and have nowhere to display (yet).

Spinning your stuff around in the confines of closed storage is great, but have you tried optimizing an otherwise-unused countertop corner with a Lazy Susan for favorite sauces and toppings? Downright exhilarating.

To earn space on the countertop, a pantry staple should get regular use and match the items beside it. That doesn’t have to mean splashing out on a brand-new suite of French canning jars, mind you; it could mean creating consistent chalkboard labels like these for the assorted glassware you’ve already got.