At BGE, we hear many reasons why customers want to renovate their kitchens. The cluttered kitchen is a common complaint. It’s also an interesting dilemma. Many of the things on the counter get used all the time and sit out for convenience. Kitchen designers and professional organizers are always looking for ways to manage our kitchen tools and make things look less cluttered. As you plan your new kitchen, here are some ideas to help keep things streamlined.
Using vertical space is a good way to achieve a less cluttered kitchen. Here are three ideas we like for using vertical space:
- Pegboard – This goes back decades. Kitchen lore says that the modern iteration of the pegboard was created for iconic chef Julia Child by her husband, Paul. When her copper pots threatened to overtake their small kitchen in Provence, he devised the pegboard to store them and meticulously outlined each item on the pegboard so everything had a specific place and fit perfectly. When they returned to the US and settled in Cambridge, he recreated the pegboard for the kitchen we all remember from her television shows.
- Cabinet tops – If your kitchen cabinets don’t go all the way to the ceiling, you may be stashing bowls or decorative items up there, but they get dusty and are hard to reach if you want to use them on a regular basis. An alternative is to get decorative covered storage boxes to fit your cabinet tops and use them to store items you don’t use often. When you take them down, the stored items won’t need to be cleaned before you use them. Seasonal items are often a great choice for this type of storage. Holiday cookie cutters, birthday items, seasonal table linens, etc. can be stored to free up space in cabinets and drawers, allowing you to pare down the visual clutter on your countertops.
- Raise things up off the counter – Adding a raised shelf on your countertop gives you the ability to store things in sight but makes your countertop look less cluttered. There are several types of raised countertop shelves. They sit on the countertop giving you space above the countertop. These shelves add visual interest as well as vertical storage that is close at hand.
We think these are some creative solutions to help reduce the clutter and show off your beautiful countertops. When you close your eyes and imagine your new kitchen, you’re seeing the beautiful countertop you’ve chosen, not the spices and utensil holder! So, keep these ideas for using vertical space in mind as you plan your kitchen renovation.
We invite you to visit one of our showrooms in Haverhill MA or West Bridgewater MA to see our vast inventory of surfaces suitable for kitchen countertops, including natural stone, quartz and porcelain. We offer options to suit every style and budget. We look forward to seeing you soon!
And when your kitchen renovation project is complete, please share your photos with us, tag Boston Granite Exchange on social media. We love seeing the transformation of our beautiful slabs into your beautiful kitchen!