Countertop space is prized in any home but in smaller homes kitchen work areas can be an especially endangered species.
Home builder surveys regularly find buyers of new homes are looking for larger kitchen, generally, and more countertop space in kitchens, specifically. For example, a 2008 survey by the Continental Automated Buildings Association found nearly half (47 percent) of respondents wanted more counter space, especially in smaller-sized kitchens (63 percent).
But you don’t have to leave your home to find some breathing room in your kitchen. Low-cost options abound to dispel the surface clutter that can keep even the most enthusiastic chefs from using the kitchen for its intended purpose.
Cindy Bernstein, a professional organizer and owner of Aim 4 Order in Baltimore, said the first step is to ensure that the counters are cleared of anything that is not used on a daily basis. Check through all of your pots and pans, small appliances and large utensils and get rid of the ones that you rarely use.
She suggests that her clients use drawers for many small appliances and to hold knives and other utensils stored in jars or blocks on the counter.
Countertops also are frequently cluttered with decorations, plants and household items unrelated to cooking.
“Many of us use countertops for mail and assorted papers,” Bernstein said.
All of these should be cleared so there is room to prepare meals. Clean countertops can encourage home cooking because it removes many items that physically complicate meal preparation and mentally block would-be chefs.
Bernstein supports the use of a rolling file cart or a decorative two-drawer file that can store the papers and free the counter space. The carts are especially helpful in smaller kitchens where the requisite 36 inches of space around all sides of a permanent island may not be available. A wide variety of carts are available that range from less than $150 to more than $1,000.
Counters may become default storage zones when cabinets are full or inaccessible. Some of Bernstein’s clients have cleared room by installing hooks to hang pots and pans from the ceiling and along the perimeter of the rooms.
Another option that can free cabinet space is the addition of sliding shelves to existing cabinets that can ease access to items stored in the back of cupboards.
Numerous roll out options are available through online retailers for as little as $30 and they are designed so the average homeowner should be able to install them.
Kitchen organizers also can find additional storage room on the inside of cabinet and pantry doors, where narrow storage racks can be mounted that allow easy access to frequently needed items.
