Visual clutter can be overwhelming specifically in your kitchen. Even if everything is “in its place”, your kitchen can still be a space that is less efficient and more challenging. Creating an efficient and equally enjoyable kitchen is key.
How do you keep visual clutter at bay? Here are some key points:
1. Open Shelves
While open shelves can be a great way to break up closed up storage and to generally open up the feeing in the space.. However, it can also add to the visual clutter and that would do the opposite of opening up the space.
The key to open shelves is to use them sparingly, balancing the need for convenience and the overall aesthetics of the kitchen. All items on open shelves become decor even if they are placed there for convenience. So the key is to make sure these items are simple and organized in quantity, texture and colour.
2. Small Appliances
Keeping your countertops as clear as possible can be a real challenge since there are so many small appliances that can be quite useful in our every day lives.
One way would be to conceal these appliances so that they can be pulled out when they are needed and only when they are needed. Appliance garages are a great way to corral these small appliances in an effort to keep them off the counter top. With new advances in electrical safety inside closed cabinets, we can have appliances ready to go (plugged in) and yet concealed in a cabinet.
And going even further, having these small appliances stored in a way that gives us easy access to these appliances when they are needed is also a great way to keep them off the counter top permanently. We love the ideas of a pull-out slider for appliances like a stand mixer that are difficult to move around.
Another aspect of concealing larger appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators, all lead to a kitchen that feels less cluttered. Panel-ready appliances should be considered where possible.
3. Maximize Storage
All kitchen storage plays a key part in keeping it clutter-free but more importantly, keeping it organized.
One of the best ways is to make your storage very specific. Using key cabinet inserts to help store things like spices or wine bottles or waste bins, etc. can streamline your kitchen and create an organized and maximize your efficiency.
Using baskets or trays or even delegating certain cabinets or drawers to like-minded objects can be a great way to reduce visual clutter. Using uniform containers can help reduce visual clutter for both open storage and closed storage.
4. Always Be Evaluating
It’s important to always evaluate what is important in your kitchen on an ongoing basis and how it serves you and your family. Find appliances or tools with multi-purposes. Declutter often.
Need a little more?
Kitchen Evolution
Kitchens are such an important design moment in your home. Make sure you’re paying attention to the trends!
Universal Kitchen
Universal Design is the design of a space that can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.
So your kitchen is a good place to start!