15 Stylish Kitchen Countertop Decor Ideas That Avoid Clutter

Your kitchen can be one of the most hectic areas in your home. Not only is it charged with meal preparation, but its often the center of the house and where people like to gather. Things tend to accumulate in the space, whether you want them to or not. The secret to clean and clutter-free counters may seem ever elusive, but there are some definite strategies that you can use to keep your countertops looking well-organized, making cleaning and cooking far easier. The key is finding a balance between functional and decorative objects by carefully curating what stays out on your counters and what gets put away. 

Luckily, we've found 16 different ways you can achieve this in. These ideas can help you streamline your kitchen and maximize the remaining elements you do have for usefulness and beauty. They can also prevent the kitchen from looking too sterile or boring. By adding some things and taking others away, you can create a personalized space that feels collected and calm. 

One of the best ways to streamline your countertop décor is to make sure that every object on your counter is as functional as it is beautiful. Cutting boards and bread boards are an excellent way to grant a rustic cottage or farmhouse style feel to your counters. Create a stack of them leaning against the wall to add texture and dimension to your counters without taking up too much room. Storing them out in the open also makes them easy to grab when needed. You can also use them to hide unsightly outlets.

Anything you can do to get objects up and off your counter will go a long way toward a neat presentation. Hanging baskets are perfect for storing fruit and root vegetables above the counter instead of on it. You can also suspend collapsible hanging baskets from the ceiling above your counter for additional storage or use mesh bags on hooks to store items like onions, garlic, and potatoes. Keeping produce out in the open not only allows you to easily restock, but makes it easy to grab a healthy option when looking for a snack. 

One of the messiest areas in any kitchen may be the space around the sink, which spends a majority of its time harboring a lot of moisture, soap scum, and debris. We suggest keeping your dishwashing materials like soap, sponges, scrubbers, and brushes off the counter and safely stowed in a organizational caddy near the sink. Some baskets and caddies for this purpose rest over the center divide of a double sink, while others suction cup to the sides. You can also hang a wire basket or other containers above the sink on the wall. 

If you have a lot of canisters and objects that need to remain on your counters, a great idea is to corral them inside some sort of platform like a tray, lazy Susan, or large charger plate. This will visually group the items together and create a tableaux that draws focus and allows the eyes to rest in the open space around them. This tactic is also good for keeping track of small objects that get easily lost and for preventing items like shakers and sugar bowls from getting knocked over or spilled. 

A small narrow shelf or ledge above can work wonders in keeping a neat and organized counter. Create a ledge with your backsplash or install a narrow piece of wood just under the bottom of cabinets. Use it to hold shakers, spices, tea, or décor items. You can even create a fun DIY shelf from scrap wood to rest over your stove and provide extra storage. If you are considering a remodel, add some built in alcoves between the studs that grant additional space for small shelves perfect for holding spices, oils, and canisters up off the counter.

Towel bars attached to the wall above the counter are not just good for holding towels, but with the help of s-hooks and hanging baskets, they're also perfect for storing utensils, décor, jars, canisters, and shakers. Use the bar to hang pot holders, trivets, or hanging bins that can hold everything from herbs to silverware. Keeping things aloft rather than on the surface of the counter makes it far easier to clean with a wide open space. You can also use the bars to hold items like coffee mugs, strainers, measuring spoons and cups.

If you have to keep items on your counter, make sure they are displayed as cohesively and compactly as possible. Matching or coordinated canisters have long been a way to keep essentials like coffee, sugar, and flour stored attractively out in the open. Use the canister design as a decorative element to be considered in the overall design theme of the room instead of an after thought. For a rustic look, you can also use Mason jars of various sizes to show off the contents, which can sometimes be a perfect dash of color and texture that adds visual interest. 

Rather than adding traditional art to the walls above and around your counters, consider the impact of visually appealing tea towels and other linens that add pattern, texture, and color to the space. Hang coordinated towels or pot holders on individual towel hooks or a stylish wood rack. This allows the towels to dry more readily than leaving them on the counter and makes them easier to grab when you need them. You can also use the hooks as a place to store pretty shopping totes or aprons.

Since space is limited on counters, place herbs on your counters and kitchen window ledges instead of other kinds of plants. Not only do they add an attractive dose of freshness and greenery, but they are as useful as they are beautiful. House herbs in a pretty set of pots or upcycled tea tins, or grow a batch of different herbs in a slender wooden box on your counter. If your counter lacks access to sunlight, consider buying some small grow light strips to mount under your cabinets.

Baskets are one of the most functional means of storage that grant an uncluttered look to your counters, housing everything from produce to silverware. To hide things that you don't want to be seen, including phone chargers, remotes, extra candles, and napkins, add a cute picnic basket on the counter. Use lidded baskets to hide unattractive packaging from the store or random things like leashes, pet treats, and batteries that usually get left on the counter. The baskets also add a bit of texture and natural materials to the decor. 

If you don't want a knife rack taking up space on your counter, an excellent alternative is a wall mounted magnetic strip that sits flush against the wall. Not only can it hold knives, but its great for holding other metal objects like silverware and scissors. The metallic strip allows knifes to dry safely in the air rather than in a wood block that can harbor bacteria or cause knives to rust. It is also safer than stashing knives in a drawer where they can be a cutting hazard. 

A great extra space for storage most people don't think about is the sides or front of their fridge. Use magnetic spice holders that sit flush against the side of the appliance instead of jars or vials on the counter. Or purchase an organizer rack or magnet shelf that can adhere to the side to hold items like spices, oils, and small jars. You can even purchase magnet hooks that allow you to hang pans, towels, and utensils directly on the fridge if you lack the requisite wall space. 

One of the most commonly found appliances on any kitchen counter is some variety of coffee maker. Organize your space efficiently by creating a designated coffee bar space elsewhere on a cart or other piece of furniture. This approach not only frees up the space taken up by large machines, but also allows you to corral your coffee supplies and accessories in one space. You can hang your mugs from hooks above or add a shelf for additional storage that can help free up space both on your counters and in your cupboards. 

Not just for the garage or craft room, a pegboard can be invaluable for holding items in your kitchen securely. Use a pegboard on your kitchen wall to store utensils, cutting boards, and pans. You can also purchase bins, canisters, and baskets that hook onto the peg board hooks that can hold smaller objects like tea strainers, sponges, and dish brushes that will maximize your kitchen wall storage. Pegboards can be bought cheaply at hardware stores, craft stores, and the Dollar Tree in many different colors, shapes, sizes, and configurations. 

If you have the room in your kitchen, an extra bank of shelving is a great option for keeping things like appliances, canisters, and cookware off the counters and in a place of its own. Even a small kitchen can benefit from an extra cart or corner shelf to hold anything that you use regularly or does not fit in the cabinets. Metal restaurant shelving is a great choice for many different kitchen styles, and they typically comes with casters, which is helpful if you plan to move the shelves around for cleaning purposes.