Contractors! GC has been back the last few days to install backsplash and under cabinet lights.

But when I don't have Contractors draped over my counters, I keep mine as empty as possible. Have a pretty cookbook holder in a corner and small container with plants on the island and on the peninsula. Need to buy faux succulents for the containers because the real ones I tried just didn't do well.

Mostly clear. On my perimeter countertop (~20 ft long) I only have a KitchenAid, cookie jar, and a small vignette with two decorative cutting boards and a salt cellar.

On my 10’ island, I have a ceramic vase and bowl for fruit.

Our small appliances are all housed in cabinetry, or in our pantry, and pulled out as needed. And, frankly, my husband and I are still battling over the KA... he takes it in to the pantry, and I notice and lug it back out. :D

Breakfast bar area (tucked away on side of kitchen) - a nice looking mini stainless steel Breville toaster oven for toast, a wood tray with a canister for sugar, a canister for tea, and two decorative mugs and a decorative liter bottle for water. We use the bottle and mugs sometimes, but they’re usually left as decor.

Main run of counters - basically all decor. A nice wood cutting board layered with a marble cutting board. A small tray with a glass pitcher that was my grandma’s with some pretty wood and copper utensils in it, a few trivets leaning against the wall, and some pretty mini jars of jam. Another small tray with a nice looking timer, pretty measuring cups, an oil bottle, salt grinder, pepper grinder.

island has a bowl of fruit and sometimes flowers

knives are all stored in a drawer. Paper towel holder was built into a drawer on the island next to the sink. Microwave drawer built-in. The only appliance that stays out all the time is the toaster oven off to the side. Built-in coffeemaker and a Keurig in a cabinet. The other appliances are stored away in drawers or cabinets.

I like my counters as clear as possible, but due to not having a huge kitchen, there are a few things on the counters: kitchenaid stand mixer, coffee maker, toaster oven and utensil holder, knife block. Other small appliances are all in the corner super Susan cabinet, amazing what will fit in there! Also have a small Murano glass vase in the bay window with a couple of fresh flowers.

Mostly clear, and the stuff that is on the counters has function/purpose. No cute stuff; I have a horror of tchotchkes in the kitchen. So, toaster, coffee maker with coffee canister next to it, Perfect Tear paper towel holder, cutting board leaning up against one side of the counterdepth fridge cabinet enclosure, a little tray that holds a digital timer and salt and pepper grinders (so that the powder doesn't go everywhere), and a woven ceramic basket for ripening fruit which is also oven-safe so can be heated to do double-duty as a bread/roll basket (similar to this one but mine is crescent-shaped).

In case you were wondering, my knives are in a drawer with a wood knife drawer insert (I do not like a bulky knife block on my counter). My utensils are in a small top drawer on one side of the range, which I planned for in advance for handy utensil use, and to avoid a countertop utensil canister.

We have a long L. To the left of the sink we have toaster and bread box, between the sink and range is mostly clear with just the utensil crock and spoon rest by the stove. To the right of the range we have a small piece of marble holding oils, salt and pepper and butter dish, then past the peninsula corner but still against the wall we have the electric kettle, cookie jar and fruit.

We also have a coffee bar that holds the espresso machine, grinder, knock box and spoon rest.

Between the fridge and double oven we have my “office.” It is unfinished but plan to have a shallow shelf at the back with small matching or coordinating glass canisters underneath to hold rubber bands, paper clips and the like.

What is a knock box?

@Waverley66: https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/accessories/knock-boxes

Thank you. I have never heard of them and never knew I needed one, ....until now.

Lots-2 paper towel holders, 2 coffee makers, a Vitamix, Kitchenaid mixer, toaster, 3 utensil crocks, knife block, 2 Le Creuset pots, dish drain rack, dish drying mat, mortar and pestle, electric can opener, olive oil, and salt and pepper mills. On island is a laptop and wood box to hold papers. Everything is used and not there to be decorative.

Assuming I'm not in the middle of cooking, and counting my island as countertop space:

Knife block

Paper towel holder with paper towel roll

Countertop combo steam oven

Several cork trivets

Sodastream seltzer maker

Salt cellar

TV (actually a computer monitor with a Chromecast)

Digital picture frame

Dangling cord for charging my phone

Small dish draining rack

Waverly, post-reno here. At first I had NO idea what I wanted. My process evolved from collecting screenshots of what I liked and then narrowing them to functionality. It has been 1 year now.

A. The one "brilliant" thing I had built is my appliance garage, i.e, I no longer put blender or toaster away, and they're always readily available.

B. Items over counters will evolve over time, but one MAJOR thing is pay attention to where you may need wall sockets.

Here is a photo of mine. Utensil holder, fruits, and bulbs.

Collect ideas anywhere you can. The appliance garage idea came from a magazine photo here.

I want clean counters. But no.

• Big crock of utensils
• Timer
• Spoon rest
• Salt cellar
• Electric kettle (which I kept putting away and my spouse kept leaving on the counter so I gave up)
• Dish drainer
• Soap dish
• Hand soap
• Dish soap
• Coffee maker
• Coffee grinder
• Compost bucket
• Knife block
• Plastic container filled with dog meds, possibly the ugliest thing
• Stand mixer
• Paper towel holder
• Microwave
• Toaster

I hate this. Somehow I am able to keep the island clear except for a fish-shaped water jug (glug jug).

My kitchen at "home" which I renovated way back has a place for everything and lots of counters and storage so the things I have there are generally ornamental with mostly clear counters. On one of the perimeter counters, which is my baking zone, I i have unusual artsy dry goods canisters. This kitchen in my "vacation " home which is pre-reno has limited storage (i have THREE drawers in this kitchen )and limited counters and after i posted this i reassessed what had migrated onto my counters. It was actually quite a wake up call.

In the latest installment of my kitchen design I have one counter with appliance garages set in the back. I'm just deciding whether to leave the keurig coffeemaker and toaster out on the counter or include them into the appliance garages. Being a "vacation" house I have tons of visitors and they probably won't want to go through cabinets to find things so will sit and wait for service.

I think I just answered my own question.....

Clear.

A stack of vintage kobenstyle Dansk casseroles that are in regular use in the corner, soap, brush and sponges. electric kettle and landline phone. Small appliances aren't in daily use and most are on the garage pantry shelving covered with dust bags. Use French press for coffee, don't eat toast and use a microhood to heat things up. Don't use paper towels, fruit in bowl on table, put things away when come in house so don't need drop zone. I hate the kettle and am about to evict the landline but whatever. Utensils and knives far easier to deal with when in a drawer.

Small eat in kitchen that looks to the main living area.

ooh, yes, I forgot I also have a glass soap dispenser on my counter (I fill it with Dawn, but use it for hands as well).

Sigh, everything is on the counters.

Between fridge and cooktop: coffeemaker and a canister of coffee.

L between cook stop and sink: salt and pepper for cooking, two canisters of cooking tools (my drawers are diminutive), the paper towel stand (there is literally no place to mount or hide the paper towels).

Behind sink: holder for sink brush, soap, and lotion.

Between sink and peninsula: f2-tiered fruit basket, also holds magnetic toaster tongs. Toaster. TV.

On peninsula: bread board with bread basket on top,

Opposite the work zone, on counter beside wall oven: cutting boards, cookie jar, microwave.

Dream will be to have coffee maker, coffee canister, and toaster behind a breakfast station door. A bread drawer. A cabinet for cutting boards. TV mounted on the wall. Cookies on a plate beside me with a glass of milk.

One of the goals of our kitchen remodel was to get stuff off the counters.

Old kitchen: toaster, canisters, knife blocks, charging cords.

New kitchen:
- toaster has a home in a super susan (and actually gets put away after use);
- knives are in a drawer
- canisters are in a drawer
- charging station is in a cabinet, with outlets inside

The only things left on the counter are a small microwave tucked into a corner, and a paper towel holder (which can go under the sink, but we leave it out).

I dearly love having a place for everything, either in a drawer or behind doors!

We have a rather large distinctly zoned kitchen (>100 sq. ft. of counter, no island, no peninsula). Each zone has close at hand storage that keeps much clutter off the counters.

Prep zone: knife block & garlic/onion tray, salt/pepper shakers.
Baking zone: stand mixer & canisters for flour, sugar, corn meal & brown sugar
Cooking zone: decorative salt/pepper shakers, paper towel roll
Coffee/Breakfast zone: coffee maker, coffee grinder, espresso maker
Cleaning zone: hand soap dispenser

Chispa. Aloe plants, aka “burn plants” are succulents that will do well if you have sun. Also good if anyone gets a burn.

I built my lower cabinets (and therefore the counters above them) 30" deep instead of the usual 24. It let me have all my small appliances out and accessible and clear space to work in front of them.