I have almost everything that you have, but choose to keep most of it in a drawer/cupboard. I would rather pull it out as needed than have to look at it when not in use, but that's just me.
Knife block - on the counter, just because I haven't found a drawer organizer that I like
Toaster - on the counter
Paper towels - in a drawer
Assorted non cold Veggies - in a basket in the cupboard
Drying mat - in a towel rack in cupboard
Vitamix (used 2x daily) - in a cupboard (not used daily)
Espresso Maker (used 4x daily) - on the counter
Espresso bean grinder - don't have
Scale (used every meal) - in a cupboard
Teakettle (I guess I could stow this?) - in a drawer
Cast Iron pan (used daily) - in a drawer
Essential oil diffuser (could get rid of this) - in a pullout
Dog biscuit jars (could get rid of this) - in the closet (I have cat treats)
Assorted mail and keys and other clutter (wish I could get this to stop accumulating)- I have small command hooks in the coat closet for the keys, and also have a problem with mail!

Unfortunately I don't really see how I could get rid of the drying mat. I
actually switched to it from dish cloths because it felt more sanitary.

I would think the mat would be LESS sanitary.
I grab a new dishcloth, lay it out, put the stuff on it as I wash and rinse. Then I pick up the stuff, use another clean cloth to dab off any obvious water, and put things away. The dishcloth then goes in the laundry.

It's always fresh.

A dish mat sits around. If it's the absorbent kind, it sits there for a while, damp.
If it's the plastic kind, it can get washed now and then, but still...

And the mat is always out. The dishtowel goes away as soon as the job is done.

Can the blender bowl go back on the blender? And then you set the lid on it askew, or even vertically (or lean it up against the side; or put a Command hook on the side of the machine and hang the lid by the lip?), so it's not sealed and can air-dry? As long as the lid isn't sealing it, I'd expect it to dry just as fast.

I love that idea of a PVC tube on the underside of a shelf for your straws! Or, put a cap on a piece of cubing and then caulk it to the inside of a lower-cabinet door, if there's room in front.


And yes, you are allowed to get rid of pots and pans you don't use. (Or, if you might use them for an occasional big meal or two, then stick them in the garage or attic.)

ooh, soap dispensers!

Do you have a hole that you could put an in-countertop soap dispenser? Then you could get the Never-MT or similar hose setup, and a giant bottle down below, and that would eliminate at least one thing (two, if you were willing to use the same soap for washing hands).

http://custominserts-store.stores.yahoo.net/nevsoapandlo.html

(I once bought a dispenser at Home Depot that came with a hose. And I have purchased a plain hose a Home Depot to put on an existing soap dispenser, as DIY version, which was nice bcs the Never-MT is sometimes too short)

But then I added something back to the counter- a straw container so I
don't have to fish straws out of a plastic bag from the bottom drawer
every morning.

Couldn't you just move the straws so that they are stored in a top drawer? Mine stand inside the upper cabinet reserved for drinks (coffee, tea, etc.).

Straws are generally shorter than the cabinet is deep, so putting them on their sides is doable, though suspending them from the shelf above (via that PVC tube, or a cardboard box, or fabric sling, or something) would make them more accessible.

(I feel guilty every time I use a straw, though)

I understand needing more storage options.

I have lived in several small spaces. When funds were limited I had to get creative. For example, I had a table with a table cloth against a wall & put my big crockpot & tall big pans under. I also kept overstock laundry detergents hidden behind a long curtain sometimes or behind a sofa against a wall. I also put a coffee table in my closet to store containers full of items on top & under. Also, had a chest seat full of stuff. It was incognito. My house was clean & organized, but had secret storage where ever. No one knew they were there. Even my old roommates were like where did you get that. lol

Also,

Keep an eye out for muti-functional storage furniture.

Here is some ideas. There are many ideas & styles out there.

oh--the storage under the shelf

I once created this using foam-core board and duct tape. I cut foam board into a U shape just the right size for this box, and then I used duct tape to make a flexible tab at the top. I folded the tab out flat against the underside of the shelf and staple-gunned it to secure it. That created a little cubby above the stuff on the shelf below.

You could make something like that for the scale, if there is a gap above the plates, or glasses, or whatever. Then you'd have a spot your could easily slide it into.

Oh--and storing non-kitchen stuff in other rooms?
totally OK. I used to store the canned goods in the dining room buffet. It worked!

So yeah, move a few of those pans into any other space in your house that you can fit them. (Though storage space is probably tight all over, it sounds like)

Good luck!

ElleN, what's under your island, there? Is that just a table, or...? Maybe you could add some shelves or drawers underneath it, to give you more storage? Or, if it's the kind with a flat back, could you add some slim shelves--they wouldn't take up too much space but you could store basics like pasta, flour etc. in narrow, clear containers, and that might free up some room in a cupboard or pantry?

I LOVE Localeater's PVC tube suggestion--I'm going to add something like that myself! My husband likes to make himself iced coffees as use a straw, so we have a bag of straws (resting sideways) in our top drawer, but I'd love to get them out of there.

And I agree with Anglophilia re kitchens looking like kitchens! But I also understand the need for usable counterspace. My kitchen currently has three feet of usable countertop (yes, seriously, just three feet--which is why I'm renovating!) so it's a constant struggle for me to find places to put kitchen machines without taking up any of that precious space. My new kitchen, when finished, will have twenty-three linear feet of countertop, so I am *very* excited!

Thanks, ElleN! They're delivering the cabinets tomorrow (IKEA!)--now comes the hard part and the fun part, lol. I'm not looking forward to ripping the old cabinets out, but I'm very excited about installing the new ones and the countertop(s). :-)

I almost bought that exact island (I built custom shelves myself instead, which I love; see below)! Speaking of IKEA, they sell bars with hooks that you can screw in underneath the top of your island (or a cabinet or whatever), do you know what I mean? Like this: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00201904/ with hooks like this: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40201902/

You screw one of those rails to your island, and then you can hang pots/pans/utensils off of it, to free up some storage space elsewhere. They'd look perfect on the Stenstorp. IKEA sells buckets etc. you can hang off the rail, too, for stuff that doesn't have a hole for hanging. (I plan to get several myself, one for my shelves to hang a towel, and another for the wall over the shelves, which will hold rolls of parchment paper and foil so I can just pull them out and cut.) Would something like that help you at all?

Or maybe you could try short undershelf shelves, the kind that just hook ober the existing shelf? They're usually not very deep, but I have some in my pantry and they're a big help, so maybe they could work in yours or in one of your cabinets?

These are my shelves; please disregard the clutter everywhere, lol, I was in the middle of re-arranging and cleaning. Also, the wire shelving unit (opposite the wood shelves) will be replaced with a cabinet, and the shelves aren't quite complete; it's awaiting a proper countertop (there's just some pine slats and oak plywood over the top) and back panels which will match the cabinet doors (custom doors from Scherr's, in the style of IKEA's "Hittarp" door but unfinished so I can paint them myself).

Fingers crossed the Fintorp rail is a workable idea for you!

Oh, yay! I'm so glad you like the idea!

And I hear you on the towels, heh. Mine hang off the oven door, which I hate because when I need to open the oven I have to take them off so they don't hit the floor. It's just a pain. I'm going to install at least one rail on the shelves, and maybe one on one of the cabinets, as well. I was actually thinking about putting one on the lower edge of an upper cabinet, next to the sink, but I don't know if I want anything hanging down like that. That sucks that your cabinets are so thin; are the drawer fronts strong/thick enough, maybe, or the panel right in front of the sink?

I'd be a lot happier about ripping out the old cabinets if I could just tear them up, but my dad wants them so I've got to try to keep them intact, ugh. And I'd like to think I'm handy, and usually I do okay, but you should have seen the mess I made out of trying to install two magnet boards on the wall above the shelves yesterday, lol. It was very discouraging. (We have a new black stainless fridge, and I can't bear to put all our old magnets back on that gorgeous surface.) Thanks for the lovely comment, though! :-)

Very nice!! And WOW what a difference removing that old border made!! Yay!

It looks really nice!

So much better. Way to go!

Thanks for posting your progress. So many people get advice & forget to show their success. Posting outcomes may help someone else in the future.

Looks good. I'd just caulk and leave paint for the backsplash. It's perfectly fine like that.

And I want your tea kettle lol.

your kitchen looks GREAT!

That looks fabulous. I am so impressed with the posters who spotted the real problem- the extra tidying would not have amounted to much compared to removing the wallpaper. Kudos for a job well done. And I am on team paint and caulk for backsplash.

"Still trying to figure out what to put back there- leave the paint and caulk the gap, or maybe a washable wallpaper?"

I forgot to address this...I agree with simply paint & caulk. It's a nice clean look, and sometimes simple is best!

Your kitchen looks much better! I'm another that doesn't care to have things out. In our last house, the walk-in pantry had a table/bench built by the trim carpenter and based on a potting bench. On top - microwave, toaster and K cup machine. We just moved and the new kitchen has a wall of doors - freezer and fridge towers, 2 pantries and an appliance area (counter with pull out for coffeemaker and blender. Microwave on shelf above. 2 drawers below) that I based on English kitchen designs (someone posted above and called them a breakfast pantry, I believe).

I bought a wooden drawer knife holder (flat) to replace the counter knife block. A divided drawer for glass casserole dishes, 9x13 pans and the like. They are stored on their sides, and it makes locating and getting items much easier. I have a pottery paper towel jar from David T Smith, so that is on the counter. Part of the range backsplash was installed yesterday, and I'm thinking about removing most, if not all, of my decorative accessories (which is already less here than last house). Once the fish is no longer, another "accessory" will go. A large vase of flowers is on the island, but nothing else.

Some might say our kitchens look like no one every cooks (or lives) here, but we cook several times a day. Too many things clutter my mind.

You call that clutter? That is not clutter. That is just life. The things that you have out seem to be the things that you actually use.

You have identified a few things that may go away and perhaps that is all you can do, short of putting away everything and taking it out when you use it.

I have my own kitchen down to only essential things on the countertop, or anywhere else in the kitchen, for that matter.

Both of my grown kids have cluttered countertops and it makes me absolutely crazy when I see it. Why keep so much junk piled up on your spaces?

I love an uncluttered space!

You are lightyears ahead of so many other people.

I have a nest of cast iron skillets and they have been my favorite cookware for decades. Like you, I use mine everyday. There is often one awaiting me on the stove top, like yours. There is something that is so inviting about a cast iron skillet sitting there, awaiting a splash of olive oil to begin a good meal. I do have a pull out storage for them, but one sitting there, waiting, gives me pleasure.

Your countertop is fine!

"Both of my grown kids have cluttered countertops and it makes me
absolutely crazy when I see it. Why keep so much junk piled up on your
spaces?

I love an uncluttered space!

You are lightyears ahead of so many other people."

Don't think of it as ahead or behind, better or worse - it's just different. I like some clutter and hate an uncluttered space. Different strokes.......

Well, when I have to cook at their houses, it is real obstacle. Also, there are things kept there that should be kept away from the hands of toddlers. The things on the countertops are not only a eyesore, but they are not related to anything in the kitchen and make just finding a clear place to use to be a chore. It becomes a juggling act and in the case of paper mail piled up along the stove top, it becomes a fire hazard.

It is one thing to have some kitchen appliances on the counter that you maybe don't use all the time. It is entirely another thing to have five gallon buckets of dog biscuits, vet meds, diaper bags, purses, piles of mail, school papers, packages of batteries, bits and pieces of toys,etc....

why?

Yeah, that's not clutter, that's junk! It would drive me nuts, too. We have one section of countertop that seems to be a magnet for mail and papers; I clean it and the next day there's stuff all over it again. But that's nowhere near the stoves, at least, and it's a small section. And it's not bits of toys and batteries and stuff that belongs in drawers or kids' rooms!

If I were you, Wednesday Morning, I'd take a box over there with me when I go, and scoop all that stuff into a box before I start cooking. Clean countertops to work on, and they can sort out the boxes--you're not "cleaning" for them, just making it safe and easy to cook in there. :-)

"why?"

Think of it as filling their spaces with their life and personality, not as filling it with clutter.........What you see as an eyesore might be comforting to them. What you think is annoying might be easy to deal with for them.

Piles of stuff everywhere just becomes landscape. Clutter is clutter and it is almost all junk and stuff that needs elsewhere to go.

I know that I do not like the idea of dysfunctional clutter to define my life or personality.

Piling clothes in baskets in the bedroom is one thing, but obscuring the function of a kitchen is quite another. A kitchen should be a functional workspace.

"I know that I do not like the idea of dysfunctional clutter to define my life or personality."

Fair enough, but it's not your life or personality (or your kitchen, for that matter). Just sayin'.

Looks so real and wonderful, good job!

Wow great job!

Love it!

Beautiful! I love it!

I love your polka dot toaster and teakettle.

I have my blender bowl upside down for storage. Otherwise it's to tall to fit.

where did you buy your backsplash?

they look very nice!

You could always buy a mail and key rack to put on the side of that cabinet near the door. It can be attached to the side of your cabinet near the door or on a wall. When you walk in, put your keys on the hook and your mail in the slot. There are so many different styles.

I'm going to add a thought that I think hasn't been mentioned here:

A big priority in my new kitchen is an "away cabinet". I'm stealing the name from the popular concept of an "away room" -- the idea is a cabinet that isn't connected to the main cooking area; rather, it's a cabinet that's IN the kitchen but a few steps away from the main action. It's a place for the coffee pot, the toaster, a bowl of fruit, a cake sitting under a dome.

These things have to go somewhere, and if we don't plan a place for them, they end up in the main work space -- and they're in the way.

My thought is that 99% of the time this will work well for my husband and I, and when we have people over, we can clear this space off and use it to serve drinks or desserts.

Wow your kitchen looks so tidy. Wish my family (and myself included) were so tidy. I clean and start out that way but then I start leaving things around and not cleaning up right away after a mess and then for some reason I just give up until I can't stand it any longer.

Artistsharonva:. Can you tell me where the stackable cabinet shelves (like the type you have pictured) are sold? I have purchased some at Target in the past and even without overloading them, they have sagged.

Oh, heck — just shove everything into the dishwasher, oven, and lower cupboards like most people do (but will never admit...)!

If I cleared everything off of my counters, what fun would our Great Pyrenees have when she counter surfs?