apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I totally agree, everything has a place in our home. We only leave out things we love to look at or use frequently- and even then we choose only a couple things.

Part of the idea of "apartment therapy" (as a larger concept) is to make our homes easier to live in, no? Why is a kitchen with nothing on the counters easier to use?

Everything should have a place, yes, but in my kitchen at least the place for many things is, in fact, out on the counter. I'm not going to hide my: microwave, toaster, toaster oven, coffee maker, espresso maker, coffee grinder, spices, oils, bowl of fruit, blender, collection of cutting boards, collection of knives, or most commonly used spatulas and spoons. If I put them all away into a counter, my kitchen would look "cleaner" (in a hospital sort of way) but I'd have to take all of those things out every. single. day. to use.

I love to cook, my husband loves to cook, and even though we live in NYC, we eat in for the majority of meals. That kitchen photographed above looks like a house staged for sale, or someone who doesn't even boil water.

Speaking of boiling water, I also keep a tea kettle on my stove too.

Unlike a bathroom, I like to see a kitchen with a little evidence of usage. If anyone had to actually cook in this kitchen they would spend half the time tearing apart all the cabinets looking for items.

Otherwise the concept is lovely and makes perfect sense.

I guess I'm missing the point. I don't want my kitchen to look like a model home. Where's the warmth? Surely the personality evoked by my "clutter" is a lot more interesting than pristine counter-tops and cabinets. I'm not talking about a junk heap either, but I'd rather cook in Julia Child's kitchen than the one in the photograph.

Thanks, home body, I needed that!

Yay for home body. I totally agree (though two coffee makers? Really? Why?)

Yay home body!

Amen Homebody! Testify!

I love this cabinetry. Any idea who makes it?

More than two coffee makers, actually! (Because I'm fessing up here...) On the counter a regular drip machine, and a consumer-level espresso machine. I rotate based on what grade of coffee I can splurge on.

In the cabinet: a metal stovetop espresso maker, a french press, a cold brew Toddy system (yum!!), and one of those plastic filter holders you put directly on top of a mug to brew a single cup. I do not, however, have a percolator.

And there are also two toasters out on the counter - a regular one and a toaster oven. Both are used regularly, and came about from the his/her blending of possessions.

hee hee! I'm joining the home body bandwagon. Very well said.

home body - I guess it depends on whether you have enough counter space to indulge having everything out and at your fingertips while at the same time still having enough counter space to use for the project or meal. I do not. One of the things many of us "small spacers" struggle with is how to manage the space limitations without creating cluttered, unusable spaces. If I had all of the things you listed on my counter, I would have to move things off the counter every time I needed to use it.

I like bare counters. Though I see home body's point, I find it more relaxing to have open work spaces (and I, too, eat in pretty much all the time). That said, I have found that keeping counters bare was much easier in my last kitchen, which was blessed with lots of cupboards, handy drawers strategically placed so that we could actually do that "station" concept organizers talk about, and a walk-in pantry. My current kitchen has three narrow drawers and very few cupboards, which means we have a lot more on the counter than we used to. So maybe a lot depends on the kitchen's layout and design?

I just look at that kitchen and I imagine stashing the coffee-maker or toaster in one of those upper cabinets and I wouldn't even be able to reach it when I wanted to use it.

I think this is great advice as a whole. Unfortunately, people seem to be taking it as specific advice because of the picture.

"Everything has a home" doesn't mean nothing is left out. It just means everything has a place it goes...which means no clutter. You can have stuff out (like the microwave, the knife block, what have you) in the kitchen, just as long as you aren't putting stuff on the counter because you don't know where else it should go.

Same for any other room in the house. You can leave the toilet paper out in a basket or whatever, but don't do it simply because you don't know what else to do with it. That mindset produces clutter. "Everything has a home" is a mindset that reduces clutter. Not eliminates everything in sight.

You can have plenty of warmth without cutter and waste. Yes, there are decorating styles [Rococo, Victorian, and English Country] that rely on lots of visual noise. And that's OK. But, others do not. A clean modern interior can also be warm and inviting... and uncluttered. There is no need to snob those who like order and cleanliness.

Keeping counters clear is easy. You simply pick things up and put them away. Unfortunately, so many of us are stuff addicts. We have all this stuff and no place to put it. Regrettably, I can't afford a large enough space to keep all of the stuff I want, so I edit. To me, a clean space is warm and inviting if it is decorated in a warm and inviting manner. A visually stimulating space can work too, if done well. It's not about right or wrong, but about what works.

Until a few months ago, I lived in a 450 sq ft Manhattan apartment with a very basic kitchen that measured about 8 x 8 feet. All of the things I listed above were out and there was still enough counterspace to prep and cook full meals. In fact, I forgot to mention the dish drying rack and bread box that were out too. It admittedly took a little creative thinking and some custom additions (though nothing fancy) to make it work.

I do have a larger kitchen now, but what I have out hasn't changed - because they are all the things I use on a daily basis.

home body, you rock.

jmoeschler - This is an ikea kitchen. Nexus Black Brown doors with their grip handles. I have the exact same cabinets and handles. Except I have white corian counters instead of carrera marble, because I need something low maintenance and tomato sauce stains marble.

That being said, with an open floorplan, it would be nice to have clear countertops, as you can see them while lounging on the sofa, but alas, I have yet to figure out the secret to getting them clear. With kids, there is always "stuff".

I certainly subscribe to the less is more school. I have my KitchenAid out and the fruit but the rest is put away. And I cook every single day. I like clear counters and I hate *stuff*. To each his own.

I think it depends on the kitchen. Mine is SO small and has so much counter space that if I fail to put things away, there's no room to prepare meals or set groceries or anything. On the other hand, I don't think it's necessary to have appliance garages or make the kitchen look like something other than a kitchen. I just try to stay on top of the clutter so I can start cooking without spending 10 minutes putting things away first.

I could never live in such a sterile environment!

A very small kitchen should have the counters absolutely clear of as much stuff as possible, IMO.

You have to have SOME stuff out for convenience no matter how clean you are..
Toaster / coffee maker, pots and pans, paper towels and dishrack at least.

*so LITTLE counter space. Duh.

That top photo looks to me like someone has just moved in and hasn't had time to unpack. I like things to be out on the counter. Makes it feel like a home somebody actually lives in.

I´m totally with home body and Sunny Blue. Why should one want bare counters? It doesn´t look good, just - bare.

Bare counters aren't that pleasing - it looks like someone never uses the kitchen. There are tons of things that were meant to live on a counter - like my rotating spice rack, my beautiful canisters for sugar and all that, the knife block, etc.

Whoever wrote this must never use their kitchen.

1 for the bare counters look.
I can't do it entirely, but I am always trying.

1 for bare counters look and practicality.

I might use my coffee maker every single day but I wipe the counters at least 4-5 times a day. It is much easier to wipe it when nothing is in the way. Therefore I would rather put away my coffee maker in the morning then move it around all day while I wipe the counters.

Does anyone out there agree with this logic?? or am I crazy?

My counters are almost bare. The only thing we keep out is the electric tea kettle and a bread box full of our tea and coffee supplies. We make hot drinks multiple times a day, so that just makes the most sense for us. Those are the only things I keep out on a permanent basis. Everything else gets put away (The microwave is built in over the range, so that isn't an issue). Personally, I find that if I have too many items on my counter, it makes me feel overwhelmed and depressed. I'm less likely to cook in such a space. But if my counters are clear, I have space to put out all of my ingredients and enjoy myself as I cook without having to shift other things around just to make room. That's just what works for me and my kitchen. Others can do whatever they want.

Wow, counters are a real emotional hotspot!

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, perhaps the countertops equal familial love?

Are those of us with empty counters inflexible, selfish, and cold?

And why do I try to clean up other people's countertops anyways?

I love my counters empty! My counter space is extremely limited and my galley kitchen is open to the living room. Cluttered counters would look like a constant mess from the living room. I've been on a mission to eliminate extraneous small appliances for years. I'm lucky to have some built in shelving that is an easy access spot for the necessities.

I am an avid cook and tend toward clutter in other areas of my life. The irony!

(There is something about clutter in the kitchen that feels dirty to me. It seems like you'd have to constantly be cleaning under and around things.)

i'm with the empty counter group. we have a small apt and a small open kitchen. if we kept everything we use each day on the counter, not only would we not have a work space, but it would add so much clutter or visual noise i would be overwhelmed. we keep our toaster oven on the counter, tea kettle on the stove (the stovetop bialetti and french press are easy to get out of the cabinet) and a small canister with a couple of cooking utensils. no knives as our nephews could easily reach them or obtain them from a knife block. that is safely stored in a cabinet as well. since our kitchen is small, nothing is out of reach even though it is put in a cabinet. we eat out maybe twice a month. we literally make all three meals in our kitchen. my husband and i both love to cook and make most things from scratch.
i also agree with speck. when everything is out, i feel like stuff gets dusty. i wipe down our three things each night, i can't imagine if i had 15 things on my counter. that is a lot of dusting!

ChrisGal, I cook every day, and I keep my counters as bare as possible. To me, it's a clean slate for the next meal.

When I cook, I spread out my ingredients and tools and use all of the available space. When I'm finished, I put it all away.

I tend to fall in the middle, I too have a small galley kitchen and like having SOME things out, like the toaster, the coffee pot and a tea kettle on the stove, I also have a large crock for my cooking utensils and a smaller one for the little stuff like the itty bitty spatulas, the lemon reamer, the pealer and that kind of thing. Everything else like tasting forks/spoons get put in a drawer along with the potholders and all the little items like the corkscrew, the icecream scoop are kept in a drawer as well. All of my spices and such are kept in the cabinet above the cooking counter and when I need something, I just open the cupboard, get what I need, toss into dish I'm preparing and put back away, some things like when I make spaghetti sauce, I'll line up for it's just a matter of adding to the browned ground beef that's already in the crock pot.

Since the fridge is right there, I can just get into that and get what I need, and immediately put away when done. I don't get everything I need for that meal out at once, generally and yes, I do cook from scratch many nights.

That said, I do agree that everything has a place and every place has a thing mantra but don't so far as to hide everything, even in the kitchen. Hell, my mixer, blender, crockpot and waffle iron sit on the top shelf in the pantry, the microwave even has a spot in there too, I just ran a heavy duty extension cord from behind the fridge for it, works just fine and yes, I am a stacker when I wash by hand as I don't have a dishwasher but the counter where the coffee pot is free of the dirties and is wiped down (lucky it gets wiped down more than once or twice in a day as I"m not usually home during the week but will get cleaned/wiped down more on the weekends, usually). For me it makes me feel good when I come home and the counters are clear of dirty dishes even if I see the coffee pot, the lazy susan for salt/pepper shakers and meds, the paper towel dispenser and the sponge dish, I feel good. The space next to the stove is kept clear pretty much at all times.

Is the kitchen perfect? No, but it is what is is, at least when I go to get something, I know where to FIND it though and that's what's important.

I think kitchens can look great with or without clutter. It depends on the lifestyle, cooking ability and personality of the owner.

Yelena -- Why wipe down the counter five times a day? LOL. I do once after each meal I cook (take out breakfast since it's usually a bowl of cereal and wiping down the counters for that is pointless) - so that's only two times a day.

This will make some of you cringe - this is what stays on my counters:

-Microwave
-Coffee pot
-Toaster
-Three canisters (sugar, tea bags, and splenda)
-Spice rack
-Cookie Jar
-Knife block
-Paper towel holder

Other things out are the toaster oven on top of the fridge, a few vases on the breakfast bar, salt and pepper shaker on the table along with a centerpiece candle holder (should mention eat in kitchen), and a ornamental sun on a base that Mom got me as a joke (my name is Dawn).

I use most of this stuff daily. Most of this is shoved to the back of the counter leaving at least six inches in front as prep space. I wouldn't have it any other way - if I have to get something out each and every time I use it (aka coffee pot) I'd wind up spending more money buying it out or let's go with spice rack, I'd spend less time cooking and more getting take out. So using my kitchen actually helps out my wallet and my diet.

I cook every day, and love having as much usable counter area as possible. It also helps speed up the clean up process.

Here is my on counter inventory:
Dishrack
Toaster oven
Container of frequently used cooking utensils
Fruit basket or flowers
Coffee mill
Kettle on stove

Mounted / hanging/ installed I have:
Knives on magnetic wall rack (I hate those clunky, blocks.. and you can't clean inside the slots)
Hanging Fruit baskets
Mounted paper towel holder
Flip out sponge tray in the sink cabinet (where typically is a false drawer front)
Dish soap dispenser installed in countertop

And concealed in a pantry cabinet is the microwave. We use a french press so that ends up in the dishrack or cabinet. I don't like leaving spices out, since I think they go bad faster... they are best stored in a cool, dry place.

Hi everyone,
As the owner of the "sterile", "model home", "just moved in" looking kitchen featured above, I invite you to actually click through the entire House Tour.

If you do, you'll see the other pictures of my kitchen which show--GASP--stuff on the countertops. We do cook each and every meal; cutting boards, spices, oil, veggies, and small appliances are everywhere! Jacob must set the smoke alarm off twice a night :) Then we clean up. It makes us feel good.

Also, please note that we have a young daughter who likes to climb up on things, so we keep it clean for her safety and our sanity.

Please take a moment to look at the full story before spouting off. We may have differing opinions, but if we attack one another rather than giving constructive comments, some designers and d-i-y stylistas might be wary of posting pictures of their homes.

Peace and love to you all...

http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/111308jacoblaurie/00053_P

http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/111308jacoblaurie/00053_S