How To Declutter Your Kitchen Without Tossing Anything With These Visual Clutter Swaps

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Do you ever walk into the kitchen and instantly feel like there is just too much stuff? But you either don't want to get rid of anything or, more often, there simply isn't anything to get rid of. Even after you've gone through and cleared out every last thing you didn't need or want, it still feels cluttered. The problem might not be that you're clinging too tightly to items you need to get rid of but rather that there are too many items that have been left out in the open. When too many things are left on the countertops, it can feel chaotic and look messy. These things might be kitchen essentials but seeing them scattered all over the place is way too visually stimulating. That's what we call visual clutter. It's when there are too many things in your line of sight, and it feels overwhelming.

There are many sneaky sources of visual clutter in the kitchen, like loose appliance cords that always get tangled or the mismatched bottles of soap with neon labels that don't exactly complement your kitchen aesthetic. Fortunately, you don't need to throw out all your favorite kitchen utensils in order to reduce the visual clutter. You simply need to make a few smart swaps to remove things from view while still keeping everything you need handy and accessible. For example, ditch the bulky knife block and use a drawer storage solution, or find clever ways to display your child's art at home that doesn't include plastering it all over the refrigerator. 

The first thing to do when reducing visual clutter is to be extremely selective with the items you choose to display. These are things you'll see most often, so you want them to be aesthetically pleasing and not send you into a stress spiral every time you walk into the kitchen. Secondly, create a cohesive aesthetic with the items you leave out on the counter to create a uniform space. You can do this by swapping out those plastic dish soap bottles with flashy labels for matching, neutral-colored dispensers. Swapping out bright-colored sponges for more natural brushes and pads can also help cut down on visual noise.

The third thing to do is leave some open counter space. Instead of trying to optimize every last inch of your precious countertops, give your eyes a break and create unoccupied areas. You can do this by storing your most used utensils in the drawer closest to the oven and using a lazy Susan in the cabinet to store oils and vinegars that you cook with. You can hide loose cords with a Lancord Cord Organizer from Amazon that attaches to the back of an appliance. If you really want to hide everything away, you can install an appliance garage like Amazon's Omega National. It allows you to hide everyday appliances, like coffee makers and air fryers, by pushing them against the wall when not in use and closing the garage-like cabinet door. They'll disappear like a regular Houdini act.