Say Goodbye To Kitchen Clutter By Organizing This Overlooked Spot

We spend so much of our time at home in the kitchen that it's inevitable that it would become one of the most cluttered rooms in the house; and within this messy space, one of the biggest harborers of disorder is the refrigerator. From visual clutter on fridge doors to dirty, disorganized shelves, fridges can easily make the whole kitchen feel chaotic; and one fridge area that you probably haven't thought much about is the space on top.

There are plenty of reasons why the top of your fridge can become overlooked and gradually collect too much stuff. It's an easy spot to toss things — like a more conspicuous, open-air junk drawer — and since the top of your fridge is not a spot that you use every day, it's easy to avoid dealing with any clutter that accumulates there. But whatever the reason, it's a good idea to tackle the top of your fridge if you want a less cluttered-looking kitchen. 

Unlike kitchen cabinets or pantries where clutter is hidden away, the top of your fridge is more visible — meaning that even though it's a relatively small space, it's more inclined to make the whole kitchen look and feel overwhelming if left in disarray. Fortunately, organizing the top of your fridge can be easy and can even add some style and personality to your kitchen in the process.

Organizing the top of your refrigerator doesn't necessarily mean you have to purge it of all the stuff you've been keeping up there; you'll just want to make it look more presentable. Have the top of your fridge double as storage that's also stylish by filling the space with some cute baskets, boxes, or even large decorative bowls or jars. Unless you opt for something see-through such as glass or wire, many of these storage options also conceal what's inside of them with pretty exteriors — so you can hide all the mess if you choose to still use the space as a repository for knickknacks.

You can also be extra intentional with the space by designating a theme for the stuff that lives above the fridge. For example, if you don't already have a cocktail bar cart or home coffee bar area in your kitchen or dining room, the top of your fridge can be a handy spot for storing mugs, coffee beans, and tea bags; or bottles of spirits, cocktail shakers, strainers, and other bar tools. You could also designate it as the place for showcasing some of your most beautiful pottery, china, or other dishware that you're particularly proud of and don't want to hide away in a cupboard.  

The theme could even be as simple as using the space for only storing cutting boards, or only stacking cookbooks, or only stowing snacks. Whatever you decide on, having the space above your fridge reserved for just one category of items will make it look and feel less random and contribute to a clutter-free kitchen while still using the space well.