Avoid A Cluttered Kitchen Counter With Ree Drummond's Practical Decor Tip

Social media and design shows have normalized sparkling, vast, spacious kitchens with expanses of open, sleek countertops and no clutter in sight. For most of us though, that simply isn't the reality, and our kitchens are well used and loved, full of signs of actual life — aka, some clutter. You'll never hear us apologizing for a maximalist kitchen vibe — no shame in that game. But when you're feeling the itch to free up some countertop and give yourself a little visual white space, one clever way is by having your prettiest kitchen ware play double duty — as decor.

Cookbook author, television host, and food blogger Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman herself, has plenty of genius tips for avoiding kitchen clutter. One of her favorite hacks, Drummond says, is to pair purpose with aesthetics and use your most presentable servingware, casserole dishes, and vases as functional countertop displays. It's an easy way to add whimsy, charm, and color to your kitchen, while your favorite jars, bowls, plates, and platters hold fruit, flowers, or other knickknacks. Drummond's tip means your favorite kitchenware gets to shine versus taking up room in the cabinet, in turn freeing up space for less aesthetic true clutter. When you need to use the dishes for what they're intended, put them to use to cook and serve food, then return to their role as decor after mealtime's over.

We love a tip that uses what we already have, versus requiring us to accumulate more items that'll just end up collecting dust — and taking up space. With The Pioneer Woman's tip, no need to buy anything new — and it gives you prettiest kitchen items like your grandma's vintage Pyrex collection or that collection of mix and match antique plates the limelight they deserve. 

To ensure you still have more than enough workspace to roll out dough for pizza and cinnamon rolls or meal prep for a week of lunches, less is more. Display only your faves for pops of color, pattern and decoration, and resist the urge to hoard — being sure to remove kitchen clutter from other areas to keep things streamlined. Keep bulky appliances that eat up large swaths of countertop space stashed in cabinets, while your showiest pieces go on display.

Love the idea of displaying the family heirloom platters or vintage dishes, but working with seriously limited counter space in a small apartment or teeny kitchen? Think vertically and consider displaying flatware along the wall — hanging flatware as you would paintings, then using for actual cooking and serving when they're needed. Another option to add extra storage space for displaying decorative items? Build yourself a rustic DIY kitchen step ladder shelf for extra storage, and display treasured decorative and functional items without adding to counter clutter at all.