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Ask Jennifer Adams: On the kitchen counter, what’s clutter?

What to put away, and what to stay on the counter? Here are Jennifer's tips on kitchen storage ideas for everyday living.

To avoid countertop clutter, perhaps an appliance garage can help hide the coffee maker and toaster, or, edit your cookbooks to the ones you refer to most often with the rest of your collection in another place.
To avoid countertop clutter, perhaps an appliance garage can help hide the coffee maker and toaster, or, edit your cookbooks to the ones you refer to most often with the rest of your collection in another place.Read moreshutterstock

Q: I try to be health conscious and I love to cook for my family. I save a lot of time with make-ahead meals and preorganized lunches that I set out on the counter in the morning, ready to go. I also prefer the water pitcher, butter, fruit, and most of the veggies at room temperature. When these healthy snacks are out on the counter (along with a bowl full of pre-packed bags of dried fruit and nuts), my kids seem much more likely to grab them. The problem is that my partner complains about "all the clutter" on the counters in our kitchen. He wants me to keep the cookbooks in another room, store everything in the refrigerator (even the bananas), and pull the coffee maker and toaster out of the hall closet and put them back every morning for breakfast. The irony is that his cocktail-making collection on the counter also takes up a lot of space. I just don't see the kitchen stuff I use at least once every day as clutter. What should we do?

A: Sounds like you are doing an admirable job of taking care of your family. And your attitude toward your kitchen counters is one of function. That makes sense, because many fruits and raw vegetables such as tomatoes actually taste better at room temperature, and if you use them quickly, don't need refrigeration at all. And your idea of a bowl full of kiddo snacks is a really great one. But please understand clutter can be stressful, especially if someone doesn't feel they are in control of their surroundings. It's your partner's house, too, and he has a say.

To help keep the peace in the kitchen, consider new places for some items and enlist your partner's help for others. Perhaps an appliance garage would help hide the coffee maker and toaster, or, he can pull them out and put them back if that's important for him. In exchange, edit your cookbooks to the ones you refer to most often with the rest of your collection in another place. A bookshelf in the dining room will make a great place to research your menus and write your grocery lists.

Your food items should be able to stay in the kitchen, but group things together to reduce the number of small items. Water pitcher grouped near the sink, the butter near the toaster or stove, the bowl of fruit within your kids' reach. Hopefully this will help you.

Have a design dilemma? Jennifer Adams is an award-winning designer, TV personality and author of the upcoming book "Love Coming Home: Transform Your Environment. Transform Your Life." Send your questions to AskJennifer@JenniferAdams.com or for more design ideas, visit Jennifer's blog on her website at www.jenniferadams.com.