When Marie Kondo talks decluttering, waves of people wanting organization in their lives listen. Her KonMarie Method of getting rid of things that don’t really spark joy is famous with the masses for a reason. But what happens after you tidy up and still have too much stuff?

Create More Counter Space

One of the most cluttered spaces in our lives is our countertops. They are the fastest and easiest places to “temporarily” store stuff. How many times have you said, “I’ll put that away later,” and it’s still there three months down the road? What’s a Kondo wannabe to do? It’s simple. You use your cabinets to declutter your countertops.

Cabinets come in a variety of shapes, sizes and functionalities. Quite honestly, cabinet options are endless. They were truly designed for the task of organization and are ready for the challenge. So, if the time has come to spark a little more joy into your life and declutter your overburdened countertops, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at our favorite ways to declutter countertops by using cabinets.

Top Ways to Declutter Countertops with Cabinets

• Top Cabinet Best Uses: Whether or not you’re thinking about kitchen cabinets, aside from the usual top cabinet uses like dishes, glassware, food and pantry items, top cabinets are fantastic for a multitude of things: arts and crafts, laundry supplies, smart device storage, wine and liquor, medical supplies and office supplies.
• Bottom Cabinet Best Uses: Bottom cabinets are ideal for storing many things, including larger household items. From pots and pans to larger appliances, bottom cabinets get the job done. Other fun options are to use bottom cabinets for toy storage, pet supplies and shoe storage. One thing to remember about bottom cabinets is they are easily accessible by anyone. For this reason, if you have kids, it’s best to keep the things you don’t want to be found, in the top cabinets.
• Drawer Cabinets: Some of the best storage ideas we’ve seen are with drawer cabinets. Drawers can hold just about anything in your kitchen. Smaller drawers are perfect for silverware, utensils, measuring cups, pot holders, small office supplies, storage bags… you get the picture. Larger drawers are ideal for dishes, pots and pans, lids, small appliances, food items, cookie sheets, towels and more!
• Appliance Cabinets: Out of sight, but not out of mind. A great way to keep small appliances tucked away until needed is with a multi-level cabinet with adjustable shelving. This is an optimal way to store small appliances according to how and when you use them. If you have the space, a fun option is retractable doors that are hidden when open. Consider adding outlets inside the cabinet and shelves that slide out.
• Open Shelf Cabinets: These are the shelves you’ll want to use for display items, including baskets, cookbooks, wine bottles, collections, artwork, china and more. When it comes to open shelf cabinets, even something you never would have thought to be “displayable” can look amazing on an open shelf. It says, “I’m here with purpose.” Let it spark joy!

Things to consider: clear shoe storage boxes with labels. From home improvement and hardware stores to grocery and drug stores, most places carry clear plastic storage containers the size of shoe boxes – in a variety of shapes and sizes, actually. For pretty cheap, a great way to store loose things in your cabinets is with storage boxes that you’ve labeled. They can also easily stack on top of each other and side by side. Anyone opening those cabinets will swoon over the organization!

Need more quick tips for organizing?  Here are some storage ideas for every room in your house.