“What do you keep on your (kitchen) countertops?”
If only I’d been keeping track of how many clients have asked me that question.
Curiosity about where things live on exposed surfaces my own kitchen is routinely met with a little curve ball. Regardless of the item being asked about, my response is usually a “no.”
Why? There are no actual countertops in my kitchen.
“But where do you store your mixer/microwave/blender/rice cooker?”
I don’t own any of those.
“But you do so much cooking,” say those who’ve gotten to know me well or are familiar with my periodic food-themed posts on Instagram.
It’s true. I do do a lot of cooking. The kitchen is my happy creative play space, but it’s unlike 95% of the kitchens I’m invited to organize. What does a somewhat counterintuitive kitchen look like? Before I show you, allow me to describe it.
The room measures approximately 10 x 12’ and includes three doorways and two windows. The central portion of one wall protrudes a foot-and-a-half inward, and the stove sits in front of it. The refrigerator occupies a significant block of real estate within arms reach of the stove. Neither appliance is recessed into a nook nor set back with their doors flush with adjacent cabinetry. There’s a built-in cabinet next to the refrigerator that is original to the place, storage beneath the sink (also original), and newer cabinetry that was added above the sink around 2010. The sink has a slanted and ridged drying area. This space would be countertop-like if there was a dishwasher.
A modestly sized table lives against the sole expanse of available wall with a chair on either side. With the addition of a couple of folding chairs, it can accommodate four average-sized adults for a meal when it’s moved into the middle of the room; however, there’s little to no space for maneuvering in such a situation.
The main work space is a utility cart. A few strategically placed narrow bookshelves and a multi-drawer Elfa unit provide essential storage where there is an inherent deficit. Some of the shelves and surfaces house what might ordinarily reside on a countertop: a toaster oven, an electric kettle, a container of cooking utensils, and seasonings.
The kitchen made a very informal very public appearance 11 years ago when the PBS Newshour came by to film my husband and me for a piece about San Francisco’s quest toward zero waste. The cameraman had his work cut out for him. He initially set up a large tripod, but with five adults in the room, that didn’t last long.
View from northwest corner (main doorway)
View from southwest corner (doorway)
View from southeast corner
View from the northeast corner
What the kitchen in this old San Francisco Victorian flat lacks has been made up for by thinking outside the box and applying the same best practices I adhere to and encourage when working with clients in their kitchens (not to mention throughout their homes).
• Make sure everything that resides within is useful, accessible and has a place to live
A kitchen is optimized when everything that is used and useful is accessible and has a place of its own. There is no room for things that are being held onto “just in case.”
• Store things close to where they are used
Even in a small kitchen, location can make a huge difference. Look for ways to create fewer actual steps while creating greater efficiency.
The utility cart is food prep central. Built-in knife storage has the most essential tools at the precise point of use. The lone built-in drawer holds a variety of small knives, measuring spoons, a vegetable peeler, hand grater, etc. The shelves below hold a variety of mixing bowls, measuring cups, and small cutting boards.
While it’s common to keep dishes and food stuffs in separate cupboards, sometimes housing teas and coffees with or near mugs can make a huge difference.
• Less is more
Be realistic about what tools and/or appliances make the most sense to own by assessing the frequency of their utility and available storage space. Minimizing ownership of specialized one-trick doohickeys and tools of promising convenience (which often end up being disappointing inconveniences) can be a practical and spatial game changer.
• Respect the boundaries
Thoughtfulness about the actual physical limitations of the room (and adjoining storage possibilities) helps with determining how much is too much and what is realistic.
In my case, as much as a stand mixer and a food processor could be beloved and regularly used tools, there is no reasonable place to store either. Alas, an easily stowed hand mixer and an immersion blender are what fit and do their respective jobs just fine.
• Stack and/or invert things when it’s beneficial
A too small kitchen has led me to get creative when it comes to making temporary storage.
The primary work space is a cutting board set atop a marble pastry board set atop the utility cart. (See the photo at the top of this post.) The stacking raises the work surface, provides functional storage, and makes for an easily convertible work space. 
When I get into an immersive cooking mode, every available horizontal surface including the top of the toaster oven, the interior of the toaster oven, the kitchen table and chairs, and even chairs in the adjoining bedroom are fair game.
On top of that (pun intended), I regularly invert the lids of pots to create temporary unimpeded horizontal surfaces where there previously were none.
• Store heavy items on lower shelves
This recommendation is for both safety and ergonomic reasons. As lovely as they may be as display items, reconsider storing enameled cast iron Dutch ovens on high shelves. Living in earthquake country for more than 30 years has forever changed how I look at where things are kept. A heavy projectile will do less damage if it is launched or accidentally dropped from a low shelf.
• Defy convention when it suits you
Limitations can be invitations for bucking convention.
Inadequate drawer space eliminated the need to sort silverware ever again. A repurposed ceramic container holding silverware sits on the corner shelf within easy reach of both the table and primary work space (a.k.a. the utility cart). What a convenient time saver!
• Allow for reasonable exceptions
There are always exceptions, and I will confess to having a few of my own.
The giant jar used solely for fermenting kombucha and the sauerkrauting crock reside two rooms away in the parlor/guest room. A large stock pot resides within reach in a nearby closet.
• Embrace the hidden perks
The benefits of any deficit invite opportunities to make the most of a situation.
The lack of countertop is a forcing function for keeping the essential surfaces available for making the ever pertinent next cup of tea.
