If you’re anything like me, kitchen countertop clutter is an ever-present issue. There’s just something so alluring about those horizontal surfaces — they’re almost magnetic in the way they attract the odds and ends of everyday life. Loose items like phone chargers, mail, water bottles, and more somehow accumulate on my kitchen counters daily, much to the chagrin of my tidy-loving husband.
This Counter Clutter Wall Is Brilliant
Rachel’s answer to hiding kitchen counter clutter was to construct a low, long “wall” and place it right in the middle of her kitchen island. The wall isn’t so tall or bulky that it seems out of place, and it doesn’t obscure any large part of the kitchen itself. But what it does is provide a slim hiding space behind the wall. It effectively and easily conceals all the little bits and pieces that tend to collect on our counters.
“Our kitchen isn’t very big and so clutter would accumulate on the island (a random apple, vinegar, Chinese take out soy sauces, etc.), and so I wanted something to hide all of that and keep the island looking tidy from the living room … so how about a wall!” Rachel explains, when I asked how she came up with the idea.
What Makes a Counter Clutter Wall So Good
“A wall can literally divide countries! So it can definitely hide my husband’s half-eaten sandwich,” Rachel surmises. As I mentioned in the couple’s house tour, I’m actually friends with Rachel and John, and have visited their home personally. I’ve seen this kitchen island addition in person, and I can attest that it’s so good, you don’t even actually notice it at first.
Like your eyes see there’s a tiled ledge in the middle of the island, but your mind doesn’t register it as out of place or odd. Because Rachel placed countertop stools on the side of the island closest to the living room, it creates a cute dining area on one side. It’s not until you walk around the island that you see what the wall is hiding.
How to Make a Counter Clutter Wall
Rachel made a wooden frame that rests on the island and then tiled it using colored checkered patterned tiles. While it might seem unusual to go through the effort of tiling and grouting such a small surface, the visual effect is unmistakable — this feels like a built-in part of the kitchen.
If you’re not quite looking to do any tiling or grouting yourself, I bet you could create a similar effect but with different materials. You may even be able to make something out of very thick poster board or something similarly sturdy, as this one DIYer did to create a temporary backsplash in their kitchen.
Or perhaps you could find a long and low rectangular found object at a thrift or bargain store to adapt for similar results with peel-and-stick tiles or wallpaper. The point is, if you’re looking for a way to minimize how cluttered your kitchen feels (and countertop junk is the culprit in your space), you might try Rachel’s unique but effective DIY idea.
This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: This Is the Cleverest and Most Stylish Way to Hide Kitchen Counter Clutter I’ve Ever Seen