justadncr,
It's all just personal taste and lifestyle. I don't have anything on my counter, not even my coffee pot. My main reason is that I have delicate granite and don't want to put anything on it that will cause it to stain. I also have only 67" across and I would be constantly moving stuff around to do dishes.
I love the look of stuff on the counter. Especially a few jars filled with fresh cookies. I think people like bare counters too because they are easier to keep clean.
Donna

If I use it daily, it's out on the counter. I just don't live the sort of life that demands that I hide the tools of everday life. Of course my crock pot and pasta maker have places in the cabinets... but my Kitchen Aid and my food processor and my toaster are out for all to see and to use. And I will be totally damned if I am going to hide away our $1000 espresso maker!.. we paid way too much for that puppy and it's so cool that it even has it's own cabinet :)

I will honestly admit that my kitchen often gets way past the point of looking *lived in*.. but I have 7+ people in and out of my kitchen daily if not hourly plus two dogs, 5 cats and guests. My kitchen is our life labratory and for us that works!

Maddie

"If I use it daily, it's out on the counter."

That's my rule as well -- My attitude is that if an appliance works that hard, it's earned a place of respect, and it should be one that's both functional and good looking.

Thanks for the responses. I think that is a great rule. I have so much more counter space that I am loving having things accessible.
I also have a 8 ft peninsula across from this that is bare.{{gwi:1551682}}

I have so much counter space now and I have stuff all over the place. Cookbooks, phone, electric kettle, bottles of booze, canisters, trivets, S&P shakers, orchids (they love the warmth of the kitchen). And it still looks okay and I still have a lot of room. I love all my space, space, space!

The reason I wanted to get stuff OFF my counter is because I basically AM a slob. Meaning, I'm just not good at keeping things organized and looking good if they're in an area where I'm constantly working. Generally stuff left on my counter ends up looking messy and unkempt.

So, with my appliance garage, all that stuff can now be hidden away, and since I'm sort of forced to keep it in there, it stays organized. I pull out what I need and put it back in, as opposed to using something and leaving it where I used it, which is what I normally tend to do.

I do have some decorative items on my counters, just because I couldn't bear for my counters to be totally bare, it's just not me! But those things just sit there and look pretty, get cleaned occasionally and don't look messy.

justadncr,
I love your kitchen!!!
Donna

Donna that is such a compliment coming from the owner of the most gorgous kitchen I have ever seen. I was trying to go a little modern but still fit in my house. I was on a limitted budget so went with Ikea. I am totally happy with it. http://s115.photobucket.com/albums/n303/lanstan/

I try to just keep only the things I use all the time like the coffee machine, PT holder and maybe the toaster. I bought all new ones in SS so going to be setting up the kitchen this week. Of course there is the microwave and toaster oven too.

I thought about placing some pretty vases or Objects D' Art around the room, but I haven't decided what to put out yet.

My DH laid down the law. I had to promise no more clutter with the new kitchen. And now that I have a lot more storage space I can put things away. I do like the clean uncluttered look, and it is easier to wipe down the counters that way.

Clare

Fairly minimal on the counters, primarily due to space and am a visual person which means if something is there it needs to fit in. The coffee pot is there and my mixer in a far corner...mixer is too heavy to move around. The more on the counter though the more needs to be cleaned and moved around to be cleaned.

Silly me found out after the fact that my new stove has a toaster option...so out went the toaster...love this feature.

What I have a problem with is islands. I gave up on having one because my clutter side always ended up using one as a landing place for mail, purse, etc. Never seemed to use one as intended, always ended up at the counter near whatever was needed...sink, stove, etc.

We all need to live in whatever environment fits. I can go into some kitchens and they have everything under the sun on the counters..but they look fine as they reflect the friend I'm visiting.

I love having appliances out that have a wonderful design. I think they are as much art as appliance, and deserve to be admired. We have our superautomatic espresso maker, Oster Toaster (not too arty, but haven't found a better looking one yet!) and old Hamilton Beach milkshake machine, a cool wine opener. The ugly stuff goes in the garage LOL

I think you need to have some stuff, not much, just one or two maybe, on view that is totally non-functional, just pretty. A vase of flowers, a nice antique piece, just something to look at and enjoy for no other reason than it's beautiful. Right now I have a little mod tablescape of three pointy red sparkly cones on a white ceramic platter that is filled with miniature green glass Christmas balls. It's just fun.

I enjoy seeing my canisters that a friend made for me about 30 years ago and my vintage cookie jar. And I can't wait to finally be able to propagate my Violets in my new kitchen as the light should be perfect. Since moving in 2000 my vintage Flamingos have been packed and stored in my barn and to be able to place them amongst my Violets is something I am looking forward to.

The only appliances we use every day are the toaster and the coffee maker and both are in specially designed cabinets with pull out shelves so that they are hidden from view when not in use. I am not that good of a housekeeper to keep them polished and fingerprint free!

But to have completely clear countertops is just not me. I spend so much time in the kitchen that I like to have things in view that have special meaning to my family. However, I am drawing the line with the magnets on the frig!

justadncr,
I thought that was IKEA. When I first started looking I was planning an Ikea kitchen. I loved your cabinets for my own remodel. The reason I didn't get them was because my floors are about the same color wood as your cabinets and I wanted a contrast. The black laminate cabinets at IKEA were being discontinued so I was afraid to get them in case they didn't have what I needed.
I just love your kitchen. It looks very expensive to me.
Donna

REally like your kitchen - it all just works together. And what a silly rule - that everything should be put away. It is just no joy to go digging out everyday appliances, what a pain - unless one is lucky enough to have too much cabinet space!

Thanks guys. I havent been on this side for a while and it was a nice Christmas present to open up this site and get compliments! You are all great.

justadncr - Good for you to make your kitchen workable. Everyone has to do what works for them. One thing that I find strange about some of the forum posts is that some people do all this remodeling and then have kitchens which are not as useable. It's like they're scared to ruin the perfection. Or that they over refined the kitchen to the point that the surfaces are very fragile and fussy. We should enjoy using our kitchens! Rachel

Rachel,
You just described me!
Donna

I like having nothing out on my counters. As it turns out, however, I'm a fruit person and I don't like fruit cold soooo a plate of bananas (my breakfast) is out :-( DH's coffee maker is ugly but he's attached to it and will not have it away, so I've put it in a corner so that it is as invisible as it could possibly be. So those two things are out and that is it. They aren't in the way but they are out. I like having perfectly pristinely clean and clear counters. That's just the way I like things and I used that paradigm in any kitchen in any house I've ever lived in - ugly or nice, my counters were clutter free except for the bowl of fruit. :-)

Donna,
Yeah, I know, but your kitchen is lovely. I was the one who had the idea to use tin foil as your cooking guard instead of flammable paper towels.

I myself am too casual at house cleaning to have a fussy kitchen. Sturdy black counters and appliances work fine for me.
Rachel

i not only have stuff on the counter, but i have refrigerator magnets, too. i have a nice new kitchen, but i'm still the same old messy me.

I think I have counter space envy. Justadncr I love your kitchen! I have stuff on my counters, but I don't have NEARLY enough room for what I'd really put out. I am much neater than I was in my previous life, lol! I am constantly wiping and rotating the counter art. ;D

I can't have anything on my counters for several reasons:
-- I just can't think, work, breathe with clutter.
-- We don't have all that much counterspace.
-- One item always attracts "friends" in my world!

I have a lot of stuff in view that others have on the counter -- I have glass cupboard doors so I see a lot and I have plant shelves for my orchids (and yes they've been happy in the kitchen for years!). And I keep that bowl of fruit on the dining room table.

Gotta do what works for you and be happy friends do things differently. BTW, it took me a long time to figure out I can't work with clutter -- since I often enjoy being in the presence of a lot of "detail."