'Stop Treating Your Kitchen Countertop Like an Overrun Coffee Table' – Here’s How Designers Balance Adding Character Without Adding Clutter

A large kitchen with a freestanding table with a bench in the center, a wall of countertops and base cabinetry, shelfs on the tiled wall, and a hanging pendant light.

It's a trend to style your countertops. There aren't just the practical spaces they once were, but an opportunity to add character to your kitchen, little vignettes that turn this hardworking space into one that has depth and feels personal.

But as trends turn kitchens into living rooms, is countertop decor getting out of hand? Are we treating these practical spaces too much like coffee tables, or bedside tables, spaces that can afford to be taken up with books and coasters and trays of trinkets? Yes, in theory, more things equate to more personality, but in reality, more things just means more clutter – clutter you certainly don't need in the kitchen.