Goodbye Countertop Clutter: IKEA's Smart Solution Keeps Cutting Boards Organized

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Restoring your countertops to a clutter-free state can help you increase the functionality of your kitchen as a whole. More usable space for food prep, dining, and entertaining will make all sorts of everyday tasks more efficient and approachable. But what's the best way to clear up the clutter on a countertop, anyway? The first thing you'll want to do is focus on finding a home for larger, more obtuse objects –- such as cutting boards. These boards can give off an untidy look when you prop them up against your backsplash or lean them against your fridge, and they rarely stack together neatly. What you really need is a way to store them vertically and within reach. And the VARIERA pot lid organizer, available for $7.99 from IKEA, can give you just that.

The VARIERA pot lid holder is a favorite amongst IKEA customers. It holds a 4.6-star rating on the retailer's website, a score taken from more than 1,500 reviews. Customers mention using it for all sorts of heavy objects, from frying pans to baking sheets to recipe books. Therefore, even your largest wooden cutting boards shouldn't be a problem for it. The organizer is expandable, too, which means that you can adjust it to a more compact size if necessary, and it's made from stainless steel, which makes it both easy to clean and durable. The VARIERA may also be an excellent storage solution for those wishing to incorporate open shelving in a kitchen without sacrificing a clutter-free look.

The VARIERA organizer does more than just organize your cutting boards –- it also puts them on full display. To capitalize on this effect, try arranging your cutting boards by size, with the smallest in front and the largest in back. You may also want to put your wooden cutting boards at the forefront of the display. The material they're made from looks timeless, incorporates more natural textures into your space, and appears cleaner and less untidy than plastic.

If you like word art plaques or rustic farmhouse signs, you could also put one of these fixtures in the front row of your pot lid organizer to help boost its aesthetic appeal. A VGICH Rustic Farmhouse Wall Hanging Plaque from Amazon, for example, might work well here; it's simple, charming, and relatively inexpensive. This idea also pairs well with a trending kitchen design style that adds lots of character to your home.

Want to get your cutting boards away from your countertop entirely? IKEA's pot lid holder could still come in handy, whether you're putting them in a large drawer or stowing them away in a cabinet. In cabinets, specifically, you'll want to put the VARIERA in sideways so that you can quickly grab each cutting board when needed — almost as if you were taking a book from a shelf. You can also pair this hack with an easy peel-and-stick solution for deep cabinets to make the most of your kitchen's space.