The Good Design Journal
8 Swaps for a Clearer Benchtop
Have you ever spent an hour scrubbing the kitchen until it gleams, only to step back and feel… annoyed? The dishes are done, but the room still feels messy.
It’s not you; it’s the "visual static." It’s the neon green dish soap shouting from the windowsill, the aggressive supermarket labels, and the sponge sitting in a puddle. These things create a low-level hum of chaos that no amount of wiping can fix.
The good news is you don't need a renovation to get that calm, finished look. You just need to quieten the tools. We’ve curated 8 simple swaps that strip back the branding and the bright plastic, replacing them with calm, functional forms that let your kitchen breathe.
1. Stacked Stones, Not Plastic Grinders
FERM LIVING Cairn Grinder
Pepper mills usually look like kitchen tools. The Cairn looks like geology. Carved from carbonised ash, its organic curves mimic stacked stones, hiding the mechanism entirely. It sits on the dining table with the permanence of sculptural object, saving you the trip to the pantry every time you need to season a dish.
2. Visual Silence for the Benchtop
DESIGNSTUFF RUND Bottle for Olive Oil
Supermarket oil bottles are designed to grab attention on a shelf. In your home, they just add clutter. Decanting into this borosilicate vessel immediately calms the space. The silicone sleeve provides the necessary grip for slick hands, while the precise spout ensures the dressing lands on the salad, not the table.
3. Hiding the Dish Soap
ZONE DENMARK Ume Soap Dispenser
We touch the soap dispenser more than almost anything else in the kitchen. The Ume upgrades that interaction with a soft-touch, matte steel body that conceals the bright blue liquid inside. The long spout smooths out the pump action, bringing tactile order to the wettest, messiest zone of the room.
4. Composting Without the Ugly Bucket
DESIGNSTUFF ETTA Compost Bin
Most compost caddies get hidden under the sink for a reason. The ETTA stays out. Its matte finish and compact footprint read as a kitchen accessory rather than a waste bin. A removable inner liner handles the moisture drainage, making the daily routine of separating scraps feel far less like a chore.
5. Sculpture When Not in Use
DESIGNSTUFF CURVE Silicone Trivet
Thick, heat-resistant silicone protects stone surfaces from scalding pots, but the real value here is aesthetic. Unlike cork mats that demand to be hidden, the Curve acts as a graphic, fern-green accent when the pans are cleared. It remains on display as a piece of sculpture.
6. A File System for the Junk Drawer
ENKEL STUDIO Keep Pouch
Twist-ties, vitamins, half-eaten snacks—the "misc" drawer is a nightmare. These silicone pouches replace the jumble of rigid containers and ziplock bags. The clear front panel lets you identify the contents instantly, turning a chaotic pile into a tidy, flat-packed library.
7. Clearing the Splashback
DESIGNSTUFF VANA Sink Caddy
Bottles and brushes have a habit of sliding around the sink edge. The VANA Caddy grounds them. Made from durable silicone with a non-slip base, it creates a stable station for soap, scrubbers, and sponges. Three compartments keep tools upright and organized, turning a sprawling mess into a neat, contained trio.
8. Airflow for the Sponge
DESIGNSTUFF DRIP Sink Sponge Holder
A sponge sitting in a puddle breeds bacteria, and nobody wants that rubbing against their dishes or bench top. This stainless steel holder solves the hygiene issue with simple physics. Suction keeps the sponge suspended mid-air, allowing it to dry out completely between uses and removing one more unsightly object from the countertop surface.
Is decanting actually worth the hassle?
If you crave visual silence? Absolutely. Supermarket packaging is designed to grab attention on a crowded shelf—it uses bright colours and loud fonts to shout at you. When you bring that into your home, it keeps shouting. Pouring your essentials (oil, dish soap, salt) into uniform vessels like the Rund Bottle or Ume Dispenser effectively hits the "mute" button on your kitchen.
My sink area is tiny. How do I keep it organised?
Stop trying to fit things on the bench; start putting them above it. Vertical storage is the secret to a small kitchen. Utilising the splashback with suction or adhesive organisers like the Vana Caddy or Drip Sponge Holder clears the precious workspace for actual cooking and stops the area around the tap from becoming a slime trap.
How do I style a compost bin so it doesn't look like... garbage?
Change the context. If you use an ugly plastic tub, your brain registers it as "waste." If you use a matte, architectural vessel like the Etta, your brain registers it as "kitchen accessory." Choose a bin that matches the finish of your toaster or kettle, and it will visually recede into the background rather than standing out as a bin.
How do I stop the "clutter creep" on the bench top?
Create specific landing zones. Clutter spreads to fill the available space. By using physical boundaries, like the Curve Trivet acting as a base for your oil and salt, or a tray for your coffee tools, you give loose items a dedicated address. If it doesn't fit on the trivet, it goes back in the cupboard.
Why Not Make It Work?
You spend more waking hours in the kitchen than almost anywhere else. It’s the engine room of the house. When that space fights you with sticky bottles, cluttered surfaces, and tools that break, it drains your energy before you’ve even started cooking.
Swapping out the supermarket packaging isn't just about aesthetics. It's about respecting the work you do there. A solid grinder, a smooth pump, a clear surface, these details turn a daily chore into a satisfying rhythm. It’s the difference between a kitchen that feels like a workspace and one that feels like a room you actually want to be in.
It’s about setting a baseline of calm. So even when the sink is full and the stove is busy, the room itself still feels composed.
