the most mundane post you will ever read

Yes, I'm talking paper towels. Can it get more boring?! But with a new kitchen, mundane details like this have been on my mind quite a bit. I haven't wanted to clutter things up on the countertop, and yet I still feel the need to have not-so-pretty items like paper towels on the counter and easily at hand. Add to this that I am not a fan of paper towel holders. Even the most modern ones (you know, without the rooster finial on top) seem somehow dated or clunky.


Then I spied what HGTV did recently in their dream home. Not the best pic here (it's more visible in the tour and on the tv special), but perhaps you can see the roll of paper towels floating free on the island. Of course they have miles of countertop and can afford to have the paper towel roll sitting out on a large wooden platter. But I fell in love with the simplicity of this look. And it gave me an idea.


So far I'm loving my paper-towels-on-a-plate. They look good, simple. They're easy to grab. So good looks plus functionality works for me. But tell me, on this most critical of issues, what are your thoughts? Do you stand them up, hang them, hide them, or have you gone so green that you've ditched your paper towels altogether? I wish I could get rid of them, but with a baby in the house now I feel I need and use them more than ever! Maybe in the next kitchen, I can make them disappear completely.

12 comments

René said...

We have ours on a dorky stainless steel paper towel holder. I love your arrangement much better! I really wish we didn't need them at all.

Pine Tree Home said...

We still use them in combo with dish towels. I found a Bronze holder at Target and it fits into the decor nicely. I do wish I could find a way to get them off the counter but they are convenient where they are.

Ashley said...

My paper towels are hidden--always. It kind of throws guests for a loop when they need one because I think most people have a paper towel holder out and about.

Splenderosa said...

Ours is mounted under counter, and it solves the problem for me. But we all need them so it's not mundane it all.
xx's

hs said...

It's all about usability for me. They're on the counter, in a holder that makes it easy to grab one and tear it off. But they're a little hidden, next to the sink, not on the new main counter.

Naomi Jackson said...

We got rid of ours all together! We just cut up flour sack towels and fold them into triangles or squares and put them in a basket where we would normally have paper towels on the counter. They are so great to use! And then I just put the dirty ones in a pail under the sink for washing when I do a load of laundry. I replace them as they get really icky, and the really dirty ones get put with the bathroom cleaning stuff where they can be used until they die. I thought it was going to be hard to ditch the paper towels, but turns out we didn't miss them at all! Even my husband (who was really skeptical and made us keep a roll around just in case at first) loves the system! The best part is that when you would normally throw a full paper towel away, we just rinse and use for the rest of the mess!

Naomi Jackson said...

We got rid of ours all together! We just cut up flour sack towels and fold them into triangles or squares and put them in a basket where we would normally have paper towels on the counter. They are so great to use! And then I just put the dirty ones in a pail under the sink for washing when I do a load of laundry. I replace them as they get really icky, and the really dirty ones get put with the bathroom cleaning stuff where they can be used until they die. I thought it was going to be hard to ditch the paper towels, but turns out we didn't miss them at all! Even my husband (who was really skeptical and made us keep a roll around just in case at first) loves the system! The best part is that when you would normally throw a full paper towel away, we just rinse and use for the rest of the mess!

casey at loft and cottage said...

Naomi, I love your idea! Thanks so much for sharing.

Holly Gruszka said...

We go through a ton of paper towels but use them in conjunction with dish towels. Right now they are standing on a very plain wooden stand that drives me nuts but it works for us.

My Little Bungalow said...

Casey, this is actually a very interesting subject, not boring at all. We leave our paper towels out on the counter next to the sink, no holder (I don't care for them either). Now I'm going to have to steal your idea of setting them on a plate! It's brilliant. I try to be green (reuse plastic bags, bring my own shopping bags and produce bags to the grocery, etc) but I can't give up paper towels. They are too handy.
Claudia

ElleC said...

I haven't bought paper towels (or paper napkins for that matter) in years. Many years, double digit years. For spills in the kitchen I use dish towels and for cleaning I use rags. If a rag is used for something disgusting it gets thrown out, otherwise they all get tossed in the wash. Easy and green and cheap.

cardinalkay said...

Hola
We use a yellow ware canister with a blue stripe to hold our paper towel roll. Just a bit of the roll shows, + it's so easy to pop it back in w/o a thought.
K A Y
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