My kitchen table serves many purposes: staging area, food prep area, meal area (when we don't eat at the bar), work desk and household hangout.
As a result it seems to always stay cluttered.
Right now the table contains my laptop, some external speakers from where we were watching a show on hulu this weekend, a book about The Secret, notepad to jot things to do, a candle, a couple of letters, my cellphone, some tissues, and a three-ring binder.
Sheesh!
I clean it off, and within minutes it is piled full again. This is not a minimalist table.
Now I have cleaned it off, so it contains my laptop, cellphone, and notepad for chores. Much better. The trick is organizing this section of the kitchen to prevent the clutter from recurring.