Our kitchen came without a dish rack, so we had to figure out where to place one without making the space feel cramped.
Over-the-sink dish rack: This was practical, but once we visualised it, the area looked cluttered. The rack would sit right in the line of sight, and we preferred to keep the sink area open.
Countertop rack: We ruled this out quickly. Our counter space is already limited, and adding a rack would take up the little workspace we have.
Our final choice: Pull-down dish rack inside the top cabinet.
In the end, we gave up one upper cabinet and installed a pull-down dish rack. It keeps the counters clear, hides the drying dishes, and makes the whole kitchen look less busy.
Verdict: The pull-down rack keeps everything organised without adding visual mess—worth the trade-off for a small kitchen.