So today I’m going to talk about Lazy Susans or “Working Mikes” as my middle son likes to call them…ha! My corner cabinets are definitely working overtime for me that is for sure. I spent a couple of hours yesterday giving them each a complete overhaul. It was long overdue especially since I recently realized that I could reorganize them in such a way to make the traffic flow work better in the kitchen. We’ve lived in this house for 4 years and only now am I realizing this. Honestly I just never stopped to think about it I guess but once I explain what I did and why, I think you’ll agree that it just makes way more sense.
This post is also part of a collaboration with my Top Organizing Blogger friends where each of us is sharing a different part of the kitchen giving you plenty of kitchen organizing inspiration. You’ll find all their links at the end of this post so be sure to check them out for ideas and you’ll also find information on a fun giveaway we are doing as well!
So because I just reorganized my Lazy Susans I thought it would be fun to include some before and after pictures in my post as well. Who doesn’t love before and after pictures?? So first let me show you my kitchen to get you oriented with where everything is. If you are interested, you can get a full tour of my kitchen HERE.
As you can see I have two Lazy Susans, one in each corner of my kitchen. One by the dishwasher we’ll call Lazy Susan #1.
And one by the stove which we’ll call Lazy Susan #2.
Lazy Susan #1 use to house all my bowls and leftover containers. It didn’t have any food in it at all.
Lazy Susan #1 Before:
Ummm this basket is a little out of hand don’t you think?
This organizer below was falling apart and we’ve lost most of the containers that fit inside over time. Time to go! I ended up purging a lot from this cabinet.
Lazy Susan #2 on the opposite side by the stove use to house my spices on the top shelf and my baking supplies on the bottom.
Lazy Susan #2 Before:
Oh my!
So the revelation I had was this. Can you see where my Kitchenaid mixer is? It’s right above Lazy Susan #1. And this is where we do all our baking. So with the old setup this meant we had to cross the kitchen to access all the baking supplies in Lazy Susan #2 (on the bottom shelf too!) every time we needed something. Plus two people working in the kitchen together, one baking and one cooking for instance, kept tripping over each other trying to access necessities from the same cabinet in a tight space. Yep it was time to make some changes starting with moving the baking supplies over to where they are used near the mixer. The spices still made sense to stay where they were right next to the stove where they are used most often.
First thing I had to do was empty both cabinets completely. Out onto the floor everything came.
I then gave everything a much needed wipe down.
I had the plan, I removed everything, now it was time for the fun part of the PROCESS…organize! If you are unfamiliar with the organizing PROCESS I use please visit THIS POST to learn more about it. Can be used to organize any space!!!
Lazy Susan #1 After:
All my baking supplies are in one cupboard now, including all the bowls and measuring cups. So much better!
Found these green stackable containers at the Dollar Store. Love them!!
Lazy Susan #2 After:
You can read more about the spices with the red lids on the turntable HERE.
Label the top of the lids so you can find what you need fast.
Containers keep it contained!
Tips to remember when organizing Lazy Susans:
- Round containers work well with the curve of the space. Check the dollar store.
- The use of containers keep everything from tipping over and getting lost in the back. Also work well to corral “like with like”.
- Store stuff where you use it.
- Store frequently used stuff on the top shelves.
- Check expiry dates on food items and toss outdated items if necessary.
- Remember if something hasn’t been used in a year, then it’s time to let it go.
- Label spice lids so you can see what you have when looking down on them.
Most of my containers were purchased from the dollar store with the exception of a few. Organizing doesn’t have to be expensive…first and foremost it must be functional.
Let’s recap:
Lazy Susan #1 (by dishwasher):
And Lazy Susan #2 (by stove):
Kitchen Tour:
Now be sure to check out my organizing friends to get even more ideas for organizing other spaces in your kitchen.
Organized Kitchen Drawers – Clean Mama
Organized Coffee Station – A Bowl Full of Lemons
Organized Pantry – Organizing Made Fun
Organized Fridge and Freezer – Organize and Decorate Everything
Organized Kitchen Command Center – Organizing Homelife
Kitchen Baking Zone – Goodbye House, Hello Home
Instagram Giveaway:
Make sure you’re following me on Instagram for a great giveaway that starts at 8am EST on October 1, 2014. We’ll be playing a fun round robin game and the prize is $100 CASH! Look for this picture in my Instagram feed and follow the instructions in the description. Good luck!
Let me know if you enjoy these type of posts and what you’d like to see next.
Happy kitchen organizing everyone!!
Leanne says
I love that all of your baking supplies are together. This rental kitchen is so weird. I need to figure out a better system.
Becky - Clean Mama says
Wow! I can’t believe how much you organized on those Lazy Susans! Love it!
xo
Leslie says
I don’t have any Working Mikes at my house. They are so handy and i love yours and how you made everything accessible! I have to get over to The Dollar Tree and see if I can find some of those bins.
Yours are so nice!
Jason Roberts says
I got to get some of those wonderful plastic containers for my wife. Her birthday in on the 10th, so these will make a wonderful gift, thanks! Btw, I’ve just joined your give-away! Kudos!
Sabrina says
Great job! I love the bins for spices/herbs and the labels on top to show what the container is at a glance. And, you can take one out without all the smaller containers falling over. Thanks for sharing.
Hilda @ From Overwhelmed To Organized says
Lazy susans are the best for corner cabinets! You did a great job with yours. Isn’t it funny how one day we look at a space differently and realize we could change things to make it easier/better? Enjoy your baking zone!
Joan @ The Fair Kitchen says
Lazy Susan is something I need for my kitchen. Thanks to your post by the way. I really have trouble organizing my lower cabinets so I’m really into this idea of yours.
Sandi says
My lazy Susan is what I would call a kidney shape. When you pull it out you can see what the items are only in one quarter of it the rest is in the back and you have to almost have a flashlight to see what is there and sometimes stuff falls off and I have to try to retrieve it with a par of BBQ tweezers. I need ideas to what I should do to organize it
Thanks
Sandi