Move Over, Lazy Susans: This Storage Alternative Maximizes Space In Your Cabinets

Lazy Susans in corner kitchen cabinets are anything but lazy. They enable you to store your kitchen essentials neatly on that magical, spinning, two-tier circular shelving unit that prevents you from having to reach too far back for that mixing bowl or pitcher. But sometimes as you pile stuff onto your lazy Susan slots, you might ask yourself if you could be using that space more efficiently. It seems like there are corners in the back that are going unused. Maybe this Susan is lazy after all. It might be time for a solution that gives you space to store that long pancake griddle or other unusually shaped pots and pans. Enter the return of shelves to maximize cupboard room.

On TikTok, @crystelmontenegrohome replaced her lazy Susan with regular shelves. One or two commenters said they'd hate to get rid of their spinning shelves, but most celebrated the move and asked for measurements and how-to details, so they could do the same. "This is the video I was looking for!" one says. "Hate the lazy Susan for pots and pans, and I wanted to do something like this. This Is the sign!" Another adds, "OMG come to my house and do that for me."

@crystelmontenegrohome

I've never liked lazy susans and having shelves in this corner cabinet will give me so much more storage – so lets build some! #diytok #diyshelves #lazysusan #kitchenorganization #cabinetorganization #kitchenstorage

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Crystal Montenegro added some DIY specifics on her blog, including why she made the switch. "If I was using it for food or maybe for smaller items that I had to reach in the back for, a lazy Susan might not be the worst option out there with its swivel feature," she says. "But I'm generally not a fan of deep shelves of any kind that aren't meant to hold huge items. With this corner cabinet, there's still so much space that the lazy Susan isn't capitalizing on and thus becomes wasted."

To fix a lazy Susan kitchen cabinet yourself, first, clear out your lazy Susan. Then, unscrew and remove the center pole holding those spinning shelves. You'll be left with a huge empty space. Measure the depth and width inside the cabinet to size up new shelves and measure a solid plywood base to replace the flimsy particleboard floor. Rough-cut the big sheet with the circular saw to make it easier to handle, and do the long straight cuts on the table saw. Montenegro finished the tight inside corner with a jigsaw. She trimmed a smidge off the back corner, too, to make it easier to slide past any beams and through the door. After a test fit, perform necessary trimming. Cut plywood strips for ledges to support a middle shelf, and nail them in. The result: shelves that deliver more space. Then, use these tips to better organize your kitchen shelves.