Spin Doctor: A New Twist to Organizing Your Cabinets

“You spin me right round, baby, right round, like a record, baby, right round round round…”

Ever have a favorite song (OK, so it’s from the ‘80s and I’m dating myself) or a favorite thing that makes you want to sing and dance? Well, I’m back with another favorite organizing product like this that does just that to me: the turntable!

Much like a DJ spinning records at a nightclub, I invite you into my kitchen where these babies really spin, weave their magic and get the party started.

It all began a few months ago when I was helping organize a client’s kitchen. I marveled at her spice cabinets – she had placed all those little jars on turntables, and I started to think about how genius this was. Like my fabulous laundry room drawers, you rotate the spices to come to YOU!

For the better part of my adult life I have organized my spices on those tiered spice shelves. They have worked perfectly in various homes (sliding in/out to fit the width of the cabinet), but as I started cooking more as a wife and mom and started acquiring more spices, the tiered shelves were no longer working for me. Yes, I could see the spice jar on the back shelf that I needed, but that often meant removing 3-4 jars in front (or rather, knocking them all over) in attempts to reach that spice jar in the back.

Not the best model of functional kitchen organization. More like kitchen mosh pit.

Cue the turntable, disco lights and fog machine.

Because I have narrow kitchen cabinets, I scored on finding the 2-tier version of the turntable, and I use two of them to corral my spices and keep everything spinning (and me dancing) throughout meal preparation. I can now reach any spice (even those on the top tier!) without having to pull out a stepladder, dig around for spice jars and unleash the inevitable domino effect of spices spilling out of my cabinet. Can I just say I’m in love with this new organization?

So if you’re still singing “You spin me right round, baby…” in your head you are a child of the 80s, and most likely know my turntable by another name: the Lazy Susan. As my friend, colleague and mentor Regina Lark once said to me, “There’s nothing lazy about this Susan!” Too true.

But I have to share this photo from a recent garage cleanout. #TB80s

Whatever you choose to call her and wherever you choose to place her (think of all the areas she can jazz up in your home!), invite her over for a twirl. She’ll be your tireless dance partner and your new best friend.

If you’re already a convert, please share creative ways that you have used turntables in your home – I’d love to hear about them!