When we say we’re Professional Organizers, generally we get the “Oh, you do closets!?” response. Yes, we do closets. Lots of them in fact. But we do so much more than closets and many times the projects we are hired for end up transforming into so much more than our clients originally contacted us for, simply because they didn’t know just how much we are actually capable of as Professional Organizers. Here are our favorite “Yes, we do that too!” projects of 2016.

Problem:

Our client had hoarded her apartment over many years and needed help digging her way out. She didn’t know where to begin or how to go about it.

Solution:

With this project our goal was to create a healthy, more manageable living space. We did this by working in phases and assisting the client in making decisions on what to keep and what to donate in order to remove the excess and keep reasonable quantities of the things she still needed and wanted.

What made this project one of our favorites?

Seeing a dramatic transformation and a huge increase in our clients quality of life. She was able to do something that most of us take for granted; she was able to cook for herself again. We also loved being able to donate an enormous amount of items to a multitude of organizations like the MSPCA, Goodwill, More than Words, and The Women’s Lunch Place.

Problem:

This client hadn’t lived in her condo for almost two years and needed some serious help preparing it for sale. Since moving out, she had gotten married, had a baby, was due soon with her second child and couldn’t imagine trying to tackle this project herself. That’s when she called us to help purge her belongings that she hadn’t seen in quite some time and no longer wanted since her life had changed so much since she was last there.

Solution:

We purged everything that resided within the walls of her condo, we hired a moving company to transport everything that she wanted to keep to her new home and we donated the rest. After speaking with a local realtor friend of ours, we knew that doing a moderate renovation on the condo was going to yield a huge price increase from what she originally paid for the condo so we came up with the plan, sourced all of the materials and worked with one of our favorite contractors to complete the renovation. In addition to a spruced up condo with some fun furniture, we added some plant life to liven up the space, coated the walls with a neutral hue of fresh paint, had the space professionally cleaned and replaced minor things such as living room blinds, light fixtures and kitchen hardware. Not only did this rejuvenation appeal for potential buyers passing through, it also made for fabulous photographs to spread the word. The property sold within a few days of putting it up for sale for over asking price.

What made this project one of our favorites?

Many of our clients are contemplating moving to a new living space in order to avoid undertaking a renovation or they need to spruce up their space in order to get top dollar when they sell. Now, just take a second to think about having these renovations executed without you having to lift a finger – well, maybe just to text us to tell us how awesome it is that we’re handling all of the details! Something we pride ourselves on while helping with renovations is making it as easy for our clients as possible. We love being able to take on large projects like this for our clients that have many moving parts and would generally be incredibly stressful for them to manage. Our client was able to take a vacation during the project and let us handle every little detail. We’re able to simplify the entire process and be an advocate for our clients when they can’t be there. She was thrilled with the results and is so relieved to no longer have the burden of managing that property or the expenses from it.

Problem:

This client called us for help with their huge three car garage that had an incredible amount of potential with which they had tried to create some semblance using the elfa system from The Container Store but couldn’t quite figure out how to store everything that they needed in the garage and felt overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they had for each one of the sports that their children played in addition to their family hobbies that they do together. This family of six- 2 adults, 3 kids and an adorable dog needed a whole new system.

Solution:

If you know us at all, you know that one of our absolute favorite products is the elfa closet system from The Container Store. We love the versatility, flexibility, quality and price point. We’ve created hundreds of solutions for our clients over the years in their closets, garages, arts and crafts closets, bathrooms, pantries, toy rooms, linen closets, laundry rooms, basements, you name it, we’ve don’t it and we’ll continue to because there is nothing else like it on the market. We organized every item that this super active family wanted to store in the garage and then planned the system around each sport/activity that they play. We measured the space, which was a feat on it’s own, making sure to account for bump-outs, windows and other obstacles. Next, we took an inventory to make sure that we could account for every item being placed in the garage. One way that we are different from the designers at The Container Store is that we get to know our clients, what they like and don’t like, what they do and don’t need, how they function in their daily life and design a system around them, we don’t just use the dimensions of their walls. This is how we create the best systems for our clients and we love doing it. To see a system completely customized to your life that works for every member of your family and that looks beautiful at the same time is what we consider perfection!

What made this project one of our favorites?

This is one of the biggest elfa projects that we have ever done in one huge space. There was so much detail that went into the planning process and so many variables to consider. It was an enormous puzzle and ended up looking so simple and streamlined in the end because of the meticulous planning that went into it. We love a good challenge!

Problem:

Trying to run a household with young children is no easy feat. Add being very involved in your community and the time constantly gets away from you. This young family needed systems to keep their busy days running smoothly. They have a large, old New England home, but for those of you who aren’t knowledgeable of the era a lot of these homes were built in, closet space is incredibly limited. Add in funky angles and crooked staircases and you have a puzzle on your hands. From sports equipment, music lessons, homework, and just being kids, the stuff kept accumulating.

Solution:

We were able to work with the client from the attic to the basement to purge, properly sort and store seasonal items as well as memorabilia. We also made sure to put kid friendly systems in place and even sourced out new furniture to fit the needs of their space. In the attic pictured above, we stored seasonal household items, clothing, sports equipment and even holiday costumes for the entire family along with their memorabilia neatly organized. Each member of the family knows where to find their things and can access it whenever they need to without having to ask for help.

What made this project one of our favorites?

Being able to help a family organize their things in a way that allows them to quickly access everything that they are looking for because they know exactly where each item lives in their home. Watching their kids get excited about the organizing process and doing their part to keep the house organized. Knowing that our input and hard work is truly appreciated and valued. It’s why we do what we do!

We’ve enjoyed working with every one of our clients this past year and are so thankful to all of them for inviting us into their lives and letting us help them create an organized space. We can’t wait to meet all of the new clients that will come into our lives in 2017 and to see the incredible transformations that will take place. Cheers!