Another success trip for Organizing, this time in Raleigh, NC! After a very successful weekend in Atlanta, organizing makeup artist Jennifer Ivey's home, I was excited to plan my next weekend of organizing! (Check out that amazing work here!)
Meet Sarah Henger! Sarah and I have known each other since we were approximately 6 years old while we grew up in Casstown, Ohio. There are only a few other people aside from her who have been around to see every embarrassing moment of my life and yet she's still sticks around. Sarah (nickname = Squirrel) is brilliant, beautiful, and badass. She has moved over 20 times in her life, so when she finally bought her house in Raleigh, she knew she needed some help to settle in. Enter: Fourth Wall Organizing from April 19-21st. Even though Sarah is not an Artist by occupation (my main client base), she has powerful pipes that shock every karaoke bar she graces.
Friday - Guest Bedroom, Laundry Room, Linen Closet
Bright and early in the morning, we set out a plan to declutter every room and closet in the house. I sorted through boxes and made piles for her to review. I was able to file fold all of her dresser drawers & organize her linen closet/laundry room while she addressed the piles. We decluttered EVERY. SPACE. which was so helpful to set us up for the next two days.
Saturday - Master Bedroom, Closet & Bathroom
The goal of Saturday was to finish circle back to the decluttered rooms and assess long term storage plans. I asked Sarah questions about how she uses each space and her routine. Sarah is as low maintenance as you can get, so she needed simple systems that are easy to maintain. We made a choice to use linen baskets in her closet instead of open shelf storage so she wouldn't hate seeing her "messy" folds everyday. In her bathroom, we spent a total of $8 at the Dollar Tree to organize all of her products into one space. She kept buying more and more product because she couldn't find what she already had.
Sunday - Garage, Coat Closet, Kitchen & Paperwork
I made the conscious choice of leaving the garage for the final day. First, I knew it would take a large portion of the day to accomplish, but also because it contained the most clutter and memories for Sarah. She has had about 5 different lives by her 30th birthday - all of these lives lived in boxes in her garage. She spent a couple hours sorting/making decisions with me, then went inside to file paperwork while I put it all together. After the garage was completed, I circled back to the Kitchen drawers to create a more functional space for her while she cooks.
And Another Thing...
- Sarah found over $250 in cash and gift cards, 19 pairs of sunglasses (and counting), and perfumes she has been looking for for years. - We decluttered enough for her to have two completely empty drawers in her bedroom. - I purchased a simple file box and folders for her to begin filing her paperwork.
- I set up a mail system for her so she can keep things contained and manage all her important urgent mail.
As I learned from Atlanta, one of the many benefits of me being there over the weekend was that I was able to tweak systems as we went. If something ended up being impractical for her, we had time to change things up and try something new.
If you are interested in having me out to organize for a weekend, even if you are out of the NYC Metro area, email fourthwallorganizing@gmail.com to set up a weekend! #destinationorganization