Over this summer, I worked as a home organizer in various towns in Georgia. Most of my clients would send me pictures of the area they wanted organized, before I got there. This helped me to see what I was going to be dealing with, and help me to get an idea of how to approach the space. For example, I would bring in baskets, hooks, hangers, and any other supplies necessary for that project. The process I use for organizing people's homes is simple. The first thing I do is talk to the clients and ask them what they want to achieve with their space. This could mean "Do they want to know how to easily organize for themselves?", "Do they want to get rid of things that have been in their home for too long?", "Do they want to have items more readily available to them?", "Do they want to just have a more aesthetically pleasing space?", etc. Clients might also have issues with storage. Maybe their space is not big enough, or maybe their existing storage is not maximizing the space in the best way. These are problems that I have had to figure out how to solve for each individual client. The second thing I do is take everything out of the space, that way the client can see what they have and the space can be organizer easier. I usually sit down with the client and go through every, single item that we have now taken out of the space, to see what they want to get rid of. This part of the process can be emotional for some clients. This is because they may have found items that stir up old memories, they may not think they are strong enough to throw things away, or they may just get overwhelmed. This is why I go through each item because, they may not be ready to get rid of things yet. Further, this is why the third thing I do is go through things in sections. This makes things seem less overwhelming to you and the client. For example, in a closet, I might start with the shoes or the pile they may have of items that don't have a designated place. Additionally, when getting rid of items, whether it be clothes, shoes, food, etc, I like to donate. Donating makes the client feel better about getting rid of things because they are helping people in need. After step three, we are ready to move on to step four (obviously step four comes after step three). Step four is to refold clothes, rehang clothes on new skinny hangers, re-stack shoes, etc. During this step, I like to again tackle it in sections, but also color codes items when putting them back. This helps the space to be more aesthetically pleasing. More importantly, this helps the client to easily find things because each item now has its own space and color. With Interior Design, functionality is the most important thing when designing and planning; however, if the designer can also make it aesthetically pleasing, that is a double win. The fifth and final step is to use baskets!!! Lots and lots of baskets. Baskets can be used in so many ways. They can be used to hide things that people don't want out in the open; they can be used to throw random items in; they can be used to organize small or large things. I personally use baskets to place my blankets in. I know I said this process was simple, which it can be if broken down correctly, but I hope this helps to explain what I do and how I do it.
These are some before pictures of a closet I organized.
These are the after pictures of the same closet.
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