How Do I Start? Tips for finding your style.
At Fresh Edit, my focus is offering functional solutions tailored to each client. Unlike HGTV, most projects aren’t knocked out in a thirty minute window minus commercial breaks. Sometimes we need to work with a system for a while and then reassess. The goal is efficiency and peace of mind, not just photos for Pinterest.
Please, for the love of Marie Kondo, don’t go buy all the pretty bins before you’ve decluttered. You don’t know what you’re storing until you’ve handled every item to decide if it Sparks Joy, is expired, fits your current lifestyle, or has earned the right to take up real estate in your home.
There is no perfect way to get organized. The best method is whatever works for you! I like to present clients with ideas from all types of professionals in my field to see what resonates. Are you trying to make sure you don’t leave your descendants with piles to sort through when they’re grieving the loss of their parent? Let’s look at Swedish Death Cleaning. Are you concerned about your environmental impact and consuming/wasting through under use or fast fashion? We can check out Sustainable Minimalists. Looking to cherish what Sparks Joy and clear away clutter to find peace? Enter: Marie Kondo. Simplifying your life and finances so you can afford to give more back to your community? Meet Joshua Becker. Practical solutions for busy parents? Rachelle Crawford’s Messy Minimalism is for you.
A note on TV organizers - In many cases, professional organizing on TV is actually similar to real life. We can bring in product, a team, and work long hours get things done on a time crunch. What they don’t discuss on those shows is cost. When you hire an organizer, the rate per hour is per organizer in most cities. So if a team of three shows up at your home, the hourly rate is x3.
Shows like Get Organized with The Home Edit use almost exclusively product from The Container Store (aka The Mother Ship for Organizers). The Home Edit has a branded line with the Container Store, so they used mostly their own products on the show. For some perspective, on an episode with a massive pantry remodel, they installed an Elfa closet system and used hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of jars, baskets, bins, and labels. On the same episode they “organized” a child’s play kitchen for fun using the same products, and I would estimate the kid version cost about $100 without labor.
The largest impact you can make in your space is to edit. Make sure every item deserves to be there. What people are drawn to in the “after” photos is the aesthetic, which is cute containers, but most importantly, negative space. If you’re over shopping (because you can’t see what you have in stock) or hanging on to aspirational items you’ll never use, your space will look busy and chaotic. Even if The Container Store isn’t in the budget, there are plenty of less expensive alternatives, and you can make a huge difference without any product or closet remodeling just by editing.
This is a no-product declutter and organization project I did recently. After removing everything expired and giving each category it’s own zone, we had a clear and inviting supply of snacks to choose from. We had one bin my client already owned, and repurposed some glass bowls for grab-and-go snacks from elsewhere in the kitchen. Without committing to a major purchase, my client can decide if this system works for her, and if she wants to keep purchasing the snacks on display, without worrying if new items will fit into specific containers.
If you need convincing, run the numbers. What do you pay per square foot for your space? Do expired items deserve that price? Clothes that don’t fit? Sports equipment that’s gathering dust? In your life, what is the value of peace of mind? A space that’s easier to tidy each day? Room to breathe?
Check back here for tips and products I recommend, and reach out to talk about your personal projects!
