5 lessons pro organizers have learned from clients
People turn to professional organizers or interior designers to help them make a disorganized or disappointing space more efficient or aesthetically appealing. And those experts often come through with ideas that turn out to be transformative.
Believe it or not, the inspiration can go the other way, too: Sometimes the pros discover genius tips and tricks from clients, then put them to use in their own lives or pass them along to others.
We spoke with several design and organizing pros about lessons they’ve learned from clients. Here are some of their favorites.
Shift your mindset
Lisa Zaslow, founder of Gotham Organizers in New York City, was working with an accomplished writer-editor to streamline her home office when the client shared the secret behind her ability to keep reading material from piling up. Before keeping anything, the writer reminds herself: There isn’t going to be a test. What am I saving this for? That strategy resonated with Zaslow, who has used it to dispense with the newspapers and magazines that were accumulating on a bookshelf in her own home. “People hold onto stuff because they have some kind of belief that prevents them from letting go of it,” Zaslow says. “If you can flip that mantra, it makes it so much easier to let go of things you don’t need.”
Get another opinion
As a professional organizer, Elise Hay is keenly aware of the value of having an unbiased third-party weigh in on how you’re using a space. She also knows that the systems she establishes for clients now may stop working as people get older and their interests shift. That’s why she has hired people on occasion to help her with her own space. “When you’re so ingrained in how you live day-to-day, you don’t always see your use of space clearly,” says Hay, founder and lead organizer at Organized Sanctuaries in Seattle.
For example, Hay was storing extra pantry items in a closet in her kids’ playroom. After consulting another organizer about how to maximize space as her kids grow, she realized this was a waste of valuable real estate and moved the items to a basement storage area. That freed up the closet, which has accordion doors, for a little art studio. Hay installed a built-in table for her kids’ art supplies and projects, brought in movable chairs and added a gallery wall to showcase their creations. Her kids were thrilled.
Keep little joys nearby
A few years ago, Los Angeles-based interior designer Anita Yokota was working with an empty-nester who wanted to be able to enjoy her morning coffee while taking in the view from the picturesque living room window. So Yokota created space for a hidden coffee bar – including a machine, mugs and coffee pods – by adding pocket doors to the client’s living room entertainment unit. “I loved this idea so much that I created a similar setup in my living room so I can enjoy my coffee while sitting on the couch with my dogs,” says Yokota, author of the book “Home Therapy: Interior Design for Increasing Happiness, Boosting Confidence, and Creating Calm.” Of course, you can always make your coffee in the kitchen then carry it in the living room, but having a station where you want to enjoy the drink simplifies the process and creates a sense of coziness. “It’s all about being intentional with your space and having your space serve you,” Yokota says.
Make every inch count
Lee Waters, owner and creative director of Lee Waters Design in Midlothian, Virginia, is always looking for ways to minimize clutter and make better use of vertical space. Inspired by a client who had tucked a built-in desk between two vertical bookcases, Waters converted a shallow linen closet in an upstairs hallway of her own home into “a library closet,” with five wide shelves and French doors. Waters uses the space to store some of her three kids’ books and mementos, which helps keep the clutter in their rooms under control. “I painted the walls black and the shelves white to create a receding effect,” Waters says. “And you can shut the doors on it, which I really like.” Her message to others: “Use your imagination to eke out every bit of space you can.”
Organizing expert Shira Gill, who lives with her family in a 120-year-old Craftsman house in the San Francisco area, agrees. Her home doesn’t have a mud room or a coat closet, and there isn’t space to build one. A few years ago, Gill worked with a client who had built a small storage system near her front door for bags, hats and coats. “That was a huge lightbulb moment,” says Gill, the author of “Life Styled: Your Guide to a More Organized & Intentional Life.” So she hired a carpenter to custom-build a locker with two units for her entryway, then painted it white to blend in with the surrounding wood trim. “It’s been the biggest game changer because the kids have a place to drop all the things that used to clutter up our home,” Gill says. An added bonus: “It was remarkably budget-friendly – $1,500 including labor and materials.”
Don’t sacrifice beauty
Yokota got another dose of inspiration while working with a client in Brooklyn whose tiny bedroom needed more functional storage. They decided to add a wall-mounted shelf near the nightstand, where the client could store her prettily packaged beauty products, journal and pillow spray. It has hooks underneath for her robe. “She wanted her nighttime routine to be easy, with access to things to help her feel relaxed,” Yokota says. This setup was such a hit that Yokota decided to add a similar shelf to her 16-year-old daughter’s room. “She wanted a zone for her nighttime skin-care routine, and there’s no place for a vanity,” Yokota says. This dedicated spot was the perfect solution. “She loves it,” Yokota says.
Nikki Boyd, a professional organizer in Charlotte, was inspired by a client who stored photo albums in a lovely vintage suitcase. “It’s a beautiful way to store your photos and experience them,” says Boyd, the author of “Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home.” “Instead of dealing with stacks of photo albums, she’d pull out the suitcase when she and her family wanted to reminisce. It made looking at the photos feel like they found a treasure chest of beautiful memories.” Not only has Boyd shared this strategy with other clients, but now she’s on the lookout for the right vintage suitcase for the linen photo albums she’s created for her family. “This is a reminder that organizing is not just about function,” she says. “It can also be creative and fun.”