When Lindsay of Peace in Place reached out to me about partnering up for a project, my mind instantly started spinning with the possibilities of different spaces to tackle. I loved her down-to-earth transformations, and her calm and patient demeanor. Since I was in the midst of transitioning between office furniture and I have a unique workspace at home, I thought it would be the perfect place for us to work together.
So many of my clients and friends ask about the process of working with a professional organizer, so I wanted to give you an inside look at how it worked for me from start to finish.
Before the appointment:
Lindsay gave me a call before we started to learn about the space I had in mind, my goals and the current state of affairs. She had a really helpful prep sheet for me to fill out with more information along with tips to get ready for the visit. After we honed in on the plan to work on my desk and craft space, she also asked me to send over some inspiration photos and photos of the space.
During the appointment:
When Lindsay arrived, the first thing we did was to take everything out of EVERYWHERE. We emptied all drawers, shelves, nooks and crannies. From there, here are some helpful takeaways:
- Group similar things together– once everything was taken out, Lindsay got to work grouping together similar things like stationery, but also putting pens, stamps and accessories in the same area. Basically the goal was that if I wanted to work on a particular project, everything I needed to complete it would be stored together.
- Group by size– a random tip I never considered was to focus on the size of things. Lindsay had a such a great eye for things that could fit well together, the best places to put them and even how to store them based on weight and space.
- Use what you have– From the start, I watched Lindsay emptying out boxes, bins and cartons and setting them aside. As she went along, it became obvious she was saving these to store other things in- DUH! I was amazed at how many little things I had lying around that were a perfect fit to store other items. As we organized, we also brainstormed on how to recycle things like shoebox tops and cereal
box bottoms. One fear I hear a lot from clients is they don’t want to invest a lot in organizing materials. I can tell you personally- I didn’t invest a dime! - Create a category of things that don’t belong– Once things started to take shape, it was clear that certain items didn’t fit in. Instead of stopping and running to put them away, we started a pile to deal with later. It made it simple to go through it all at once and see what needed to be relocated, donated or trashed.
- Reuse and recycle! I had tons of cardboard, trash and old art supplies that most likely would have ended up in the garbage, but Lindsay had all the answers on disposal as well! Some things she could take for future clients, many things (cardboard and all types of plastic) could be recycled, and pens/pencils/crayons and other supplies could be taken somewhere like The Scrap Exchange (which she taught me about and I can’t WAIT to visit!).
All in all, I was left with a super functional space that flows just how I need it to. We addressed my major concerns (blending work and crafts, organizing my Cricut supplies, filling my new desk) and she had a totally fresh eye on many of my ongoing headaches.
It was a crazy experience to step totally out of the picture and let Lindsay rock and roll, but she did her thing with ease! So often we put things in the same spots day after day even if they don’t fit or work the way they need to. My biggest takeaway from having her visit is that sometimes you just need a fresh perspective and to totally shake things up to make them work smoothly!
Thanks SO much to Lindsay and Peace in Place for working with me on this fun project. She so graciously gave me a code to share with y’all if you’re in the need for a refresh this holiday season or to kick off the new year. Use the code athomewithlibby on her site for $50 off a session or $200 off of a package!
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