10 Spaces We Love: Before & After

Let’s be honest, one of the best parts of being a professional organizer is the amazing before and after reveals. In addition to adding practicality and function, a lot of organizing a space is making it beautiful by reducing visual clutter. This week, we’re having some fun and sharing with you some spaces we love, big and small, each featuring a transformation that will have you ready to tackle a project in your own home. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Systems by Susie blog if we didn’t throw in some tips, too!

Spaces We Love

Sometimes we’re starting from scratch, like in this beautiful closet designed by Catherine Lowe. Move-ins and unpacking projects are some of our favorites! There is nothing like a fresh start. One of my best tips for making moving easy is to label, label, label. Label the boxes for each room in a different color, and on move day have corresponding signage up in your new home. It will make it so much easier for the movers to figure out where everything goes. It’s so efficient!

We love working with designers! This Dream House Studios pantry is one of our most favorite projects ever. If you are ever planning a remodel or building a new home, have a professional organizer work with your designer in the early stages of the project to maximize the storage options. You’ll be guaranteed a space that is both beautiful and functional!

This laundry room/mudroom was already so cute (that wallpaper)! The biggest difference in here was made by adding storage systems that worked better for this family. The client worked with our Team Support Manager, Lori, to pick out new floor to ceiling lockers that completely changed the function of this room. More opaque containers above the washer and dryer gave the laundry area a streamlined, modern look that really allowed the decor to shine.

Craft spaces like this beautiful one from Feather Hill Interiors benefit so much from regular refreshes. With so many small pieces floating around, it’s easy for a mess to creep up on you. The key to making refreshes painless in a craft space is to make a home for everything. By maximizing the space in the cabinets in this room, we were able to clear off table tops, reducing visual clutter and making more room for art projects!

This custom closet move-in was a lesson in innovation. Just because a product is meant for one use, doesn’t mean you can’t find an alternative. The white wire mesh baskets you see below are meant to be part of Elfa drawer systems (from The Container Store), but the drawers themselves fit perfectly in these spaces, so instead we added felt pads to the bottom to make them slide and used them like any other bin. Get creative when organizing!

One of the goals for this kitchen was clear countertops! And we are so glad our client didn’t try to hide all of the clutter before we came over. In fact, we often tell our clients NOT to clean up before our visit. Seeing where clutter naturally accumulates lets us know where your family’s pain points are, and we can make a plan and a system to address the specific issues we see during the appointment.

Can you park a car in your garage? This family couldn’t before our session. When on a garage project, our number one goal is gaining back as much floor space as possible by getting everything on shelves or hooks. Keeping kids’ toys and sports equipment low and in easily-accessible bins is another trick for keeping the garage tidy long term.

By the way, garage season for us runs from mid-March to mid-June and again from mid-September to mid-November. We’re starting to book projects for the spring, so get in touch if your garage floor needs some breathing room!

You’ve probably heard me say it before, but big life changes can often bring with them organization challenges. In the case of the couple below, they had just gotten married and their guests were VERY generous. They suddenly had a room full of fun new gifts that they needed to find homes for. Add in busy work schedules and there just hadn’t been time to get it all done. We were so happy to help them make the hard decisions and give them back their guest room. It’s always OK to ask for help during busy seasons of life!

Small changes…big improvement! In this utility closet, the team added budget-friendly multipurpose bins from The Container Store to contain like items and create zones. Even without the addition of fancy bins, this space looks so much less cluttered and will be super functional for this family. Clear labels make it possible for everyone to help out on cleaning day!

Ah…the power of a refresh! Just like the craft room above, closets are another area that need regular maintenance. This client has an amazing wardrobe and loves to shop. She has done a great job scheduling regular visits for this space to keep it up as a part of our membership program. I recommend putting a reminder on your calendar at the change of each season to go through your clothes (donate anything you haven’t worn) and reset your drawers and shelves.

I hope these examples have left you inspired to take on some projects in your own home this spring. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out for a free consultation. My team and I would love to help you!

For more before and after content, be sure to follow me on Instagram!

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Happy Organizing!

Susie