This family’s basement had become a dumping ground for delayed decision making. An all too relatable story, it was easier to let things pile up in the aftermath of the pandemic and the chaos of working from home and parenting small children. Out of sight, out of mind! The first step of sorting through everything and tossing whatever that was broken, old, or unused made the world of a difference. Then it was a means of categorizing and assigning zones so that my client no longer had to go on an expedition to find the kids’ winter coats or replace her toilet paper supply. ⁠

My client and her hockey-obsessed family had a spacious basement complete with a custom built-in mudroom area but stuff was still getting piled everywhere. We helped them delineate where specific items are put away by giving everything a proper home; sports equipment went in the rolling cart, shoes and outdoor accessories in trays and baskets, extra pantry items in clearly labeled bins. In purging the storage section, we were able to set up a dedicated area for my client to take a break from her family and get into her play zone!

Twenty-five years of stuff had collected in my client’s attic. While each of her three children flew the coop, their old and unused belongings remained. My client no longer had room to store the things she actually needed and enjoyed⏤like the holiday decorations she loved to put out throughout the year. ⁠We sorted through the many piles of cast-offs, and by the end of day one, we had bags and bags of unwanted items ready to toss or donate.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis years ago, my client was finding it very difficult to maneuver around her home and cook or do other household tasks. Working closely with her, I learned about what obstacles she dealt with on a daily basis and helped come up with solutions that supported her everyday routine. In organizing her kitchen and basement, I prioritized ease of access, like moving basic household overstock closer to the door or simply turning canned goods so that she could see the labels. We even surprised her husband with a home office makeover. Seeing how simple changes in my client’s home made her day to day easier was truly rewarding.

You don’t need to buy new storage containers or furniture to refresh a space! My client had a great family room and play space in her basement but it was always left in disarray with her kids’ stuff and toys scattered all over. I helped her think through how to better define what happened where and then I rearranged her existing furniture and storage to support those activities and clean up afterwards.

My client’s basement had reached a point of maximum capacity after living in her home for many years. It was hard to even walk from one end to the other, and no one knew where things were stored anymore. After some serious purging, we rearranged the space and created zones that made the most sense for my client and her family of five. I labeled all shelves and storage containers so that everything was easy to find and (just as importantly) put back!

“I started working with Sylvia after my friend and neighbor raved about how helpful she had been in her household purging and reorganizing. I thought my goal was to have her help organize my basement storage area which was a dumping ground of unused and forgotten things, some of which were meaningful and would be used if properly stored.”

“I hired Sylvia to help us tackle this monstrosity and the end result is better then we hoped. We now have a place to for storage of what we need, my husband has a workbench and place to work with his tools, we have a set up to be able to work out and half the basement can be used by our kids on bad weather days to run around and get out that energy.”

The challenge? Transform the basement into a playroom and small workout area that fit the home’s overall aesthetic. My clients wanted an inviting space that wasn’t overly “girly” and would grow with the family’s two elementary-school-age daughters.

My clients had years of family belongings, including items from loved ones who had since passed. It was daunting for them to go through everything, but they knew they needed the space back so they could move freely, enjoy their hobbies, and just plain find what they were looking for.