Top Ten of 2020
Little Red Stool Organizing has been official for 4 years now and it has been a delight to be in so many homes! Choosing only 10 after photos of all the hard work that went in to decluttering and organizing during a pandemic is going to be next to impossible. If I don't limit myself, though, you'll be here reading for days as I had the absolute honor of working in 33 households in 2020. I'm going to stick with sharing my favorites in chronological order to keep from really showing favorites. I love each and every client that I worked with this year and each of them deserves a reward for the work they did!
#1 Master Closet
Every space with this client was a beautiful project. She was ready and a fast learner. Since completing this project at the beginning of the year she has found a new rhythm of immediately putting clothes she no longer enjoys and feels good in, into a bag in her closet. When the bag is full or when she's ready, she donates it. We also did a refresh about 6 months after the first go through. During this round we were able to continue to hone-in on what this client enjoys and is willing to keep up with.
#2 Pantry Move-In
This pantry move-in was so much fun! A blank slate and free-reign on organizing products. Adding risers, bins, labels, and turn tables gave this family the organization they needed to move forward in their new space. The risers allows them to see their canned goods without digging. The bins provides a limit and containment to categories. Labels make sure things go where they should and are easy to find. Turn tables make great use of the corners that would otherwise feel like wasted space.
#3 Room Switch
I did quite a bit of rearranging this year but by far my favorite was this room switch. Baby moved out of his parents' bedroom and into his own space. Helping families grow in their spaces is an honor that I do not take lightly. We were able to help this family transition from baby to toddler and the parents got their space back appropriately as well.
#4 Storage Closet
Not all homes have a large space to store things in but when they do, they are very easy to junk up. We worked through this space in such a way that not only allows the family to walk in and around but also gives them easy access to games, serving pieces, and memory bins.
#5 Ribbon Drawer
Here is another rearrange that happened this year. This was a junk drawer mostly for tools and now it houses the prettiest ribbons and gift toppers! The ribbons did live up above this space with the rest of the gift bags but it just wasn't easy to access so the client asked if we could move it down to a drawer. I'd say it was a success!
#6 Home Desk
2020 brought a lot more use for home offices or desks. This client had wanted to clear out and organize this desk for a long time and we finally made it happen. The goal here was to get all the papers off and in a file (or in the trash) leaving a flat surface to work on. We tucked items in appropriate slots and into drawers where necessary keeping like with like. Everyone was pleased with how it turned out.
#7 Kitchen Desk Drawer
Another space that got a lot more attention this year was the "junk drawer" which more times than not ends up being renamed the "kitchen desk drawer" as we see that is the main purpose of these drawers. Taking out anything that wouldn't be used in a school or office desk, we organized the remaining items (like with like) into appropriate spaces in the drawer. Smaller bins and inserts gave structure to the space allowing it to be used to the fullest.
#8 Craft Room
This sweet client was put on the fast track to get through a lot of her spaces. At the very end we revisited her craft space. We didn't actually let go of a ton of stuff but did put like with like. As you can see we did some temporary labels (new labels coming in the new year) for the fabrics in the bins. We also put specific projects together and made spaces for more to come. Seeing everything again in an orderly fashion will really help get and keep those creative juices flowing as she creates!
#9 Master Bedroom
This room was a special project as I got to work with both the husband and wife. They were great at working through why they were keeping things and what they were willing to let go of. Then we made sure things found their way to an appropriate home either in the room or another place in their house or out of their house. This family hopes to continue this journey and the parents have set the stage for their children to follow in line.
#10 Attic
As typical with most attics and storage spaces, this space was barely walkable when we started. We worked methodically through the space moving things out to sell or donate or throw away or put in a better place within the home. Everything that was left went like with like onto a shelf. There is an entire section of things that might be used in the next house for organizing or decoration. When you have space like this it is great to use it to organize and hold things you will use soon.
Are there other sessions and photos that I absolutely love? Yes, of course! I post before and after photos each week and adore every session. So you can head over to Facebook and Instagram to see those all year round or even go back and see what fun we had other than the 2020 Top Ten.
What areas of your home are you most excited about having worked through in 2020? What areas are you ready to tackle in 2021?