Month: November 2022

This under-stair closet in Arroyo Grande was very memorable (I accidentally discharged some pepper spray thinking it was a laser pointer and trying to check the battery! But that is not what this is about!). This client has an awesome closet under a stair case that is between the kitchen/breakfast and dining/living room areas. It was being used to store some home office/garage type items like staplers, tape, spare lightbulbs, etc as well as the kids arts and crafts, project kits, sporting equipment, outdoor chalk and bubbles, and coats, hats, bags. I removed all the items from the space, organized them by type, and re-homed lots of things: some less-used sporting goods to the garage, toys to the kids’ rooms, and lots of unwanted items to the thrift store. I used the rolling carts for school supplies and arts and crafts so they can be rolled out to the table when they are being used. The items for the household I moved to the upper shelves and the lower shelves became the home for the kids’ art books and projects. Overall, the space’s purpose remained the same, albeit a far more functional version. 

Yes, a closet office in Arroyo Grande. I love a hidden little nook that can be turned into something special. This Arroyo Grande client had a closet that was jam-packed with everything from sewing supplies, photography gear, arts and crafts, gift wrapping, party/holiday supplies, shipping supplies, paperwork, home-office essentials, entrepreneurial items, and more. I nicknamed it “Mary Poppins’s Closet”! I kept removing items and it seemed endless. This little closet really had potential to be something cool and, more importantly, functional! The space had been designed to be used as a sewing closet and had a desk area and lots of small shelves. Such a cool little space! The client wanted to keep the multi-use nature but make it functional as a work space as well. After removing everything, sorting items by type, and decluttering, I was able to create a streamlined, albeit maximized, space. I put less-used items on the upper shelves, grab-and-go photography gear underneath, and all the bits and bobs for arts and crafts and home-office on the small, easy to access shelves. This project perfectly reflects how I like to make spaces work for my clients. How do you use the space? How do you WANT to use the space? We can think outside the box and get creative with storage solutions for your every day life. It doesn’t have to make sense to everyone. It just has to make sense to you!

This playroom redo in Arroyo Grande was a lot of work…and a big change! The space was overflowing with toys, arts and crafts, school supplies, video games, puzzles, dress-up clothes, LEGO, and more. I worked with the client to clear out all the unwanted items and then rearranged the room into sections that made sense. This is so important when it comes to maintaining the room! We were going to leave the top of the cabinet open but needed it to store all the empty storage containers we had left over (for future projects). Lesson 1: Don’t feel like you have to fill every space. Lesson 2: Never buy storage containers until you have decluttered. You may be surprised that you have too many already.

This chest was left untouched during the Garage|Gym project above. It contained tools, hardware, manuals, spare parts, and other items. The client wanted to clear out the area and reuse the chest inside the home. After decluttering duplicate tools and unneeded items, the remaining items were integrated into the already established tool storage area or into the home where like-items where already being stored. 

This craft room before and after in Grover Beach was so fun! The Client needed help decluttering and then organizing this craft room which needed to also function as a guest room. After downsizing a ton of unwanted crafting supplies and other items that had piled up over the years, the bookshelves were used to make a library space in the master bedroom and the remaining items were rearranged to create a more open and functional space. By minimizing the visual clutter (moving the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves), it was possible to achieve a peaceful space for guests that still functioned as a craft room. Additionally, the “Library” in the master bedroom adds interest to what were formerly blank walls.