What a year! We’re celebrating the impact and contributions of our team members’ work with clients over the course of 2021.
Elfa Closet System to the Rescue!
Does your home suffer the curse of small closets? We are here to tell you that hope is not lost!
Cramped spaces make it harder to access and see what we have and keep it organized. With closets, this can be an even bigger mess because if we can’t access it, that also means it’s harder to put clothes away, which leads to us living out of the laundry basket. But there is a solution out there!
As always, we love a good product that is worth the investment, and Elfa Closets are one of those life-changing products.
Recently, we worked with a client who moved into a one bedroom apartment that only had one, relatively small, walk-in closet. The client was worried about how to access and display her clothes in both a functional and visually appealing way— and would it all fit in the small closet?
We recommended the Elfa System and she decided to give it a try.
Elfa Closet Systems are made to be designed to your needs. You can purchase items individually, or you can design a closet based on your space.
What we love most- is that it’s SUPER user friendly. On their website, click on the “Design Center” tab. This will open up with the start of your closet remodel journey. After putting in a few measurements, and asking a few questions, Elfa will generate a suggested closet model that you can then customize based on your needs.
Do you have more shoes? Add some shoe shelves. Not a lot of shoes, but have plenty to hang? Add an extra row of hanging bars. The design is sleek and customizable in colors too!
Now you might be thinking— that sounds great, but it’s probably hard to install and requires some hard labor.
That’s the absolute best part of this set up— it’s super simple to install and set up! Here’s how it works:
order your customized closet,
it ships to you with everything you need ( with the exception of a drill, and level.)
When you open the boxes, there are instructions with each wall labeled A, B, C, D.
Install the anchor rail
Following the instructions for each wall, install the anchor rail across the length of each wall. Congratulations, the hardest part is over!
hang the vertical anchor bars
Once the anchor rail is in place the vertical bars just wedge into place on the bar can slide to their needed positions on the wall. After that, it’s just a matter of hooking the shelves into the vertical anchor bars, and following the design you created.
Once it’s completed, you have an amazingly accessible closet installed and ready for you to hang your clothes, and shelve your shoes. AND if you ever decide you want to change it up, you can! If you decide you wanted your shoes on the other side of the closet, you can move them! Want to shift everything over, you can!
The client we were working with was beyond pleased with how her new closet turned out, and was amazed that everything fit, it wasn’t cramped, and it looked visually appealing too.
While this system is an investment, it makes life so much easier and keeps us from living out of the laundry basket.
Want to get started planning your dream closet? Click here to get started.
Organizing tips for cleaning off your desk
This past Monday was National Clean off your desk day! Yes, there is actually a national holiday for that! Who knew?
Getting your desk or home office space organized can often be overwhelming so we've compiled a few tips to help you get started.
After
Before
Step 1: Sort everything! Clear the surface and empty each drawer. Make piles of office supplies, things that don't belong on your desk, and go through that paper work! A good place to start in terms of paper is to think about the broad categories--Recycle, shred, file, attend to. The attend to pile will be the most time consuming so don't get hung up here quite yet.
Step 2: Find a place for each category. Using drawer organizers or a rolling cart if your desk doesn't have drawers for supplies makes it much easier to maintain order so that you aren't facing a disorganized and overwhelming desk again in 3 months.
Step 3: Allocate. Put everything in it's place-- including filing, shredding and recycling piles. Add a few simple decor items or a plant to your desk top if you'd like. I find that I'm more likely to use my desk if I've "beautified it".
Rolling Cart
Step 4: Work through that pile of paperwork that needs attention or action. Pay any outstanding bills, add any appointment reminders to your calendar, flip through the magazines and purchase or discard, and start a to do list of anything that can not be attended to at the moment. Keep that to do list on top of your active pile and commit to working through it over the coming weeks. If you have a place and a plan for your desk, the maintenance piece will just be your active paper pile.
Step 5: We would love to see what you are up to! Post a before and after picture of your desk and use our hashtag #helpyoudwell Or if you'd like to skip steps 1-3 and let us do it for you, email us at info@helpyoudwell or give us a call (865)245-9080!
Items Inspired by this Post:
Furniture & Art Placement from a Recent Job
This week we wanted to give you a little glimpse into a job we recently completed (and loved)!
We had the privilege of helping an elderly client move from an apartment on the second floor down to the first floor in an assisted living complex. What seemed like a pretty simple "move" became much more meaningful for our team as we got started.
Our client gave us permission to give her a fresh look in her space. From the furniture set up to art placement, we loved every minute!
As we began gathering her artwork and memorabilia from international travels, we got very excited. It was such a fun experience to revel at her artwork and hand crafted books as we found special places in her apartment for them. We could see her light up as we got to enjoy the art she had created and collected throughout her life. Each piece had a story that she was eager to tell. Decorating her living space became more like an intimate art exhibit tour with the artist herself.
We were reminded of the importance of surrounding yourself with things that bring you joy. For you that may mean memories, collections, or pieces of art.
Packing up the Memories
There often comes a time in all our lives or our loved one's lives when we have to say goodbye to the place we've called home.
This is never an easy transition for multiple reasons. In this particular case, the homeowner needed assistance with everyday life and wasn't able to live on her own any longer. Not being able to take much with her, her daughter and son-in-law have been left with the task of clearing out the remaining items from her former home. However, they have busy lives of their own both working and raising two active school age children. After almost 6 months of the condo sitting untouched, waiting to be gone through, HYD got the call to help.
This situation is all too familiar to so many folks. A parent's home filled with memories, trinkets, collections, photographs, furniture (both valuable and not), attics, that are so overwhelming to go through. In this case, we've been able to go through every cabinet, dresser drawer, bookshelf, box, closet, trunk, and room to categorize, label, box up, and create order so that when the daughter and son-in-law come, they can easily decide what to keep, what to sell, and what to donate.
HYD feels honored to be trusted with such an important job which is why we take such care with each object we touch, paper we read, photo we categorize, and memory we help to preserve. It all stays confidential and our clients can feel safe knowing that we will find the right home(s) for any items they choose not to hold on to.
This particular homeowner is a very talented artist. We thought you'd enjoy just a few treasures we found as we organized her belongings. The first is her "Ideal Wardrobe" handmade book from the late 1940s. The latter photos are just a couple of the many wonderful sketches and prints we found. Enjoy...
Thanks so much for coming along with HYD as we journey through our clients' stories and memories. It is a job we cherish and look forward to each day. If you have any questions or interest in learning how we might help you or a loved one with transitioning into a new home, please don't ever hesitate to call or email us at 865.245.9080 or info@helpyoudwell.com.
We've also updated our website in a few places to describe in more detail how and what HYD can assist with especially related to estate transitions and organized moving and unpacking.
And as always, feel free to drop by The Hive to visit us anytime we're in!
Home Organization Projects | Before & After
Recent Home Organization Projects by Help You Dwell
January has been full of fun for HYD. We've had the privilege of organizing two home office areas, several closets, a couple of kitchen pantries, creating a playroom, overhauling a sunroom, and we're in the middle of helping organize, pack, and remove items from a mother-in-law's former condominium.
Every job has had it's own challenges and each homeowner had their own ideas and plans for the space we worked in. This is the part of our job that calls us to be good listeners and creative problem-solvers. We want to invite you to join us through our journey with some of January's clients thus far & let you see some of the photos and the reviews & quotes we received along the way. Because maybe you'll see yourself or a loved one who could truly benefit from a helping hand like the one HYD can give.
HOME OFFICE
Our first stop is a home office redo of a working mom of three school age kids. She's got a great space to work with, a tight budget, and an eagerness to get a system. Our goal was to not only create the space, but put in place routines that will help keep it ordered and functional while not breaking the bank on all kinds of new gadgets, storage containers, etc.
Before - Home Office
In the before, you'll see lots of extras lying around that aren't related to the office. With a little clean-up, purging, and rearranging (plus finding a fantastic donated shelving unit) we were able put together a much more functional area for the whole family to utilize.
Home Office - After
The only purchased items to finish off the space were the woven file box on the bottom shelf of the shelf unit and the wire tray on the desk for active bills, school papers, and to do items. All the other baskets, frames/photos, etc the homeowner already had. We look forward to checking back in with her to see how things are going.
“I actually sat in here and worked this week!”
“Money well spent!! So great to have these ladies help organize my space and take control of my domain again!!”
SUNROOM
First of all, what a wonderful space to work in! This client was overjoyed to get to cash in her gift certificate she won in our December giveaway by asking for our help in creating a sunroom for reading, thinking, snuggling, and just enjoying. We were more than happy to help. Having just moved into her new home with her husband and two littles, she was very open to suggestions and ideas of how to make the space work best. She had lots of family furniture pieces to work with along with a wonderful selection of plants given to her by her late grandmother.
Sunroom - Before
Again, such a fabulous room to work with but it can also be a challenge when you have so much room to want to fill it up with furniture, plants, and accessories just because you have the space. If we're going a peaceful getaway type room, cozy and comfortable are part of the goal but order and simplicity must be included as well. The plants also bring great color and life to the room but too many can cause the room to feel messy. We took great care to find the right plants for the right spaces throughout the house so that each one can be enjoyed and properly cared for.
Sunroom - After
Once we walked through the house and basement to see what furniture pieces we had to work with and where some of the extra plants could be enjoyed in the house, we then started the great rearrange! Creating a breakfast nook for quiet mornings, a desk near the windows for thoughtful contemplation, a couch and seating area for great conversation, and added a much needed bookshelf (located on the left wall) to house all the books for snuggling up and reading.
“HYD was SUCH a gift to my house! They created space where there was only plants and stuff mashed together. They created atmosphere by giving important items a perfect place to fit in the sunroom. HYD also gave me “permission” (you know how you cling to things that should be let go of?) to get rid of. Now I can’t help but to walk into the room and just look around in awe, loving my new space, and enjoying sharing it with whoever drops by. Thank you SO very much HYD! I will be recommending you many times over (and asking you to come again for sure!)”
PANTRY
The last leg of our journey today takes us to a home of a family with two little ones and twins on the way! Lots to prepare for here. As mom and dad plan ahead, they know systems will be one of their greatest allies in surviving four little ones. HYD took on the kitchen pantries. With limited cabinet space, these homeowners need to make their two pantries work well. Our job was to make sure everything had a home, it was easy to access, and the littles had kid-friendly items down low so they could get their own snacks, etc. Below are the before shots of each pantry.
Once we got a good look at all the items in each pantry, we realized that we needed to consolidate, purge, and regroup many of the items. We designated the pantry on the right as the snack and non-cooking pantry. It's full of the grab-n-go items like snack bars, juice boxes, dried fruit, crackers, nut spreads, etc. Easy for the babysitter to find what he or she needs to feed hungry preschoolers.
The pantry on the left is now the designated appliance and cooking pantry filled with appliances, canned goods, pasta, root vegetables, cookbooks, and other small appliance-type accessories like batteries and light bulbs now contained in clear storage bins for easy access.
Adding the storage containers to the grab-n-go pantry was key. It's much easier to access the items, see what you have, and if labeling is your thing, the blue area on the front of each container is a dry erase area for easy labeling.
This is just a glimpse of what we've been up to this month. We hope you've gotten inspired to find that space in your home to tackle and bring new life to. Creating order where there was once none can be such a springboard for freedom in other areas of your life as well. Don't wait, make room in your schedule today to purge, reorder, and create the space you've always longed for. If you need help, we'd be glad to give it, whether it's a little or a lot.
Our Beautiful Clients
As HYD closes the books on our second year of organizing, staging, event planning, collaborating, volunteering, home touring, learning, listening, and laughing a lot, we can think of no other word than "gratitude" for what we get to do each day.
2015 has given us so many wonderful opportunities to walk alongside folks who have had a variety of dwelling needs. We have lots of "before & after" photos of their homes (many that we need to publish so you can see what amazing spaces we got to create with them) but it always comes back to the people. The stories, the victories, the calls, the cards, emails, & follow-up photos from our clients are what make us really love our job.
The longer we've done this, the more we've come to realize how intimate what we do can be. Allowing us to walk into the chaos your home may be in is not easy. Our clients are brave, humble, & hopeful & we are so thankful to now call many of them friends. We understand that those "before" pictures we take are not taken lightly. A lot of life has come before the disorder. Thankfully, there's a lot of life to come after as well.
As we think through the list of HYD's clients, we've gotten to work with men and women in just about all seasons of life:
parents with school-age kids who need a command center/home office and system to keep things running smoothly
empty-nesters who are ready to think about downsizing and purging
homeowners ready to park vehicles in their garage after years of the garage being full
widows & widowers who need someone to walk through the purging, packing, and transitioning to another home or life in their current home without their loved one
moms with babies and preschoolers who need help making order of all the accessories that come along with little ones so they can focus more time on kids instead of clutter
small business owners who pour their hearts and souls into their businesses but have little time to make their home what they desire & desperately need as a quiet, ordered respite
artists with a passion for what they create but a mental block when it comes to setting up their artistic space
new homeowners who want to start organized so they can stay that way
office managers/workers who want their offices to be organized, efficient, & places where they're inspired to do their best work
The list goes on and we look forward to seeing the awesome people and opportunities 2016 holds for HYD. Be on the lookout for new package deals, organizing & staging workshops, and lots more!
Happy New Year from HYD!
Letting Go of the Sippy Cup
Sometimes we just don't see it coming. Life brings changes we never dreamed of. The changes can be full of hope and excitement with so many opportunities and possibilities in front us. Other times, these changes can be the opposite. The loss of a dream, a relationship, or even a life.
Recently, HYD had the great privilege of walking alongside a loving mama named Leanne who had to say goodbye to her baby son. Leanne also happens to be a dear childhood friend of mine. November 14, 2012, Baby Drew entered this world as a mighty warrior fighting for life from day one, 8 months later, he "passed peacefully from parent's arms into the arms of Jesus." I won't begin to share with you the journey this was for my friend & her family, you can only imagine. God never left their side, but the pain endured and the loss they continue to feel matches nothing I've ever known. If you're interested in reading more, here is the CaringBridge journal.
What I do want to share is what life is like two years later, when the room in their house that was to be Drew's still sits waiting for him to come home from the NICU at Vanderbilt that he never left. Drew's mama has tried for months to redo the room, find new purpose for it, and let go of some of Drew's baby gear that he'll never get to use. There are so many emotions attached to these items.
When we lose something precious, our grief process may have some similarities to others but truly it is always our own process. Drew's mom has clung desperately to her faith, her family, and her friends. Leanne's transparency through this journey has been immeasurable. It has also allowed countless others to confess the hard, ask for help, and find healing through inviting others to share their own burdens.
In this season, after all the CaringBridge readers are gone, the sympathy cards and casseroles don't come any longer, and most people think her family ought to be "back to normal," Drew's mom knows that the healing will never be full until she holds her boy again in Eternity. Until then, there's a room in her home that needs new life. This is where Help You Dwell comes in.
Leanne knew it was time. She was ready. She called and said she didn't know where to start.
Caroline and I got there at 10:30am and by 2pm, Drew's room was well on it's way to be a guest and family craft room for both she and her 9 year old son, Nate.
The process was wonderful and hard at the same time. Drew's mom got to sift through some of the thoughtful, handmade gifts she's received along the way. HYD helped her make decisions about how to donate certain items and how to discard others. One of the hardest items to let go of were the sippy cups she had saved for him. Any of you who've had the blessing of multiple children have saved items from your older kids that the younger ones can use. This bag of sippy cups had been Nate's. All the other items she had saved could be donated or given to a friend to use, but sippy cups aren't really items to share with others. You really just use them for your own kids so she knew they would just have to go in the trash. It's amazing how so much of a person can be wrapped up in an object.
Listening, waiting, and gently encouraging her to let go of the bag of cups wasn't easy but it was good. She would agree. We moved on to the next items and by 2pm, the room was transformed into a place that allowed her to see all kinds of possibilities.
In closing, I want to also share a little of my friend's experience having Help You Dwell enter into this intimate & sensitive place to walk alongside her in this journey. Upon writing this blog, I shared it with her before posting & she responded with her journal entry just after we had come. Here is an excerpt she gave me permission to share...
Yesterday, Taryn and Caroline came and helped me declutter Drew's room. It was an amazing, productive, and heart wrenching time. It felt like forever, but it was 4 hours. Funny how you lose a sense of time when you're in that kind of space. (at one point, I commented that cleaning out spaces seems to go a lot faster on HGTV) I was so anxious leading up to our time and asked so many to pray for that time. God was faithful to be there. He gave me a willing spirit to get rid of stuff and to stay on task. He also blessed me with 2 precious sisters to walk with me in this process. What a gift!!
Several times since they left, I have gone into Drew's room and just enjoyed the space. It's open and mostly organized. (there are still boxes to go through, but they are in the basement and out of sight... this could be dangerous. You know, out of sight. Out of mind.) I love the space and the reward of having purged so much stuff yesterday. However, I know the room isn't finished. We began the day yesterday discussing what the space should be. I LOVE, LOVE that Help You Dwell's goal is to make spaces functional and to bring purpose to a room.
Caroline and I know that when we enter someone's home or even workspace, we often come across the parts of our clients' spaces that stay hidden. We expect to hear stories although they're never required. And always, there is no judgement on our part. We expect a mess, that's why you called us in the first place.
Taryn, Leanne, Caroline
"Organize your what?"
"Twiggy" Artist unknown
Help You Dwell received a strange request a few weeks ago...
"Can you all do what you do in people's houses with my head?"
At the time it seemed a little bizarre but mostly intriguing. We began meeting with this lovely lady and started a journey that has been inspiring to say the least.
In the process, HYD realized that most everyone can benefit from some brain organization.
In America today, most of us are over-committed, drained, tired, and too busy to do things as well as we would like to.
One thing that we have found to be helpful in life organization / time management is to make a list of your commitments: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly. Do you feel over committed? What in your life is draining and what is life giving? Writing things down helps us compartmentalize and simplify. However, list making is not for everyone.
Anna Rusakova
For HYD, the unique challenge of life organization and time management is that each person connects with different ways of thinking. For some, a list makes everything clear and manageable but for others, like the client we spoke of earlier, a list is more overwhelming than helpful. Learning how to help a creative, imaginative, passionate artist & photographer make a plan that she can tackle, one step at a time has been really fun. We are realizing that using visualization of the tasks, talking through the scenarios, making clear action plans are some of the key ingredients for getting the brain in order for our dear client. Sometimes it's just more fun to make a mood board or an art journal for your life than to write a list.
Through our research on this journey, we also came across a fantastic resource for artists who seek organization.
www.theorganizedartist.com
Zachary Smith
The brains behind "the organized artist";Ms. Bennett, gives simple, clear guidelines to help entrepreneurs, artists and the like get their projects on the road to fruition. We learned so much from her experience with many creative folks over the years. She also has a couple of great books available on her website HYD enjoyed reading through for more specific tools to success.
Once again HYD's cup runeth over as we walk this journey with our client. Her passion for living life fully is contagious and her commitment to tell the stories of those she walks with will inspire anyone who gets to hear them. We are learning everyday here at HYD and loving every minute.
Beaumont Magnet Academy Welcomes You
It's Back to School Time in Tennessee!
And what does that mean to Help You Dwell?? Well, for one it means that one-half of the HYD outfit has free childcare again. But more exciting than that, it meant that HYD got to be part of the preparation process for Beaumont Magnet Academy on Beaumont Ave. here in Knoxville. This summer Beaumont underwent an administration transformation to breathe life, order & hope into the teachers and students of this amazing Knox County Magnet School. The three women leading this campaign, Dr. Daphne Odom, Ms. Missy Beltrand, & Ms. Tracy Marsh have a vision for success for Beaumont that is contagious as you spend any amount of time with them.
Before
Ms. Tracy Marsh, Asst. Principal, Dr. Daphne Odom, Co-Principal, Missy Beltran, Co-Principal
Along with the exciting change in administration came the challenge of fitting three administrators into the spaces where only two had previously been. After much consideration & a whole lotta furniture removal, HYD had these amazing ladies ready to roll. And many thanks to the KCS painting staff for a stellar job on the walls.
The Beaumont administration also invited HYD to revive the front office space with color, organization & a welcoming atmosphere. Since Beaumont Magnet Academy has a Fine Arts focus, HYD decided to bring life to the front office by showcasing the students' art right as you enter the school. Our favorite find was the 30-foot long tapestry made by students several years ago that had been hanging out of sight. It now hangs in the front office along with several other art pieces & a new lettering making staff, students, parents & guests feel welcomed as they enter.
This job was our longest yet. We learned so much & enjoyed the process immensely. It brought us such great pleasure to see the eyes of teachers & staff light up as they enter the front office. HYD thanks all the Beaumont front office staff for your patience as we moved all your stuff, the encouragement you gave along the way & mostly your dedication to care for students. You are all doing the work that matters. Thank you!
Our Road Trip to Asheville
HYD got to hit the road in May to head to one of the East's coolest towns, Asheville, NC. We had quite a job ahead of us but the process and results were more amazing than we ever could've predicted.
www.kathleenblanchette.com/images/AshevilleScene
Meet Jen. Wife of a wonderful pastor, Mama of four incredible kids, inspiring musician, laugh out louder, lover of art, and keeper of lots and lots of things because, "Someday, someone might need that."
She was gifted some organizing sessions from an aunt who loves her and knows her well and she chose HYD to help her get down and dirty to clear out and clean up. Add to that a great hope of visiting a family in Colorado this summer but her family needs money for the trip.
HYD Organizing session + $ need for trip = YARD SALE !
HYD spent about 16 hours over two days hauling, encouraging, bagging, listening, laughing, rearranging, sifting, laughing some more, saving and organizing the last 30 years of Jen and family's life. It was awesome to say the least. And I mean awesome in the true sense of the word, as Webster says "causing great surprise or wonder; astonishing." She had no idea how much she'd acquired. She also had no idea how much money she could make and the freedom she would experience in giving others the opportunity to buy it! We just carried items from her basement and home straight to the front yard. And after two days of selling items, the family made almost $1000!!
Jen and her family have experienced a monumental shift in how they will relate to the items they now have and items they will bring into their home in the future. She just gave her own children the gift of seeing how our stuff can weigh us down and keep us feeling behind because we cannot organize it all. Less is more. Her keepsakes are now safely stored in designated containers but the "someday" items are someone else's "today" items that Jen no longer has to feel burdened by.
What a gift this job was to HYD. We will forever be blessed and thankful for this first road trip. Thanks Jen and Mark for letting us Help You Dwell.
