A Fresh Start: Helping Sharon Reclaim Her Home and Her Peace
When Sharon first reached out to us, she was feeling completely overwhelmed. One bedroom in her home was filled wall-to-wall with boxes from a previous move—boxes she simply couldn’t bring herself to open. She knew she needed help unpacking, organizing, and letting go of items that no longer served her. She also needed her closets professionally organized after having new closet systems installed. While most of her clothing was already hung, nothing felt cohesive, functional, or finished.
Sharon’s home included three closets:
A boutique-style closet created from one bedroom
A reach-in closet in a second bedroom
A primary bedroom with both a walk-in closet and a reach-in
She also needed clothes delivered to the dry cleaner, all trash and boxes removed, and everything done as soon as possible.
Sharon is very soft-spoken and thoughtful. About a year earlier, she had invested in custom closets, but shortly after, life took an unexpected turn. She experienced significant personal trauma and, as she shared with us, simply couldn’t bring herself to open many of the boxes afterward. She had just returned from a two-week trip and felt paralyzed—unable to unpack because she didn’t know where anything should go.
Over the past year, Sharon had lost both of her parents just seven weeks apart. Her mother was her best friend. Soon after, she also lost her job. The emotional weight of these events left her feeling stuck for a long time. While her sister helped with a few small projects around the house, Sharon didn’t want to rely on family and felt guilty taking up her sister’s time.
Recently turning 60, Sharon decided she was ready. Ready to move forward. Ready to reclaim her space. Ready to feel peace in her home again.
Her priorities were clear: the guest room, primary bathroom, closets, laundry room, and kitchen. She committed to 72 hours with two professional organizers so we could thoughtfully support her through the entire process.
Guest Room
Carrie and Jenn began in the guest room, unpacking every box and sorting items by category. Once everything was laid out, we brought Sharon in and went through each category together. She made intentional decisions about what to keep, donate, trash, or release.
We moved all empty boxes to the garage, filled trash and recycling bins, and staged remaining boxes neatly out of the way. From there, we began placing items into their designated closets. Using two rolling racks, Sharon decided which clothes belonged in which space.
We also rearranged furniture, moving her desk to the side wall and relocating the couch bed from the living room into the guest room. To make it fit, we removed the couch legs and temporarily removed a door—then vacuumed thoroughly before placing the furniture.
We created two memory boxes—one for Sharon and one for items belonging to her parents—so sentimental pieces were honored rather than overlooked.
“During this process, Sharon shared something that meant the world to us: she was excited again. For the first time in over a year, she was planning to host a holiday party in her home. She finally felt like her home—and her life—were moving forward. It was a huge step.”
The Boutique Closet Transformation
Next, we moved into Sharon’s boutique-style closet. She shared her vision with us, and together we brought it to life. We replaced all hangers with matching white velvet hangers and color-coded each section for clarity and ease.
We unboxed her shoes, starting with her flats, and adjusted shelving so all flats could live together in one dedicated section. We created three display shelves featuring purses, boxes, and accessories, turning storage into something beautiful and intentional.
Sharon was overjoyed watching the space come together.
We continued creating “stories” throughout the closet—styled vignettes showcasing handbags, shoes, and accessories. Inside the island cabinets, we organized:
Travel bags, garment bags, makeup bags, and shoe bags on one side
Accessories and clutches on the other
We removed seven bags of trash and more broken-down boxes to the garage and placed suitcases on the upper shelves in her primary closet.
One unexpected moment brought levity and meaning to the day: we discovered an old wedding dress left behind by a previous tenant. After confirming no one claimed it, Sharon decided to try it on before donating it—a lighthearted, memorable moment in the middle of a deeply meaningful project.
Bathrooms, Closets, and Laundry Systems
We moved on to the primary bathroom, sorting and grouping all products. Sharon sat in the bathtub laughing as she confidently purged expired and unused items. We added acrylic bins in drawers and under cabinets to keep everything contained and easy to maintain.
Next, we worked through her two walk-in closets, changing all hangers and mapping out placement so every category had a clear home. Travel bags and suitcases were stored on top shelves, and we left a small step stool so Sharon could easily access them.
In the laundry room, we pulled everything out, sorted laundry into five piles, and completed five loads throughout the day. We set up efficient systems for supplies and tools, repurposing existing bins where possible.
Kitchen, Bedroom, and Living Areas
In the kitchen, we ran the dishwasher, hand-washed remaining dishes, and created systems that matched how Sharon cooks and lives. We unboxed and beautifully stored dishes and glassware she had purchased in Europe and cleared additional random boxes from the living room.
We folded and put away four more loads of laundry and began organizing her primary bedroom dresser. Sharon did a significant purge in her dresser drawers, then we organized her nightstand drawers, adding a divided turntable for her medications, which she prefers to keep bedside. We intentionally left two empty drawers to allow room for growth.
In her office area, we created a dedicated drawer for gift wrap and accessories, along with a project drawer to neatly tuck away works in progress.
We finished by clearing the living room, organizing the TV stand, placing photos into the memory section of her spare room closet, grouping paint supplies into a crate for future projects, and putting up her Christmas tree.
By the end, there were 18 large black bags of trash and dozens of broken-down boxes in the garage. Sharon scheduled a special trash pickup for Monday.
The Result
We completed a full walkthrough of the home with Sharon, adding a few thoughtful décor touches along the way. Every space had a purpose. Every item had a home. Most importantly, Sharon felt calm, confident, and at peace in her space again.
From Sharon
“Carrie and Jen are truly outstanding. I hired them for six days to organize my whole home after being completely overwhelmed for more than a year. They brought calm, structure, and solutions to every corner of my house. The transformation is incredible. They even created beautiful little ‘stories’ on my closet shelves using my bags, shoes, books, and keepsakes — and somehow made my battery drawer look like a magazine layout.
Beyond their talent, they are wonderful to be around. They made the process fun, meaningful, and genuinely felt like family by the end. I couldn’t recommend them more. If you want organizers who are creative, kind, efficient, and who truly care, Carrie and Jen are the best.”
