Interview - HELPSY

At House to Home Organizing we are always looking for new resources to help our clients declutter and take back control of their space. We spoke to Rachel at Helpsy about clothing recycling.

For the busy person, what is Helpsy?

HELPSY is the easiest and most convenient way for you to recycle your clothes, shoes and accessories. We have over 1700 collection containers in the Northeast US and are starting at home pickup programs in our footprint.  

What is the organization's origin story, how did it start?

We started about a year ago and are trying to do things differently. Our name comes from the fact that we recently we merged with a company by the name of HELPSY that was formerly an online retailer for sustainable fashion. We want to educate the public about the environmental importance of recycling clothes, along with working with the fashion industry to get used clothes back into the fashion cycle. 

Why is it important to recycle clothing?

85% of our clothes are currently going to landfills when 95% of them can be reused, recycled and upcycled. 10% of landfills are textiles! There are certain frames of mind surrounding clothing end use that we want to change — for instance anything with holes or that's damaged can be given another life, whether they are converted to rags, carpet padding or insulation.

What does it mean to be a host?

You agree to let us keep one of our collection containers on or inside your property. We service it regularly to keep it clean. You do your part to keep clothes out of the trash and it can be a revenue stream for your business or institution.   

Can you share some success stories? 

We were able to give nearly 13,800 winter jackets to New York Cares this winter for home insecure individuals living in the city. We bought the jackets back from our sorting partners. This is a new way of working within our own industry, creates jobs, and supports our industry partners. It is a more effective and efficient than traditional clothing drives. We hope to do more of this large scale buy-back work to help those who need it.

Interview - Marci Klein of Modify Furniture

After visiting Marci's workspace at Modify Furniture, Linda and I had a lot of questions and Marci shared her insights with us.

Why did you name the company Modify?

I chose the name Modify Furniture for several reasons…our furniture is MODern, Modular, and MODifiable.

What do you mean by environmentally friendly?

There are several aspects that go into a product being eco-friendly. The most obvious being the actual materials used. We use aluminum that is 30% recycled content, and sustainable bamboo which is actually not a tree but rather a grass. Bamboo is harvested every 7 years (as opposed to trees which typically take 30 years to grow to harvest) and is considered carbon neutral. Our sliding doors are steel which is also recyclable. 

Beyond the actual material, it is important to look at the finishing materials. For example, we use organic powder coating on our aluminum and steel components; they are applied in powder form and do not release aerosol toxins into the environment. Our bamboo is hand finished with a low VOC oil-wax, safe for the environment and the customer alike. 

It is also important to understand manufacturing processes. For example, recycled materials that started their life in the USA and were then shipped to China to be broken down, manufactured into a new product, and then shipped back to the USA may not, in fact, be particularly green. That is why at Modify, we opted to do all manufacturing in-house or as close as possible. The few processes that aren't able to do in-house are within the lead recommended 250-mile radius of Bridgeport, CT.

Lean manufacturing is another component to being green. For example, at Modify, we make each piece of furniture to order and stock only a small volume of our colored panels. Therefore, we NEVER have overstock products that wind up in a landfill. We also optimize all manufacturing to result in approximately 5% waste (pretty good by industry standards).

We also flat pack ship our furniture mostly assembled. So a credenza that would take up 85inches x 18 x 40 and require freight to be shipped fully assembled will fit into a box 1/5 that size and can be ground shipped saving space for more products in the truck. 

We are constantly investigating new materials and manufacturing methods to work to improve. 

Where do you make the furniture, overseas?

Almost all of our manufacturing is done in-house at our Bridgeport, CT workshop. What we don't do ourselves is primarily done within 250-mile radius of our workshop. You can read about our partners in the “Our Gratitude “ section of the website.

From an organizational standpoint, what makes Modify work well in small spaces?

The polychrome modular line is designed specifically to offer a stylish and highly customizable storage solution. The products range from a low media unit/bench to full wall units. They are made with an aluminum frame and are structurally stable without any doors for customers who want to showcase their decorative items or they can opt to have easily removable steel doors to hide unsightly items. As the colored doors are easily swapped, the furniture can be adapted to the customer’s changing tastes and needs:

The back of the unit works in the same way so the furniture can be placed as a room divider or kept open against a wall for ventilation and cord management. 

The inside of all units is completely open to offer maximal versatility. I am able to add extra custom shelves based on customer needs.

Our coffee table is one of my favorite products as it has access to storage from all sides and has 36x36 x7 inches of storage inside.

The clean slate desk design offers a unique storage solution (the invisibin™ system) built seamlessly into the top surface to give a clean minimalist look with easy access to writing tools, calculators etc. My Drop-in Accessory line products also fit seamlessly into the desk surface and add a playful, personal, and functional touch.

What made you decide to start your own company?

I believe I have always been a designer and maker at heart. Since I was young, I would daydream about how I would reign in a space to make it more functional, or how I would make a toy that worked better. Growing up with my dad, who was an engineer, a favorite hobby was to work together in our basement workshop, making pinball machines, Snoopy houses, to name a few. Moving into a home and doing our own renovation respired that creative itch and somehow, modular furniture that offers high-end design, with a smaller footprint just seemed to fit.

What is your favorite piece to make and material to work with?

Hmm, that is tough. I have to admit that exploring the unknown and playing with new materials is much more fun that repeatedly making the same piece after I have “mastered” that design. We make a LED light (not yet available online) that incorporates recycled colored glass pieces to play with overlapping colors somewhat like a kaleidoscope. The beauty of this design is that depending on the colors and how I lay out the glass, each one is completely unique.

Interview - Bethany Armstrong

Often people aren’t sure exactly what a Professional Organizer does sometimes they even confuse us with interior designers. Bethany Armstrong of Hue Designs helped us shed some light on the differences.

Most people may think they know what an interior designer does, what exactly do they do? Interior design has a wide scope that goes far beyond paint colors and throw pillows! It actually is rooted in a mood, feel, and emotion of a space. Combine that with technical aspects that are extremely important like balance, scale, flow and function, interior design is an art form that takes skill and patience.  Without one of these aspects falling into the perfect harmony, a room will feel off. Even worse, it won’t be functioning properly. It’s a discipline that involves listening to a client’s wants and needs then interpreting those artistically for the result that will accomplish those important goals within a budget. Last but not least, interior design involves working with various trades and sourcing materials in the best interest of the clients while providing excellent management of the overall project, time constraints, budget requirements, and installation issues.  And yes, sometimes there can be a bit of marriage counseling involved when there are different design aesthetics that need to come together for a happy mix that the family can enjoy!

For you, what does it mean to be an interior designer? For me, to be a designer is a humbling and important role. People invite me into their homes and lives to help them solve design dilemmas that will ultimately improve their environment. This isn’t something I take lightly. It’s an obligation to keep the client’s best interests at the forefront so the best quality products are installed by highly qualified tradespeople. There’s a tremendous trust that comes with being an interior designer because clients are looking to you for advice, education, guidance, and knowledge. I find that it’s extremely important to be upfront with my clients and manage expectations throughout the entire process. It’s inevitable there will be hiccups along the way in a renovation project but I always communicate options that are available. I also work with an amazing team of experts and professionals in various areas.

What project or projects have you worked on that was the most fun? That’s a tough one! Every project is fun because I get the opportunity to work with great people bringing beauty into their lives in ways they weren’t expecting. Yes, everyone can buy furniture but my value comes from kicking it up a notch! Every project should be unique and truly tailored to the client. Fun for me is hearing, “wow I didn’t know I was going to like that!” It’s important to let your designer expose you to new ideas you might not have been open to previously. It just might surprise you what transforms when you come out of your comfort zone a bit!  

If clients ever have a vision that may not make sense in the real world, how do you steer them back on track? I’m a huge believer in being upfront and honest even if it’s not the news that’s easy to give. My promise to my clients is that I will always keep your best interest at heart so if I tell them something isn’t going to work it’s for a reason that I will explain. I will give options and provide information for decisions. There are times where I will take a version of the client’s vision to adapt it into a workable solution whenever possible. That’s a challenge I enjoy!

Is it hard to keep up with changing styles or are some looks timeless? With social media, it’s definitely easier to see more of what’s happening in design worldwide but it can be overwhelming. I find you can never go wrong with a strong foundation rooted in good design and layer that with styles that might be trendy. Those layers are accents that can easily be transitioned out when tastes change but the overall design concept remains. It’s hard to resist what’s trending at times but if it’s the only aspect that’s holding up the design, it will look out of date quite fast. My design style is one that is inspired by the client’s needs and then layered for added interest.

Check out the Hue Designs Instagram feed.

Interview - Lisa Goldman, One Hope Cause Entrepreneur

We recently met Lisa at an event and found her story interesting especially since we are always advising clients to move towards experiences instead of aquiring stuff.

Can you describe what One Hope is and how the charity works?

OneHope was founded in 2007.  The vineyard is in Napa Valley California and out wine is created in collaboration with Robert Mondavi Jr. All orders are shipped via UPS and take approximately 1 week to deliver. We have a collection of award winning wines, gifts, and other gourmet products, with every item providing a built-in donation to very meaningful cause partners. Each wine varietal is linked to a charity that is carefully vetted and then supports. Some examples of our causes are Autism, childhood hunger, veteran support, pet adoptions, LGBTQ crisis lines, cancer treatment clinical trials etc.  

When someone makes a purchase they are giving back. In addition to selling directly from my business page, I also hold in-home or in-office wine tasting events. The host or hostess of the event can choose a charity that is close to them. 50% of the profits are donated to the partner causes and 15% of half and full case sales from wine tasting events go to the host/hostess' choice.  These events are a fun way to try new wines, learn about the different varietals, and raise money for local charities. To date the OneHope foundation has given over $1.7 million to nonprofits.

OneHope wine also has corporate gifting options we can have your company's name or logo branded onto a beautiful wood gift box.

How did you first get involved with One Hope?

I am a special education teacher working for birth to three. I was just looking for something to do where I can meet some new people and maybe make some extra money. I heard about a direct sales wine company, I researched it and found out about OneHope.  Once I heard about the fundraising aspect of the company I was hooked. 

What are some of the tastings events you have run?

I have done several in- home wine tasting events, happy hour events at realtor offices, online events, bridal shows and networking events.

As Organizers we are always striving to move from stuff to experiences, how have people responded to your business?

People absolutely love the idea of getting their friends or coworkers together for a fun night of wine tasting. Once they hear about the fundraising aspect of it they are blown away.

Which wine is your favorite?

My personal favorite wine is our Sparkling Brut and our Pinot Noir.  And I'm in love with all of our glitter bottles. They are very special. They make fantastic gifts!