A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.
One of our most requested services is kitchen organizing. There are some tried and true strategies when dealing with a kitchen. However, for people that love to cook and bake volume can be an issue. Structures are important when organizing especially in the kitchen and pantry. We spoke with Scott Miedtke from Vertical Spice about possible solutions.
As organizers we spend a of time dealing with things that don’t work anymore. Our clients have a difficult time making decisions regarding these items because sometimes they are expensive or belonged to a beloved family member. However, the days of being able to take your coffee maker or small appliance to a repair shop seem to have disappeared. We are pleased to be able to find a possible alternative. We spoke with Virginia Walton at Connecticut’s Repair Cafe to discuss new solutions.
For the busy person, what is Repair Cafe?
The Repair Café is a volunteer event where people who are skilled in fixing items gather together. Anyone can drop in with an item that needs repair. It is a free event so money is not a barrier. Most of the time items are fixed.
How does the process work?
A person brings in the item that needs repair. They register and wait their turn. While waiting, there are refreshments available. When a repair person is available they can participate in the repair or watch and learn something about the repair. The only thing that is not free is if the person needs a part in order to make the repair. They may be directed as to where they can purchase the part locally.
Where can I find a Cafe?
In Connecticut, the City of Middletown has offered a Repair Café twice now, in collaboration with the Rockfall Foundation and I coordinate a Repair Café in Willimantic 4 times per year. I have attached the 2020 flyer. Repair Café US has a Facebook page.
What can be repaired?
Depends on the skills of the volunteers. In the Willimantic Repair Café, we repair electrical and electronic items, small wooden furniture, bicycles, clothing. Knives and tools are sharpened. Some repair cafes might have volunteers skilled in repairing jewelry or books.
What is the most interesting item your group has repaired?
The most adorable repair that I made was sewing a teddy bear’s ear back on. The little girl helped me with the repair and she was thrilled!
Lately, we see a lot of modern technology in our client’s homes. From lights that turn on when you enter a room to sound systems that come with Google Assistant & Amazon Alexa built-in. We spoke with Westport, CT’s TecKnow and Kim Burke to help us make sense of it all.
As professional organizers we see a lot of “stuff” in people’s homes. When determining what we should keep, one of the areas we focus on is, quality. We spoke with Mary Brewster from American Flora about her collection as an antidote to disposable consumption.
At House to Home Organizing one of the habits we encourage is a switch from focusing on stuff towards experiences. We spoke with Stasha Healy from the Greenwich Historical Society about their mission and why you should stop in for a visit.
At House to Home Organizing a large percentage of our clientele are people who are moving. Moving can be stressful and before the move comes another potential stressor, putting the house on the market. We spoke with Tracy Marraccini & Kelly Lapadula of STYLE ADORN about how they can help during the home sale process.
If a photo is worth a thousand words what happens when you have thousands of photos? Most if not all of our clients ask us what to do with their photos. First, we want to get them all together and store them safely (not in a hot attic or wet garage) and then we can decide what “action” applies to the photos. For some simply keeping them safe is the next and final step but for some other ideas we spoke with Photo Organizer Isabelle Dervaux.
