By June Mathews
Since I began writing for publication nearly 16 years ago, I’ve interviewed people in many different of lines of work, including doctors, lawyers, preachers, teachers, homemakers, librarians, salespeople, business owners, stockbrokers, military personnel, policemen, firemen…. Well, you get the picture.
But I had never interviewed a professional organizer until last week, and I actually interviewed two.
One gave me the scoop on a ritzy over-the-top storage space she recently designed and organized for someone who clearly has more closet space and dispensable income than I do. To clue you in as to the extent of the project: The décor was inspired by a crystal chandelier, which now hangs in the client’s closet, and a massive lighted display cabinet a collection of some of the fanciest shoes I’ve ever seen.
Now I ask you, who the heck has a shoe collection fit for display? Not me, that’s for sure. But ever since hearing about it, I’ve had the urge to slide my flip flops, bunny slippers and basic black dress pumps into the china cabinet to see what my shoe collection would look like under subtle lighting. I seriously doubt my collection would come across with quite the same flair, but you never know.
The other organizer I spoke with shared tips for organizing and maintaining various areas of a home. Some of her tips were matters of common sense, i.e., “De-clutter your space by either trashing or donating those things you no longer use or need.” Others I’d never even considered. For example, “When organizing your linen closet, mark the sheets with a fabric marker to indicate which bed they fit.”
Since there are only two beds at our house, a queen and a twin (our third bedroom is my office), I’m not likely to get the sheets confused. But I imagine a busy mom with multiple kids and bedrooms might benefit from that useful tip and in that case, I’m happy to pass it along (And you thought reading this column was a waste of time).
While I enjoyed talking with both organizers, I found the thought of being perfectly organized somewhat boring. I mean, can you imagine anything adding more of a spark to your day than dragging a stray sock from behind the washer with a broomstick or finally locating that missing gardening glove under the dining room table? It’s the little surprises like those that make life interesting. Don’t you agree?
I have to admit, though, a smidgen of organization around here might not be such a bad thing. I’ve spent far too many hours searching for a specific photo or hunting a Phillips-head screwdriver to be comfortable with the idea of total disarray. Still, though, the thought of creating and maintaining shelf after shelf of perfectly arranged and labeled plastic bins in every square foot of storage space in the house makes my head spin. Isn’t there such a thing as being too organized? I’m betting those professional organizers would say no. Me? I’d have to think about it.
For now, though, I’m headed to the basement to deal with a big crumpled cardboard box that never got unpacked from our move here. All this talk of organizing and de-cluttering is making me feel oddly guilty about avoiding the task for so long.
But I think I’ll have another cup of coffee first. That box has been stashed down there for 30 years. What’s the rush?
Email June Mathews at jmathews120@charter.net.