In the Press

Review Closets' Contents

Jackie DiMarzo, the Poughkeepsie Journal•
January 23, 2011

 

It happens every holiday season. The master bedroom closet becomes the catchall for just about everything. Boxes, wrapping paper and receipts join summer clothes that were never put away.

Adding one more thing to that top shelf won't hurt — until one January morning, the closet begins to fall down around you. It's time clean it out. To help, we called upon professional organizers. "The ideal scenario is to empty it out and then only put back the things that fit you, that you like to wear, that are comfortable and appropriate," said Ellen Kutner of Simply Organized in Pleasant Valley. "A little-known statistic — we typically wear the same 10 to 12 outfits consistently. I think that's a very realistic number. There are exceptions to everything — dressy items and special-occasion clothes — but in general, we wear the same 10 to 12 outfits. ... They're kind of our go-to clothes."

Once the closet is bare, professional organizer Theresa Burke, of Home Skills 411 in Red Hook, helps to decide what to keep and what to throw away. "I work with the client and ask questions: When was the last time you wore this? Does it fit? Does it need mending or cleaning? Should this really be in here? What do you use every day? Are there things that can be donated/gifted/put in long-term storage?" she said.

"I do not ask anyone to throw anything away, just to think about what they love and use, and options for the things they don't want or need," Burke said.

"Be realistic. Live in the present," Kutner said. Don't keep clothes in your closet for when you lose weight or return to some sport or activity you haven't participated in for years. "Keep the clothes in that closet that are appropriate to who you are today," she said.

Kutner said the change of seasons is another good time to evaluate the wardrobe. Ask yourself: Did I wear that last year? Do I still like this? Is it still in style?

The review portion is only the first step; then sort items," said Chris McKenry, a board member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. "Have all skirts together, pants, suits, etc. Fold all the items that will be housed on shelves. Find containers for smaller items and label them," he said.

 

Reach-in vs. walk-in

Sometimes it takes more than cleaning out and throwing away to get a closet organized. Additional shelving and storage options may need to be added. There are two different kinds of closets: the reach-in and the universally coveted walk-in. "A reach-in closet is a 6- or 8-foot closet that has doors that open and is only about 2 1/2 feet deep," Kutner said.

"One of the things people can do to optimize their storage capabilities in a reach-in closet is to double-hang a portion of that length with a second rod." The same would hold true for a walk-in closet, she said. "The rule of thumb for a walk-in closet is you maximize your longest wall. So if you needed additional hanging space, you would maximize your longest wall by double hanging that wall (which is probably the back wall), and then you would use your side wall to create a long hang section on one side and floor-to-ceiling shelves on the other side," Kutner said. "

Walk-in closets offer lots of flexibility," Burke said. "They can be outfitted with shelving, shoe cabinets, dressers and hanging storage accessories."

McKenry said uniform hangers are a must in the closet, because they allow all clothes to hang at the same height. His favorite are the ultra-thin Huggable Hangers, available at Target. "They provide a great shape for shirts and sweaters, and they are so thin you will have extra inches of space on your closet rod," he said.

Get the clutter out

"People end up storing their kids' memorabilia in their bedroom closet. If your kids are still young and you're still collecting those things, they should be up on a shelf in your child's closet," said Kutner, recommending people primarily keep only clothes and shoes in the closet.

"One thing I see a lot is jars full of change. Money makes more interest in the bank!" Burke said. "Boxes
of photos, important papers and things that never get used should be stored elsewhere, if possible, with the exception of a fireproof safe that would hold documents needed in an emergency," she added.

Kutner agreed. "I have in my closet what I call a grab-and-go box. It's a metal file box with birth certificates, titles to the cars, my homeowner's policy, marriage license, real estate information and Social Security cards. All the really important papers are not in my desk; they are in this metal file box that I keep in my closet. In the event of whatever kind of emergency, I can grab that box and it contains all the important documents," she said.

 

Maintenance is key

"The last phase never stops — maintenance," McKenry said. "Getting organized doesn't happen just once. It's a process and a journey we are always on. Styles will come and go. Birthday and holiday gifts will add to wardrobes … and sometimes to clutter. Spend a few minutes once a month to look through your closet to find items for donations or consignment shops."

"My role is that of a coach or personal trainer,"

Burke said. "Sometimes we need an objective opinion and the right tools with encouragement to finish a project."

In conclusion, McKenry said, when tackling a job such as this, don't work alone. "Invite a friend over or trusted family member. But don't have someone who is a 'keeper,' " he said. "It's good to be challenged. If you are not willing to part with items no longer used, you may end up just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."

 

Toss Out the Junk From Your Garage So You Can Bring in Your Car

The Poughkeepsie Journal - Poughkeepsie, NY (click to read)

October 3, 2010

In June, the National Association for Home Builders reported that nationwide, 62 percent of new single- family homes completed in 2009 had two-car garages, and 17 percent had garages for three or more cars.

The question is, can Americans get their cars in the garage — or is there too much stuff in the way?

"One out of every four homeowners is not able to park even one car in their garage," said Lynn Valaris of GarageTek Connecticut/Westchester in Bethel, Conn.

"Everything gets thrown there because it's such a big open space," said Ellen Kutner of Pleasant Valley, a certified professional organizer whose business, Simply Organized, serves Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester and Ulster counties.

(Read More...)

 

Downsizing? Here's a hand

September 19, 2010

Years ago Lynn Clarke moved from a one-bedroom apartment in New York City to a three-bedroom house in New Paltz. Recently she and her companion, Martin Lodge, sold the house for a one-bedroom apartment at Woodland Pond, a retirement community in New Paltz.

The move called for downsizing, so Clarke enlisted the help of professional organizer, Ellen Kutner of Simply Organized in Pleasant Valley.

"I was finding it really hard to eliminate things and she helped me to face the fact that we just couldn't move all this stuff," Clarke said. "We finally drew a plan of how things would fit in the living room and the study and in the bedroom and I must say, it fits perfectly."

Associate broker, Linda Michetti, with RE/MAX Realty Center in Poughkeepsie said many seniors downsize because their houses have become too big for their needs and they can't manage their large home's stairs.

Often, she said, seniors are reluctant to leave homes in which they've raised families. More than that, they have to let go of furniture they've grown to love, along with sentimental treasures that fill their attics and basements, like their children's old toys.

"A big part of seniors' downsizing is the emotional aspect of it," she said.

There's also the matter of finding a suitable place, preferably a smaller, one-level home or a place with a master bedroom on the first floor; both of which, Michetti said, are in short supply in this area.

"It's not so easy to just go and find them a smaller house," Michetti said.

Yet the Federal Administration on Aging reports that about 30.5 percent, or 11.2 million, of all non-institutionalized older persons in 2008 lived alone, including 8.3 million women and 2.9 million men. That's 39.5 percent of older women and 18.5 percent of older men. Then, too, the proportion of people living alone increases with advanced age, as 50 percent of women 75 and over in 2008, for example, lived alone.

Kutner said when downsizing begin by sorting out belongings you want to keep and those you no longer need.

"I equate it to panning for gold," Kutner said. "You put all your stuff into that pan and you start sifting. What shakes out is ... the accumulation; the stuff that has no real significance, no real meaning; the stuff that can be easily donated, easily trashed."

Those things that are left in the "pan" are goods that have significant meaning and are more difficult to part with. Even so, seniors often have a large accumulation of household goods and personal belongings, so sorting through them can be difficult. Then, too, there's the personality of the person who's moving into a smaller home and whether or not the individual struggles with the downsizing process or is willing to part with things they no longer need or won't fit into their new home.

"I say to people: What do you envision your new space to be like?" said Kutner. "Do you want it to be simplistic and surrounded by the stuff that you love or do you want it to be wall-to-wall furniture?"

Still, parting with favorite items can be hard, especially when they have a special meaning, like a generations' old chest. Kutner suggests that downsizers talk with their family and friends about whether such items could have a place in other homes.

"Tackle each room wholly and completely before moving on to next step," said Kutner, leaving lots of time for areas filled with stored goods, like the garage, attic and basement -- three rooms that may not be included in the new home.

"You don't necessarily have to have the memento to have the memory," Kutner said.

Erica Higgs of A Touch of Old Fashioned in Pleasant Valley works with her husband, Brian, to help seniors organize and downsize their belongings as they move into smaller places.

"For them it's a confusing and scary time," Higgs said, especially as most seniors have accumulated a lot of belongings over the years.

"The thing is to be sensitive and to listen to them and to listen to their needs," said Higgs, taking into account those things that are important to the individual or couple.

Like Kutner, Higgs said, downsizers should see if their relatives could use items that won't fit in their new place. They also could consider donating items to a charitable cause or selling things in a yard sale. Sometimes Higgs helps seniors create a memory board of photos taken of items that couldn't be brought to the new home.

Higgs said, seniors shouldn't think of such a move as a loss, but as a cleansing or a sort of re-birth.

"They're going into a new chapter in their life," Higgs said. "They're turning a new page."

Kutner, too, said, it's important for seniors who are downsizing to look ahead.

"It's a time in your life to be constantly creating new memories, not necessarily hanging onto all these mementos," she said. "Free yourself of all the stuff. Sometimes it just holds you back; holds you down."

Karen Maserjian Shan isa freelance writer. Reach her at mkshan@optonline.net.

DOWNSIZING TIPS

* Use your new home's floor plan as a guide for placing your furniture and other belongings. Check the plan to see, for example, whether there's enough room for two desks, or if your sofa will fit against the living room wall or dining table in the

* Give yourself plenty of time to sort through your belongings. Work backward from your move-in date, allowing six months for the entire process.

* Beware of things you may be storing for your adult children's future use. Ask your kids if they really want the stuff and if so, whether they can take it. Also, think about creating a photo journal of treasured items that won't be in your new house.

* Donate, sell or discard items that have no place in the plan, maybe by:

Offering furniture, collectibles and other goods to family and friends who might be able to use them.

Talking with antiques dealers about valuables that won't be moved into your new home.

Holding a yard sale to sell off extra furniture, yard equipment and other belongings.

Selling goods through online listings like craigslist.com.

Bringing items to donation centers, such as church thrift shops, children's homes or the Salvation Army.

 

March 12, 2010

" When life itself is downsized"

Whether you’re moving to new digs or it’s time to downsize to smaller quarters, packing the memories – deciding what to keep and what to leave behind – can be a challenge for even the bravest hearts. Ellen Kutner can help.

Kutner discovered her niche for organizing and de-cluttering after being downsized from her position at IBM a decade ago. “I was busy helping my friends and family and to my delight, they loved my work and so did I. I decided to pursue it as a career and became a licensed professional organizer.” As the owner of Simply Organized,  Kutner has been working with a new continuing care life community, Woodland Pond in New Paltz, as one of its preferred consultants.

Kutner has been coordinating moves with the continuing care retirement community’s incoming residents since October 2009; that’s when she met Martin Lodge and Lynn Clarke. Lodge wanted to stay local, but not in the 1,600-square-foot Victorian home he has owned in the village’s downtown area for three decades. Woodland Pond’s amenities and in-house medical services made the most sense for both of them.

Now, they are in the midst of deciding what’s coming to their new apartment while they wait for their current home to be sold. Since Lodge put his house on the market, Kutner has been working to help them decide what to take and what to leave behind and working with their new floor plan to place the furniture the couple will bring with them.

“It’s a difficult process, to say the least,” said Clarke, who shares a love of early American antiques with her partner. When the two merged her Manhattan apartment into his New Paltz home in 2005, they merged two homes of furniture into one, along with their own personal collectibles. Clarke is a clothes devotee with a spare bedroom dedicated to her wardrobe. Lodge’s passion? Books, books and more books that surround him in his den on shelves he built himself. The former SUNY New Paltz professor has already donated several of his treasures to the Huguenot Street Historical Society.

MESSIEST ROOM CONTEST

Organizing Expert Teams Up With Local Businesses to Recognize

Get Organized MonthSM

Let’s face it – life is messy! Getting organized ranks fifth on the nation’s list of New Year’s resolutions. Eliminating unnecessary clutter, making better use of space, and getting a fresh start in the New Year means increased efficiency, effectiveness and productivity, not to mention the benefits of self-confidence and less stress!

On Monday, January 4, 2010, Ellen Kutner, CPO® of Simply Organized and Sun Wallpaper and Paint will team up to sponsor The Messiest Room Contest. The contest will rbarryun from January 4 through to January 22. To enter contest, simply come into any one of Sun Wallpaper and Paint’s 3 locations, review the official contest rules, complete an entry form, submit a photo and write a brief description of how and why things got out of control.

• 47 Overocker Rd. Poughkeepsie
• 1004 Main St. Fishkill
• 336 Main St. Beacon

Winner will be chosen on January 29. The Grand Prize consists of services and goods from the following local businesses. An approximate $1000.00 value.

• Simply Organized- consultation and 4 hour work session
• Sun Wallpaper and Paint- color consultation, paint and supplies
• Arnoff Moving and Storage- HomePAK(portable self-storage unit) 30 day limit and boxes(if needed)
• Royal Carting- 4 yard container
• HV Shred- 2 bins of confidential document shredding

Get Organized MonthSM is an annual event sponsored by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO – www.napo.net). This nation-wide event is dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of getting organized.

If you would like more information about this contest, or to schedule an interview, please call or email:

Ellen Kutner, CPO®, Simply Organized – 845.453.4481, ellen@simplyorg.com

Pat Boyle, Sun Wallpaper and Paint – 845.471.2880, pboyle@sun-wall.com

December 6, 2007

" More than One Way to Recycle"

Ellen Kutner facilitates the running of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church Thrift Shop.

 

September 7, 2007

"Beating the Clutter"

Before and after photos and article written for the " Messiest Room Contest”

June 27, 2007

" What's New in Business Scene”

Awards – Ellen Kutner receives the designation of Certified Professional Organizer. She is a member of the inaugural class of CPO's.

March 23, 2007 - " Winner of the Messiest Room Contest”

Photos and articles written - contest was run by Poughkeepsie Journal – winner received 8 hours with Ellen Kutner at Simply Organized, a custom closet from a Smart Closet and a dumpster from Royal Carting.

October 11, 2006

"Simple Steps Can Organize a Home Office”

Article written in celebration of October 9-13 being "Improve You Home Office Week”

January 13, 2006

"Don't Be Afraid to Get Organized”

This article came on the heels of a radio interview conducted by Larry Hughes... it's ok to let go of excess stuff.

March 8 – 2005 „ Dump the Clutter”

" Organize your Home Office Day ”

Susan Fowler Gallagher a client of Ellen Kutner's discusses the benefits of having an organized office.

January 8 – 2005

Ready, Set... Get organized

Ellen Kutner tackles a kitchen pantry while discussing January being "Get Organized" month with NAPO – The National Association of Professional Organizers.”

January 7 2005 – Clamp down On Clutter

Ellen Kutner at Simply Orgainized comes to the aide of Edith Kates who is a resident of the Fountains at Millbrook, a senior living facility.  Edith needed to downsize and relocated to a small apartement in the community's main building.