Our goal is to bring order and beauty to your home. We can: develop a room design for us or you to implement, stage, color consult, purchase, organize, re-design (adding color and accessories to existing furniture and decor), de-clutter, re-arrange, re-purpose--whatever you need to renew your space! Let us tackle those projects that have you stumped, whether it's organizing the pantry, selecting p
aint colors, or a total room makeover. About Amanda
To understand me all you have to do is look at two things in my past: my childhood home and my parents. First, my home....The surfaces of all counters, dressers and tables were completely free of tchotchkes (a word, which I believe my family misused, for all things un-needed). In fact, I used to complain that it looked like no one lived in any room except my brother and mine, which of course were FILLED with tchotchkes. My mom vacuumed everyday after I left for school. I don't remember any dust or mess despite dogs and guinea pigs, cats and even mouse pets. If that isn't enough to discern how I ended up in my present life, we move on to my parents--specifically my dad. This presented itself in many ways, but the best in my mind was that in the winter, our house was always cold. I would complain about living in the arctic. He would suggest a scarf or heavier sweater. Fast forward to the present. I hate tchotchkes and my house is cold. We all become our parents to a certain extent I guess. I am constantly getting rid of things, re-organizing things and re-decorating my house (not sure where the latter passion arose). If my kids do not look at a certain toy, piece of paper (amazing how long kids will cherish birthday napkins, valentines and tooth fairy notes isn't it?), it disappears. My kids are 7 (girl twins) and 3 (a boy) and we are almost plastic free (almost....). Ahhhhhhhh.....It feels so good to regain control! I also hate to spend money. It is an illness, obviously genetic and it means that I don't have an iPhone, iPad (although I may need it for this business though, right?) or even central air in my house (although when we bought the house that was the FIRST thing we were going to do - fast forward 10 years). I spend an inordinate amount of time looking for deals, trying to make things myself and surfing our local freecycle. When thinking about a job after my kids go to school I can think of other things to do...go back to my original job at Freddie Mac, work at the kids' school, sell clothing at Athleta. :) Yet, why not go after your passions? So I found (well a mutual friend found...) a like-minded business partner and now we set out to help everyone else organize their houses, rid themselves of tchotchkes that they do not need and add flare by redecorating the new space. And (my father would be proud) while doing this, we will re-use existing items, scour Craigslist, barter/trade some of our own things...anything to get the best deals and minimize expenses for our clients. Anyone can pay thousands to an interior decorator for a new dining room or some closet shelving, but what is the challenge in that process? What if you don't want to buy ANYTHING new? What if you just want a clean, renewed space with minimal cost? Well then...my parents have trained the right person for your job:)
About Jen
In a former life, I was an environmentalist. That’s what I studied, and saving the earth was what I wanted to do. When I started a family, my focus shifted a bit to those things I felt I had more direct control over. Not worrying so much about rainforests and the ozone layer, but instead trying to minimize consumerism and consumption. To that end, I put my efforts into limiting the amount of “stuff” that comes into our house, and I often buy or accept things second-hand—clothes, furniture, toys, décor, you name it. It makes me happy. And, I won’t lie, I’m cheap. Save the planet—and save the dollar too. Like Amanda, I feel like I’m constantly purging. I dream of a day when my house is completely streamlined—free of clutter and things that have been sitting neglected on shelves for years. (Yes, dear, that includes your baseball cards. You hate baseball.) But when I get rid of things, they very rarely go in the trash. I spend a lot—maybe too much—time trying to find new homes for the things. I freecycle, donate, and sell on craigslist and ebay. It pains me to see things trashed that still have life in them. My passion for design and decorating has developed over the last decade. It started in a tiny condo in DC, which my husband and I completely renovated. It was an amazing success, if I do say so myself. At that time, the market was really hot and people were making lots of money flipping houses—remember that? If we had had the cash, we totally would have done that—beautifully rehabilitate wounded houses and then return them to the wild. But instead, we bought a house to raise our future family in. This house had been sitting for a couple months in a time when houses sold in a weekend, and I think it had everything to do with the décor. The last three decades were all solidly represented through wallpaper and um, “bold” color choices. It was bad. Most people want move-in ready, but my husband and I weren’t afraid of a project (and we didn’t have kids yet). Nine years later, we have renovated every room in this house to some degree at least once, excepting the basement, which we’re allowing the kids to thrash for the next six to eight years. I have discovered that I really love developing a vision for a space and seeing that vision through to fruition. My husband and I joke that when we agree on the next project and timeline, we are setting the bulldog loose. I am tenacious in pursuit and when I have a project in my grip, it’s all I can think about. And I won’t let go. Because I love it, not because I’m vicious or anything.
