Organization Tips

1. We love your bio, which states that you turn “hot messes into happy homes.” How do you go about that process?

When I enter each new home or space, I use the same simple formula: Declutter + Organize + Beautify. In my work, the process of taking a “hot mess” and in turn creating a “happy home” begins with creating and maintaining systems in the home. We all have good intentions and desires to keep our homes clean and tidy, but when life gets busy — as it inevitably does — our homes get messy. And that’s okay! Mess is a part of living life. The important thing is to have simple and effective systems in place to make tidying up and maintaining our homes simple and easy. Having an organized home doesn’t mean messes or spills never happen… our homes aren’t maintained day-in and day-out by the full Downton Abbey staff (much to my dismay), which means that life happens, as well as the clutter that comes with it. But with the proper systems put in place for you and your family, maintaining a tidy and streamlined home is actually attainable. You just have to be willing to take a few trips to your local donation center, and adopt a new habit or two.


2. What are your best tips for keeping things functional around the house, while also paying attention to beauty?

I love this question because it is something that I am so passionate about. Finding that balance between beauty and function in our day-to-day lives is really my main mission with Poppy & Co. I would say that the key to really implementing functional systems that also add beauty and style to our homes is to carry your design style throughout your whole home, inside and out. I think we’ve all been guilty of rushing to make only the areas visible to guests presentable, while shoving coat closets and cupboards to their full capacity with no function or system in place.

Silly as it may sound, when I made the shift to caring for my home for me, everything changed. Sure, my guests aren’t going to be opening every cabinet and drawer in my kitchen, but I am! Creating that cohesive flow from the decor style of my kitchen countertops, to the style of my pantry, spice cabinet contents, and drawers makes all the difference in the functionality and feel of my kitchen. On top of that, it brings me joy as I complete seemingly mundane daily tasks, and that’s a win-win in my book.

While a closet doesn’t NEED to be beautiful to be functional, I have found that styling my closet with wooden hangers, linen baskets, a candle, and a few favorite coffee table books makes me feel like I get to “shop my closet” each time I get dressed. I feel more content with the things I have, and end each day with a mindset of abundance.

3. Minimalism vs. Maximalism: Are you more about getting rid of stuff, or about organizing what you have?

I definitely err on the side of minimalism. You can organize and rearrange your life away, but at the end of the day, organized clutter is still clutter. The beauty of minimalism is that it is a spectrum. It gives you the opportunity to define what minimal living means to you, and make it work to your benefit. To me, minimalism is the process of clarifying your goals and values, and stripping away everything else. I love shopping, home decor, and a good basket as much as the next girl, but I have found that implementing intentionality into everything I consume has the largest impact on the state of my home. I have come to appreciate high quality and sustainable products that are built to last a lifetime, which is why I can truly get behind and support companies like Gathre. I have never regretted waiting to invest in an item that supports my values and goals for my home, even if it has a higher price tag. I am a quality-over-quantity gal through and through.


4. Can you tell us about a few of your favorite storage solutions or genius hacks?

• Invest in matching sets. Whether it be sets of towels, cups, dishes, hangers, Tupperware, etc. Matching sets not only elevate the look of a space, but they also maximize available storage space by folding, stacking, or hanging in a more uniform way.

• The magic of the 10-Minute Tidy. In my home growing up, my sweet mom would announce several times a day that it was time for a quick 10-Minute Tidy, and set the timer on the oven. While I was anything but thrilled by the ritual at the time, I have grown to not only practice this in my home to this day, but also to preach the effectiveness of the 10-Minute Tidy from the rooftops to anyone who will listen. So much can be accomplished in just 10 minutes, and doing so often kickstarts my productivity and motivation when it is lagging.

• Turntables are a favorite hack of mine in terms of maximizing storage. My favorite spot to use them is in a corner cabinet. I swear corner cabinets are a black hole for miscellaneous kitchen items, but using a large turntable for cups or other kitchen essentials there is a game-changer in terms of accessibility and aesthetic.

5. Describe for us what a “happy home” looks and feels like to you?

To me, a happy home has everything to do with how the space makes you and your family feel. Whether we realize it or not, we are influenced by our living space. The more we can focus on loving and spending time with our loved ones, the happier we are. Which is why I am so passionate about creating simple systems and habits that make it possible to spend less time fighting clutter and chaos, and more time doing the things we love with the people we love. A home that is filled with only items that I feel are beautiful and functional, and more importantly, a home filled with those people that I love most is a happy home to me.