As a tween you could find me holed up in my room on Saturday nights (because Friday nights were for the roller rink) completely rearranging my room. I moved furniture around, restyled bookshelves, and moved posters. When life got crazy, my control over my room was the thing that kept me sane. When I went to college, my roommate benefited from my compulsions with a ridiculously tidy room… and her pajamas neatly folded under her pillow every morning. Thankfully, my roommate was my best friend from high school…I’m not sure that a stranger would have met my actions with a mere roll of the eyes. My boyfriend at the time (now my husband) would wander through our room and shift picture frames and décor a few inches, just to see if I would notice. I married him anyway, and we have been together for over 20 years. Three houses, many dogs, chickens and two kids later, my passion (and need) for organization and design keep me grounded and inspired.
I went to college without a doubt in my mind that I wanted to teach. Four years later I had a shiny new degree in Elementary education, with a concentration in early childhood. I loved working with kids, but it no longer felt like my calling.
Over the next few years, I taught a wide range of ages, and eventually started to nanny. I lost myself in the day to day and only really felt those moments of inspiration and passion when I was working on design projects. I painted the rooms in our home… and then painted them again. I poured over books and magazines for inspiration (oh how Pinterest changed my life), and my husband and I DIYed and remodeled the heck out of our houses. I helped my friends rearrange rooms, organize kitchens, and consult on color choices. It never crossed my mind that I could make a career out of helping others organize and design their homes.
I had had countless people come to my house and declare “When we move, I am going to hire you to help me design my house” or “I need you to come help me get my house in order”. My immediate response was always “Absolutely!”. I can’t honestly say what finally clicked for me. Maybe it was that my kids were getting older, and I had to figure out who I was (and wanted to be) when my kids were in school, and I could finally take off my mom hat…at least for part of the day. When I told my husband and close friends that I wanted to start my own organization and design business I was greeted with a resounding “Duh!”. They had been pushing me toward it all along, and I was too stuck in mom mode to think about what brought me joy and where my true passions lay.
I had so much support and enthusiasm for my venture. They pushed me through my self-doubt, and soon opportunities to stage homes, and design an office fell in my lap. As I was gearing up to launch Snygg, Covid hit. If nothing else, the time that people have been forced to spend at home has given us a (very) up close look at how our homes aren’t working for us. Many of us have had to work from home, help our kids navigate virtual school, and spend all our free time at home as well. We have been faced with all the disorganized closets, formal dining rooms (that aren’t being used for dining), and general clutter. Life has been extra hard, messy, and real. Now, as people are getting vaccinated, and we are facing the idea of letting others into our homes again, we are ready for a change.
I am beyond thrilled to finally be working with clients. I have a passion for organization and design, and I truly cherish the relationships that are formed over messy playrooms, and chaotic living rooms. Through my business and my blog, I am dedicated to helping families eliminate the clutter, reimagine rooms, and design a space that feels like a warm hug.
If you think I might me a good fit, I would love to hear from you. Check out my full list of services here, and join my mailing list. I will do my very best to keep you supplied with design ideas, and organization tips to keep you inspired and motivated. Thanks for stopping by!
