Professional Organizer, Charlottesville VA
434-989-2675
“Let’s Get organized”
Matt Celentano, Owner & Lead Organizer
“We do more than just organizing! Check out our “Total Space Transformation Services” and get plugged in!”
Work Time Lapse Videos
Bedroom Makeover by Utterly Organized
Pantry Organization by Utterly Organized
Master Bedroom Walk-In Closet Installation
Guest Bedroom Organization by Utterly Organized
Junk Removal by Utterly Organized
Master Bedroom Closet Design/Build by Utterly Organized
Shed Organization by Utterly Organized
Our “Total Space Transformation” services include:
“Total Space Transformation”
Utterly Organized was selected by Redfin as a top organizing expert in Virginia! See the Redfin article we were featured in: The Ultimate Fall Home Organization Checklist to Prep Your Home for the Season | Redfin
Check out this recent interview, done by Nat Miller of SunboundHomes.com, featuring Matt Celentano of Utterly Organized!
Let’s Get Organized
Now is always the perfect time to get organized! Don’t waste any more time living with stressful piles of clutter. Call us and we will completely transform your home and help you keep it in top shape.
You can choose to work alongside a Professional Organizer or leave all of the work up to us. Either way we will consult with you to form a plan that will benefit you the most.
Having an organized home is a great foundation for a stress-free and efficient life.
When your home looks and feels beautiful, and operates in alignment with your highest priorities you will be in a position to flourish and become the best version of yourself!
Do you have a closet that needs some extra attention?
How about a garage, attic or basement that needs a clean out and re-design?
A kitchen and bathroom that are begging to be de-cluttered and re-organized?
Are you feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and don’t know where to start?
Don’t worry, that’s where we come in.
You can forget about being stuck in procrastination, feeling frustrated about your clutter, or being unable to find what you are looking for.
Not only will we come in and do the work for you (or with you, if you choose), but we also offer 1 on 1 coaching, training, and hands-on organizing sessions where we teach you the skills and techniques I use to stay organized on a daily basis!
We promise to create a visually pleasing and practically organized space, which matches your priorities, increases productivity, and allows you to experience peace…
Work Sample PHotos
Basement Dining Room
Master Bedroom Closet Installation
Master Bedroom Closet Installation
Bedroom
Bedroom
Laundry Room
WHY CHOOSE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER?
If you have made the decision at some point to get your home in order, but are feeling overwhelmed and unable to follow through, it might be a good idea to bring in an expert. If you are feeling frustrated, angry, or exhausted and are unable to reach your personal or professional goals it’s okay to lean on a professional for help and guidance. Call on Utterly Organized, your premier Professional Organizer in Charlottesville, VA.
A professional organizer is someone who will provide support for decision-making, encourage you to take action with the removal of unwanted items, sort and organize existing spaces, and help to set up systems that ultimately create order and clarity in your home.
People need professional organizers for different reasons. Some need help to sort through a lifetime worth of photographs, some are in the process of a life-changing event, while others need to get to the root of their disorganization and procrastination. Whatever the issue is we are here to help you sort through your things and decide what to keep, and what to sell or give away. We will help you transform your home so that it functions well for your goals and priorities.
It usually works best if the client is involved and active throughout the entire process. As the owner of your items you must make the final decision as in what to keep and what to get rid of. You will need to be prepared to answer lots of questions, and make important decisions that arise.
You do not need to be afraid or feel embarrassed about the state of your space. As professional organizers, we are always working right in the middle of a cluttered home, and you can be sure that we will be respectful and nonjudgmental about the state of your space. You can rest easy knowing that your things, thoughts and feelings are kept completely confidential. Nonetheless it is also important that I am open and honest with you about the condition of your space. Some things may be hard to hear, but ultimately the constructive criticism I share with you is in your best interest.
DECLUTTERING
According to a recent study, the part of the brain that activates when you feel pain, is the same part that triggers when you get rid of clutter, which explains why it is “painful” to get rid of clutter.
Clutter can cause real amounts of stress making it more difficult to relax. Decluttering means living with less, and living with less means less stress. If you choose to declutter your home, you will have less cleaning and organizing, and you won’t be searching for lost items or papers. Also, you won’t be wasting time thinking about stuff or feeling frustrated by the condition of your home.
Just knowing that your home is clutter free can help to put your mind at rest. This makes it important to not only organize areas in plain sight, but you must also organize those areas that are out of your sight as well. When decluttering, you must remember that it is a process and it won’t happen overnight. Little by little, day by day, and item by item is the only way.
DECLUTTERING TIPS
If you’re having trouble getting started, use the “Sticker Method”. Go through items and place green stickers on the things that bring you joy and want to keep, place red stickers on the items you want to trash or donate, and yellow stickers on the items you want to sell.
If you would like to downsize your closet, but don’t know where to begin, use the “Hanger Flip Method”. Place all of your hangers that have clothing so that the hooks are facing the same way. After you wear a piece of clothing flip the hanger so that it is facing the other way. Check the status of your hangers after 60 days, and get rid of the clothing that has not been worn. If you are having real difficulty letting go of clothing, keep the article for one more week, and if you wear it and love it then you can keep it. If you don’t love it, toss it.
When trying to get rid of smaller items and knick-knacks, create a “Junk Box”, where you can put all of the items that you never use or don’t know what they are. If you don’t use any of the items in 30 days, feel free to let go of those items.
If you have lots of books, CDs, records, or DVDs you can use them as a small gift for a family member or friend. Just write a note and have them pay it forward.
When encouraging your children to declutter you can make it fun by offering a prize for every 10 things they can collect for donation.
Make sure to get rid of any duplicate items, expired products, or half empty bottles that you never use. Remember that momentum is important when trying to declutter and downsize. Once you begin to give away, sell, or trash items you will begin to gain courage and confidence about letting items go. Yes the first 20% of things you get rid of is easier than the next 20%, but the momentum and feeling you get from “lightening the load’ can be a game changer.
When dealing with books, divide them into 4 categories (Books you will never read, books you have read and would like to keep for reference, books you have read and would never read again, and then books you plan to read but haven’t gotten there yet). You can donate the books you will never read, and the ones you will never read again.
Another tactic is to start the decluttering process by choosing one specific area, such as a desk or countertop that you want to be your “Clutter-Free Area”. Get the whole family to agree to keep that space perfectly clear of clutter and organized. You can then use this example as a way to declutter the next space.
After you have decluttered, your space may feel a bit empty, and you may get the urge to want to fill that space with more items. Rather than giving in to those feelings, take some time to think about a better way to spend your money, and allow the space to open you towards what you really want for your life. Remember that you are not your stuff, and your stuff is meant to serve you in a way that you can live your best life.
These Decluttering tips have been brought to you by (Courtney Carver, bemorewithless.com/tinytasks/).
SENTIMENTAL ITEMS
Oftentimes we can be paralyzed by fear because we don’t want to let go of sentimental items. We see each and every item as important and meaningful in our lives and don’t want to let it go. However, if we can let go of the past, we are more able to experience valuable meaning in the present and future.
When considering letting go of sentimental items, it can take some time. It is often wise to start by getting rid of something that is easier to let go of, such as excess silverware, clothing, or furniture. Once you gain some momentum you will feel better about letting more meaningful items go. I often try to think about the positive impact my item could have on the person that will be receiving that item.
One way to counteract having to let go of a sentimental item is by taking a photo of the item and then writing a story about why that item means so much to you. Having a photo and a story about the item can almost fully substitute for the item itself.
Another way to help you let go of a sentimental item is to use the item, in a meaningful way, one last time. Then give thanks to the item for its purpose in your life and pass it on to the next person.
These Sentimental Items tips have been brought to you by (Courtney Carver, bemorewithless.com/victorylap/).
MINIMALISM
Minimalism is about appreciating what you have, only desiring what you need, and enjoying relationships and experiences rather than money or things. Oftentimes the things we purchased to make us happy are actually distracting us from finding real joy.
Interestingly enough, minimalism is less about the things you remove and more about the things you add. Minimalism allows you to choose what you want in your life to take up the space and time that your things once did. Minimalism involves the intentional pursuit of things we value and a shedding of those things that distract us. (Joshua Becker, becomingminimalist.com/5-years-of-better/).
“Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.
Minimalism should lead to a more purpose-driven life.
Minimalism can also be described as a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.”
Minimalism can help us to…
Eliminate our discontent
Reclaim our time
Live in the moment
Pursue our passions
Discover our missions
Experience real freedom
Create more, consume less
Focus on our health
Grow as individuals
Contribute beyond ourselves
Rid ourselves of excess stuff
Discover purpose in our lives
Minimalists search for happiness not through things, but through life itself; thus, it’s up to you to determine what is necessary and what is superfluous in your life (Millburn & Nicodemus, theminimalists.com/minimalism/).
MINIMALIST METHODS
Let’s discuss some tactics for becoming a Minimalist.
First make a list of all the reasons you want to live a simpler life. Your “why’s” will help you to persevere when the going gets tough.
Second, put all duplicate items in a box, and if you don’t use them for 30 days then get rid of them.
Third, create a clutter-free-zone where you keep the area completely free of items and debris. Honor this space, and maintain its simplicity. If you appreciate having this space you can carry this practice to other areas of your home.
Fourth, when going on a trip, travel lightly, and use that experience of using less as an example for creating a minimalist home. Fifth, try dressing with less. Select only 50 items (shoes, shirts, underwear, etc.) to use for 3 months. This will certainly allow you to see that you don’t need more than this (Courtney Carver, bemorewithless.com/begin/).
