Commenting on a Home Being Simple and White
“My home is very white and bright, with minimal art on the wall and only a splash of color. When guests comment on how I should add more ’lived in’ looking items and hang additional pieces of art so it looks ‘homier,’ I tell them I love simple white rooms and zero clutter. Less is more for this professional organizer; plus, there’s an added bonus, my home is so much easier to clean!” —Kate Swenson of ORDER by Kate in Atlanta, GA
Saying You’re Too Nervous to Touch Anything
“I really don’t like it when guests come over and they say remarks like, ‘I don’t want to move anything, everything seems to be in it’s place.’ I mean, of course everything has a home, but I don’t expect my home to be like a museum and not be moved around. My home is meant to be lived in and enjoyed. It doesn’t bother me when items are moved around, heck, I even have furniture pieces that always change locations.” — Katrina Green of Badass Homelife in Sacramento, CA
Wondering How It’s Possible to Stay Tidy
“The most annoying comment is, ‘Where do you find the time to keep your home so tidy, especially since you have kids?” Although my kids aren’t kids anymore, the habits that kept my home tidy then are still used now. There’s a place where everything belongs, items get returned to that place after use, I involve the family with cleanup and putting things away, and edit unused items often." — Arlene Williams of Bona Fide Organizing in Toronto
Expressing Worries About Reciprocating the Invite
“I would say that my top pet peeve is when guests come over and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I can never have you over!’ Firstly, I would never judge a home I was invited into. As a professional organizer, one of the main principles is to remain nonjudgmental. And secondly, my home is not always perfectly clean and organized, as they might imagine. Of course I tidied up before they came! But in the day to day busyness, things can get a little messy sometimes. Plus, I also have a busy partner who ahem has more tolerance to mess and clutter than I do.” — Amy Dobson of Reclaim Interiors in Alexandria, VA
Opening Closets and Cupboards
“For me it’s not what people say, it’s what people do. I can’t stand when people come into my home and start opening cabinets and closets to see if I’m ‘organized.’” — Faith Roberson of Organize With Faith in New York City
Commenting on Constant Changes
“I am always elevating my home style, so I often like to change my furniture, donate items, et. cetera, so it’s constantly a revolving door of things coming in and going out, and that can get some comments. Nothing mean but things like, ‘You’re doing this again?!’” — Jenna Haefelin of SPIFF Organizing in NYC tristate area and beyond
Saying a Home is Too Organized
“Fortunately, I don’t get too many negative comments or critiques from guests since I entered the professional organizing industry. However, I have heard from people that my space is a bit too organized or ’extra’ for their taste. For example, they think it’s unrealistic that my junk drawer is actually organized! I almost feel like telling them that I tidied it before they came over but, nope, it’s usually very neat. (On the other hand, I have a messy ‘Monica Geller’ closet that I own and am not embarrassed by!)” — Mary Cornetta of Sort and Sweet in Long Island, NY, and Savannah, GA
Asking Why There’s No Mess
“As someone who loves entertaining, one of my goals is to be 95 percent ready when our guests arrive. I like to have everything set up, the kitchen clean and put away, and the cooking and food prep done. This way, I’m not stressed when our friends and family show up. I can focus on welcoming and socializing rather than cleaning or cooking. I usually leave a few things undone because some guests like to help, which makes them feel more comfortable. It’s awkward when a guest jokingly asks upon arrival, “Where is the mess? or “Am I here at the right time?” They may think it’s funny or a compliment, but it makes me feel bad because it pokes fun at the prep it took to get party-ready.” — Linda Samuels of Oh, So Organized! in Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Commenting on the High Price of Organizing Solutions
“I can’t stand when people say I’ve spent too much money on organizing solutions/products. The solutions and products I invest in are always intentional and make my spaces easier to access and more functional. I’m always ok with the investment required to make my life flow a bit better, even if that means spending $40 on a basket I like or need.” — Kenika Williams of Tidied by K in Atlanta, GA
Or Commenting on More Affordable Options!
“Sometimes someone might comment on my lack of expensive, coordinated storage bins like they’ve seen on some of the TV shows about organizing. I lean more toward the functionality of an item. If it works for my needs and I have something on hand I can use, I prefer that over spending money on more stuff. Also, if the bins are in closets or in drawers where no one but me would see them, then who cares what I use, as long as it works for me.” — Claudia Winkler of WOW! Organized! LLC in Denver, CO
