Hello everyone! This week we are covering some people’s favorite topic...Shopping! Whether you love it or loathe it, shopping is an extremely important part of the organizational process. This step occurs close to the end of the project when all the preparation and design have been completed. Here is where the action really starts to happen! Read about the process:
How long does it take to shop?
Kat: "This very much depends on the amount of items that we need. I'd say that for most average projects, supply shopping takes about an hour."
Where do you usually shop for supplies? Do you shop online or in person?
Kat: "Where we shop and whether we shop in person or online depends on the client's budget and timeline. Obviously, for every home organizer, The Containerstore is the resource number one but sometimes items are not in stock or back ordered. Then, Amazon is our next stop. They often have cheaper alternatives to the items from The Containerstore and shipping is fast and free. There are many other stores that offer great organizing options, such as Target, Crate & Barrel, Ikea and Home Goods."
Do you buy particular types of containers for certain rooms?
Kat: "Yes, while some containers can be used in many areas of the home, we definitely have our go-to's that we use for specific rooms over and over again."
Are there any ‘must-have’ containers that you use at every property?
Kat: "I wouldn't say that there are containers that are used for every project but there are certainly items that we recommend frequently for specific rooms. For instance, in closets, we tend to go with two or three different varieties of velvet hangers, matching bins or baskets to store accessories and seasonal clothing as well as a shoe rack or shoe bins. These are just the basics; obviously, options are unlimited depending on closet size."
How important are airtight containers?
Kat: "In pantries, airtight containers are very important to avoid little visitors like weevils. Using clear containers for bulk items is super practical since you can easily see what you have and what item can use a refill, so might as well go with the right kind of containers for that purpose."
Do you end up using everything you buy?
Kat: "Sometimes yes, oftentimes no. We like to "over-purchase" to make sure we are not missing anything while we are in a client's home, so returns are pretty common."
How much do you usually spend?
Kat: "Just like it is really hard to tell how long the shopping process takes, the cost for supplies can also vary widely. It depends on project size, amount of rooms we are working on, the client's budget and quality expectations."
Do you do all the shopping or does the client also partake?
Kat: "We leave it up to the client if they'd like to place the orders themselves or if they'd like us to do the shopping for them. I'd say that for smaller projects, our clients usually shop for their containers/organizers and for most large projects, we do the shopping. Since sometimes items are suddenly out of stock after we send the recommendation list over, we can then simply look for adequate replacements and add them to the order."
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