The A Team’s space was a challenge, but in a fun way. Figuring out their joint needs for the space, as well as their individual needs and quirks related to their individual belongings, took some careful thought, and sometimes, a lot of negotiation. Instead of just looking at their closets, I looked at the space as a whole, and we found creative ways to store things, and tried to make the most of their small space. For example, instead of taking up prime closet real estate with bath linens, we utilized a bunch of empty space above the closet, and put the linens in decorative but functional storage baskets. Now, that closet shelf space can be used for clothes, and the clothes can be folded and stacked neatly, instead of crammed in like a bunch of tourists on the metro.
All told, we got rid of a lot, both in trash and donation, but also figured out a way to make both the Lord and the Lady’s preferences meet in the middle. And, because they worked together to come to the decisions about use of space and organization, neither of them can say “You made me do this!” And if one of them tries, they know I am a very reliable witness. Take a look at the results.
Here’s what the A Team, in the words of Lady A, has to say about it:
Recently, my boyfriend and I decided to move in together. This was a very natural step in our relationship, but a terrifying project to merge everything we both owned into a studio apartment.
That’s right. A studio.
I’m not sure what we would have done without The Bitch and the Wardrobe. From start to finish, she was incredibly organized, full of great ideas, and an all-around delightful person to work with. The Bitch worked on our schedule, coming over on the weekends with donut holes and an iPod full of showtunes, and methodically transformed our apartment from a storage container with a bed into a Pinterest fever dream. And having this process complete feels great too- we didn’t realize how much our unorganized junk containers were weighing on us until they were gone. Our apartment now feels spacious, calm, and organized, and it is all thanks to her.
The Bitch made the whole process really easy. She started out with a detailed consultation, on paper and also in our apartment, to make sure she understood our space, our stuff, and our needs. Then she helped us purge, which was key to reclaiming so much space. A nice perk of having The Bitch do this process with us, too, was that she was totally willing to take the blame for making us get rid of stuff, so I wasn’t the mean person who made my boyfriend get rid of the box for his Starship Enterprise (for what it’s worth, the model has been out of the package for years). The Bitch even offered to donate and/or consign the stuff we were getting rid of, so it wouldn’t sit around in our apartment for months.
After the purge, The Bitch sent us a spreadsheet of what organization items we needed to get for the apartment. She sent us links to specific items at Amazon, the Container Store, etc… as examples of what would work well. I have to admit, I went a little off-book and purchased some things without consulting her first- these ended up being totally wrong for the space, which really drove home that, no matter how good I thought I might be at organizing, I am not a professional! The Bitch realized I needed more handholding in buying our organizers, so she went shopping with us and pointed out the pros and cons to each option we considered. This saved us a lot of time and money, and we got the best possible hangers, shoeboxes, and bins for our space. And then we went for Chick-fil-a, which tasted like victory. ;)
I have two-part advice to those who have to awesome opportunity to work with The Bitch and the Wardrobe. First, as she will say to you, this is your apartment, you’re the one who has to live with it, so if there is something you want out of the space or something you think won’t work for you, say something, because she is there to give you the closet you want. On the other hand, The Bitch knows what she is doing, so even if you don’t like an idea right away, don’t let your stubbornness get in the way of giving it a try. I was totally convinced I would never maintain any closet system that required me to keep my shoes in boxes, and bought a hideous shoe rack that The Bitch didn’t approve. When I finally caved and tried the shoeboxes, not only did we get a ton more floor and vertical space, but my shoeboxes are also now my favorite part of the closet! So share your thoughts, but also definitely try her suggestions. She knows what she is talking about!
I was incredibly impressed- and relieved- by how The Bitch helped us with the last step of physically organizing all of our items into logical organizers. I had tried to tackle our utility closet before, and got so overwhelmed by all of the junk that I just gave up. There was just so much stuff! But The Bitch was totally un-phased. She kept us moving forward one step at a time and helped us sort and store all of our items until it was done. I really don’t think we ever would have completed organizing our place without her- it would have always been a work in progress, and a constant source of clutter and stress. With her guidance and help, we got through the whole closet in maybe two hours, and the results were more functional and organized that anything we could have imagined.
I’m dead serious. My boyfriend and I both are amazed that we know everything that we have, where it all is, and can access it all super easily. You could ask me for anything we own- a thumb drive, a business card, that weird looking cord that goes to the tv- I know where it is right now and can get it in 5 seconds or less. Our lives in this space just got so much smoother and calmer- it’s amazing.
Working with The Bitch was the best decision we could have made. Our closets are beautiful, and our apartment feels highly functional and spacious. We probably saved a bunch of money by using her services, too, because now we can stay in the studio for the while instead of paying rent on a bigger apartment to fill with stuff we wouldn’t have even used. From the beginning, The Bitch had a vision for our space that we couldn’t see, and she thoughtfully guided us through the entire process with an organized and super friendly spirit until we got these beautiful results. She is an absolute god-send and such a pleasure to work with. If you have the opportunity to work with her, you totally should. The Bitch and the Wardrobe is a complete angel!
