Service Spotlight: Product Sourcing

If you've read it once, you've read it a thousand times – we start every organizing project with the SPACE acronym, courtesy of Julie Morgenstern. SPACE stands for Sort, Purge, Assign, Contain, and Equalize.

As professional organizers, we spend the majority of our time working on the first three steps with our clients, but a lot of emphasis is put on Contain in this industry (you might even be familiar with the store!). When we start a relationship with a new client, they are often incredibly enthusiastic about the storage bins and organizing products that we will be purchasing together. We emphasize at our first session that we won't even begin the discussion about bins or other containment tools until we have done a thorough sort and purge of all of the items in a space.

Product sourcing, also described as helping clients find the appropriate products for organizing, is a central part of our work. There are thousands of options out there – new or used, pricey or cheap, acrylic or bamboo, soft or hard, open or covered – and they are absolutely not all created equal. The specific features that a space and a client require vary widely, and unneeded bins will just create even more additional clutter! Many of the homes where we work have extensive empty bin collections that are collecting dust because they just were not the right choice for the space.

“Product” can describe closet systems, drawer dividers, shelving, furniture, and of course, bins! The same principles apply to all of these different possible solutions.

A real life example of overbuying bins for a product implementation day!

Here’s how to product source like a pro:

• Sort, Purge, and Assign BEFORE You Buy Your Product

  I know that I just said this, but it is worth saying again! It is not a logical choice to purchase bins if you don’t know what you need to store or where it is going to live. Organizing is all about rethinking the ways that you use your space, and pre-buying storage products without taking a hard look at what you have and where you want it is a waste of time and money.

• Measure! And then measure again.

  The volume of organizing products available to purchase is truly overwhelming. Once you have things newly assigned, take a look at the space that you have. Measure the INSIDE of the space where you want to put your product, and make sure to take note of any large obstructions like pipes or door hinges that might impede your access. Write down the dimensions of your space and start looking for product that you like for the space. Once you find a product you like, do a second measurement (yes, really) to ensure that it will actually fit in your space. There is nothing more frustrating than spending lots of time sourcing products only to realize that they don’t actually fit!

• Buy More Than You Think You Need

  If you are looking at items like drawer dividers or installing a larger storage system we recommend overbuying so that you can play around with different combinations of solutions. Most stores make returns really easy so that you can do this without an additional cost. This is especially helpful if you want to buy used organizing product! Even if you measure really well, there is no substitute for having your product in your space to see how it looks and feels.

• Think Carefully About Materials

  You don’t want to hold oils in something woven or onions in an airtight plastic bin. What you are storing (and where it is in your home) should inform your choices. Coated metal or plastic are usually best in bathrooms and kitchens, while organic materials like cotton or wool are better for bedrooms or nurseries. Think about value over time – if you purchase a cheaper solution now, you will be much more likely to have to replace it. Trying to buy high-quality organizing products and only shopping when you know what you need will save you money and our planet valuable resources!

Check out the images below for examples of how effective product implementation can enhance an already organized space.

Are the product possibilities still too much to manage? Reach out to our team for a complimentary phone consultation to discuss the ways that we can support all of your organizational needs!