I love thinking about interior design as a creative way to find solutions in your home. We all want spaces that aren't just beautiful but also practical and organized. And that's where home organization steps in. It's a secret ingredient for creating a home that's not just pretty but also well-balanced and efficient.

Recently, I sat down with Erinn, the owner of Sort + Store, a Charlotte-based home-organizing business, to chat about how interior design and home organization team up to make the best of our homes. So, read until the end to learn more about this interesting concept!

For example, in our Refined Casual Living Project, we took a practical approach. Since the drop zone is all about function, we wanted it to look pretty and welcoming too. My client was feeling overwhelmed with clutter, so we addressed the space with baskets in these builtins.

My favorite part is the blue in the built-ins, how about you? Comment below!

Now, without further ado, let’s jump right into Home Organization with Erinn.

Q. Tell us a little bit about your business and how you got started.

Erinn - When clients ask how I started this business three years ago, I like to share the story of organizing being a way of life since my childhood. How I was once paid my best friend’s allowance because I organized her bedroom during a sleepover. I was the schoolgirl with color coded folders and all the highlighters.

However, I truly started this business for my mental health. After the loss of my father in 2020, I spent the majority of the early pandemic days sorting through years of family belongings- tossing, donating, archiving, filing, displaying. Most moms know the feeling of losing yourself after having babies, but the pandemic brought that feeling back. Being homebound with my children and furloughed from my non-profit career, finding a purpose and outlet became necessary for my inner peace. After realizing how I could pair my talent for envisioning a space plan with my experience in organizing, downsizing, and moving (we made 4 moves in the span of 7 years) I knew I could share this gift with others who felt weighed down by the clutter and chaotic spaces in their homes.

Q. Which space do you find homeowners need the most help? 

Erinn - This truly varies by homeowner!  The majority of our clients are busy families in the thick of parenthood.  With children's ages ranging from preschool to high school, add in successful careers, carpools and extracurriculars are demanding their time and energy.  This puts the priority of keeping a home, rightfully, on the back burner.  It is our mission with every project to create sustainable systems that give families more time and less stress.  By having an organized home, the frequency of misplaced jerseys, expired pantry products, or looking for hot glue sticks for the school project your child told you about the night before it’s due are a thing of the past. 

Q. How do you help designers and their clients on a project?

Erinn - With our Efficient Interiors services, we spend time learning about your family’s unique goals with your renovation to create a plan that considers every single item you need to fit in a space. By consulting with an expert organizer, we can elevate the work you’re doing with your interior design and trade teams, allowing you to prioritize organizational systems right at the start. Our clients love the option to have their custom spaces tailored to their needs.   We believe your new space deserves to look as good behind the doors and drawers. Our team spots opportunities for function, adding efficiency and an elevated touch. Our clients are able to maintain their organization years after working with us. Our customized systems are designed around the way each family thrives.

Jen - I agree! I love to create personalized spaces for our clients. For example, in our Revere Pewter and Dreamy Kitchen Project, we had the chance to update the back entry to promote a welcoming atmosphere in this home. I love how we achieved a cohesive design, by designing more than one room in this home, that not only meets the purpose but looks aesthetically pleasing.

By the way, if you’re getting inspired to make a change this year, and live in the Charlotte or Waxhaw area, book a call with me today to walk you through this process.

Q. How do you see organization and interior design as related?

Erinn - Scientific studies have proven a correlation between clutter and the increase in cortisol, the stress hormone.  By streamlining and decluttering your spaces, you can truly feel more at ease and enjoy your living space, not be stressed out by it. 

By pairing organizational systems, tailored to each client’s unique needs, with their home decor and interior styling, we can create a space that is not only beautiful and peaceful to be in, but functional to support their storage needs as well!

Q. Can you share a few of your best tips for our clients?

Erinn - If looking to take your home organization to the next level, we recommend starting with a small project that can be completed in a single afternoon.  Begin by emptying the space entirely and giving it a good cleaning.  From there, sort and itemize your contents by purpose and type and decide if they belong in the space or need to be rehomed elsewhere.  Our next tip is to measure your space before sourcing any organizing product.  We like to stick to cohesive matching items to create a streamlined and elevated look.  Acrylic drawer trays, bamboo drawer dividers, or matching hangers can completely change the look of a space and reduce visual clutter. 

So, there you have it; when it comes to finding the right solution for your space, Interior Design and Home Organization go hand in hand, presenting you with solutions that serve your lifestyle and most importantly, make you feel comfortable at home.

Book a call with us today if you need someone to help you with your remodel or new construction project and pin this article here as inspiration!