John Whitney – Moving Home
John got in touch to let me know that he and his girlfriend Alex were moving from the Norwich area to Nottingham to further their education … and asked if I could help?
I met with them both to find out the timescales for their move to their apartment in Nottingham, which was just over a month away. We discussed all the details, working our way through my ‘Moving Home Checklist’ to cross reference what aspects of moving where applicable to them. During our chat, I identified some areas where they may wish for assistance, such as; organising storage in their apartment so that everything would be neatly and tidily put away, drawing up a shopping list of what items were still required for purchase and from where, offering to take them shopping for some ‘new home items’, including furniture from IKEA, assistance with flat pack furniture assembly, a comprehensive food and household shopping list so they could select all that they needed to get them set up. They loved these ideas, so I created a schedule so we all knew the timelines we would be working to.
In addition to finding out what assistance they needed, it was also important to ascertain any concerns they may have, as addressing and negating any concerns, ensures a smooth transition and happy customers. I explained that moving home really can be fun and exciting and that I was there to help make their move as easy and as enjoyable as possible.
The apartment, although not large, had lovely high ceilings and massive windows so there was a real feeling of light and space. They had both mentioned that this was one of the things they really loved about their new home and they would really like it to still feel like that, even when they had moved all their stuff in. So, to aid this, I drew up a to scale floor plan of the apartment layout with items of furniture (also to scale), so they could be moved around the layout drawing to check re spatial awareness and practicality of use. They loved this and felt reassured that the ideas would work.
Having planned and prepared for the move, I was on hand from packing up all their belongs in Norwich, to waving them goodbye having successfully completed their move to Nottingham and set up of their new home in less than 2 days.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that count and the attention to detail that customers really appreciate. In John and Alex’s case, this was agreeing a budget for their move to give them complete peace of mind, making sure something nice to eat and drink was to hand as we worked through the day and into the evening, taking time to make sure that some of their favourite things, i.e. John’s computer/gaming equipment and desk were set up, and Alex’s cookery items and her lovely plants, were just how they both wanted them. They also commented that they loved the way I had maximised the space in the apartment as it still felt as light and airy as the day they first viewed their to be new home.
Personal Styling and Wardrobe Management
Do you want to look put together rather than thrown together? Some people find it really difficult to know what clothes to wear and
for the main part, what style suits them best. It’s important that you feel great in what you wear.
It’s so easy to get stuck in a style rut and just wear the same things day in and day out, like leggings/joggers and oversized baggy sweatshirts and jumpers. All body shapes, sizes and style dilemmas can be catered for, the goal is always to make you look and feel gorgeous!
The trick is to make your outfit work for you and show off your best asset. In collating ensembles for your wardrobe, it’s important to cater for each aspect of your lifestyle to ensure that this is reflected with items for; work, smart/casual wear, loungewear, sportswear/hobbies and evening wear … so you have outfits for every occasion. It’s also good to change things up a bit and mix smart with casual, like putting a tailored jacket with a pair of dark jeans, heels and with a silky top to create a smarter luxury look accessorised with matching clutch bag and some statement jewellery.
As stylists we take our direction from what you love and really listen to what you want to achieve, your vision and best version of you. We help you choose colours that compliment your skin tone and styles that really flatter and enhance your best attributes.
What style do you want in your life? What will get your mojo back? Show more of your personality through your clothes, bring this back into your wardrobe and put the fun back into choosing what you wear. Don’t get caught up in following trends … we help you find your own style, that you are comfortable with and find easy to wear. This will build your confidence and take years off of your look/age.
Heels make your foot look more elegant and your leg look longer in addition to making you taller, so they are a girl’s best friend (along with diamonds of course!). Even if you can’t rock a high heel, kitten heels can still have a similar effect. Heels and flatforms help with posture and definitely give a sense of presence too!
Dressing to suit your body shape is key, as hiding your shape by wearing baggy clothes over compensates and can often create the opposite of the desired effect. There are so many ways to work with your body shape that are really flattering and it makes such a difference wearing the right size clothes as it completely changes your silhouette and helps you create your own identity.
Wardrobe staples tend to be …
Pair with smart or casual attire.
Straight cut is often a good choice, however, go with whichever fit is best for your body shape
A wardrobe must have, can be worn as smart casual workwear or dressed up for evening wear for a more glamorous look with carefully curated accessories.
They look amazing with jeans, a tee, shirt and jacket. Also great with long skirts and dresses
A smart or smart/casual and very versatile piece that looks great with so many garments
Looks wonderful paired with leather trousers/jeggings, black strappy sandals and sunglasses for an effortlessly cool look
Can be worn with a floaty dress or skirt in addition to jeans and trousers
Earrings, a bracelet and/or a necklace adds that touch of glitz and glamour
Great paired with a tee or camisole
A simple quality jumper is a versatile addition
Wear with anything, including dresses and skirts
Which is spacious enough to carry all your essentials, while elevating every look in your wardrobe
Shirt, dress or skirt, something that zhuzhes up your look
the classic that can be teamed with a casual or smart top to create the desired look
Choose something that suits but is eye-catching and adds some va va voom
NB: Of course, the black can be swapped out for another colour, lots of people choose, navy, grey or brown as there go colour base.
Be sure to avoid colours that make you look washed out and choose fabrics, prints, styles and colours that instantly bring your look to life … as adding a pop of colour can brighten your look and lift your mood. Styling details visually draw the eye to them for example a rolled-up sleeve or jean hem for a more casual style, while wearing a sash tied belt to the side detracts from a waistline and using a french tuck on a top with jeans, is a more subtle way of drawing emphasis to your waist.
And last, but not least, never forget to accessorise – you can literally make or break an outfit with accessories!
What’s your style combination?
Professional and polished, corporate tailored, vibrant and bold, country casual, cool and edgy, elegant and sophisticated, chic and stylish, girly and pretty and to name but a few … the options are limitless.
Gaps in your wardrobe?
This is what is meant when you go to choose an outfit to discover that you don’t have the right footwear to finish the look, or, the lovely sleeveless dress you are wearing, really needs the option to add a jacket, duster, shrug, pashmina to cover your arms and keep you a little warmer. It’s so important to look the different ways of wearing your clothes together to establish a greater variety of outfits and find those important gaps and create your gap shopping list!
My fashion shoot photos show a variety of options for collating ensembles for various occasions and transitioning a look from day to eveningwear.
Are you ready to freshen up your look and inject some style and sass?
Then let’s get started … and have some fun!
Evanthia
Evanthia reached out to me finding my contact details on the Association of Professional Declutters & Organisers (APDO) website. Due to Covid restrictions at the time, our
initial consultation took place via FaceTime where she explained that her office/laboratory really wasn’t working for her any more.
Evanthia is an award-winning MSc Biologist and PhD student who is founder of her handmade beauty and body care business, Piotis Naturals in Norwich. She uses only the best, safest and cleanest ingredients to produce her handmade Natural, Vegan, Organic Skincare & Cosmetics, so it’s vitally important that the layout of her laboratory/office, with all the; equipment and ingredients, etc, are all organised in a logical manner so they are easy to locate. Due to Evanthia’s success in growing her business, she now wanted to increase her productivity and wished for some assistance to declutter and reorganise first.
We talked through her requirements and I formulated a plan where I could guide her on a ‘virtual’ basis, on FaceTime (or Zoom) to implement this. Evanthia has a large shelving rack with a mixture of ingredients, containers, labels, and some equipment on it. The items were not clearly visible and so tricky to locate and access. I noticed that she was left-handed and yet the shelving rack, her main storage area, was located to the righthand side of her workbench. The workbench has a shelf underneath which is where most of her equipment is stored.
The wall opposite the shelving rack looked to be approximately the same length as the shelving unit. I asked Evanthia to please check the length of the shelving rack and wall. She did this and confirmed that both the unit and the wall were 120cm long, a perfect fit! This meant that she could have everything she needed to hand by relocating the unit to the opposite wall.
To best organise her storage shelving, I suggested large/heavy items be located on the floor under the first shelf on the rack, while the other items be grouped into sub-categories, such as: ingredients, containers, labels, packaging, some equipment, etc, together on a shelf. I recommended less frequently used items and smaller/lighter items, be placed in a tray for ease of access, (labelled to identify the contents) and relocated to the top of the shelf rack. Then I proposed additional overstock of the bulky items, be relocated to the garage to free up more space. To aid the visualisation and implementation of the storage plans, I produced a floor plan and elevation drawings.
At the end of our phone call we, agreed a plan of action. Evanthia removed all the items from the shelving rack/unit before relocating it over to the opposite wall and implementing the storage plan. The unit fitted perfectly, this change really opened up the room, so now there would be space to locate a dual-purpose desk/vanity unit that she’s always wanted.
Evanthia’s work space was transformed and she was already noticing how much easier it was to access items from the left-hand side. Everything now had a designated storage area, was visible, looked neat and tidy, clean and organised. I’m delighted that by implementing these changes, they have really improved Evanthia’s working environment, enabling her to increase her productivity, which was her ultimate goal.
