The Pare Down: Featuring Keep or Ditch

One of the most important principles of design is function. Sometimes even over form, the function of a home creates a sense of peace and calm. Pare Home believes that this is an essential element to achieving a space that you love. In the Pare Down journal series, I connect with professional organizers and decluttering experts who bring back function to client's homes.

In the first ever Pare Down interview I had the pleasure of chatting with Keep or Ditch owner Kari Kelly.

"Someone's home and space, it's very personal." - Kari Kelly

Keep or Ditch, is a woman owned, Vermont business, who has clients lining up for BIG decluttering projects. Their mission is to create spaces that are clean, organized and functional for you and your family. To date, since starting her business in 2022, Kari has helped over 65 clients go from a big mess to streamlined spaces and systems that are working for them in their everyday lives.

During my sit down with Kari, we talked about her decluttering process, what she does with the Keep, Donate and Ditch piles and how garage spaces are the number one decluttering project as we roll into the winter months here in Vermont.

Sarah Seaver (SS): What is the number organizing job you get called for as we go into the Winter months?

Kari Kelly (KK): I definitely get called to organize garages. Because once we are in the full Winter months the work usually moves inside to playrooms and closets, etc. Usually, the client's goal is to get their cars in and implement some organization strategies. A lot of times is after the Summer Chaos of bikes, lawn mowers and sports equipment, everything collects in the garage because its the first place it lands when coming into the house. So it's really, simply, putting things back where they belong.

We go through everything together. 100% of the time I am taking something away to donate or sell.

SS: So when you first arrive at a home and do an evaluation of what someone needs, what is the process like?

KK: We go room to room, take a look at their biggest challenge or their biggest eye sore. I like to attack what's bothering them the most. it just makes the most sense to start there. Most of the jobs are primarily decluttering, so... let's say a closet. We take every single piece of clothing and item out of the closet. We make a KEEP pile, a DITCH pile and a MAYBE pile. Next, we pack up ditch, go through maybe, and the Keep pile I put it all back in and I do the organizing for the client.

SS: What do you do with DITCH and DONATE piles?

KK: With the ditch piles, I offer to sell items. However, I do not sell clothes or do Poshmark or anything like that. With clothes, I donate, and I donate strictly to local charities that give back. I don't ever bring clothes to Goodwill, I stay local and go to places like Replays in South Burlington where proceeds go back to the UVM Medical Center. The second location is Shalom Shuk in Burlington who serves the local community, new immigrants and those in need. They sell gently used clothes and household wares.

For toys, I exclusively work with boho baby. I will go in and drop off toys, make the account for person. and it's an additional benefit of the client to earn a little money on their gently used items.

For large items, or bigger projects and large items that need to be taken away, I typically act as a liaison to organize with local donation services. If its a piece worth selling, I will typically list and filter through any inquiries for my client and ensure they can sell it safely in online local marketplace.

Another source I do love is on Facebook, there is a local group page called "Buy nothing, sell nothing" and I kind of love the, one man's trash is another man's treasure. I try very very hard, and sometimes it does make my life more difficult, but I try not to throw anything away. This page has come in very handy. I had a client who had star wars galactic space ship that was huge, I threw it up on the page and we had 20 responses! Ultimately, I ended up giving it to this family with two little boys and to this day they are so pumped.

SS: What do you think is the biggest hang up when people wants to call someone to help them get organized?

KK: Embarrassment, being judged and I try to make it as CLEAR as I can that I am not there to judge. Honestly, if wasn't for clutter and messy spaces I wouldn't have a job lol. But also, I have seen it ALL. I have seen closets that you can barely walk into and I have seen closets where I would not call them messy and they are still embarrassed about them. It's their own space and people are protective of their space. It's very personal. Honestly, the worse the better for me!

Keep or Ditch

BEFORE + AFTERS

SS: How do you work 1:1 with clients, do some clients want to be deeply involved or hands off?

KK: So most of my jobs are working directly with the client because if we want to declutter, I can't take anything away without them making that call. I would say 99% of my jobs are working directly with the client. If it's strictly organization, then I don't need the client to help along the way. For example, a pantry, I go through and look at expiration dates, I look at how much is left of things, etc.

SS: Tell me a little bit about organized space does for someone's mental health

KK: Clutter and chaos is stressful. There is just something about a nice clean space where you know exactly where things are, it's just a piece of mind and a sense of calm.

SS: I know you said you don't typically buy a lot for project and you tend to use what the client has on hand. But if you were, let's say tackling a garage. What are your go to products?

KK: I like to shop the home first... use every last piece that someone has at home first. Shelves, bins, anything. Then we outsource from there. If I had to pick, for a garage there are wall organizers for garden tools, shovels and tools. It get's it off the ground and they have a and each item has is designated home and you can see everything. For kids toys, there is the sports equipment organizer that lets you put balls, sport bats, rackets. I have used a couple of them and it son wheels so you can move it. Also, I love big metal shelves, super handy in getting things off the floor.

Shop Kari's Favorites

SS: Tell me about your most satisfying garage clean up to date?

KK: Yes, it was a 2 car garage, completely unusable for cars. Everything was stacked in the middle and no access to the home. This family was redoing their home and they originally put everything in the basement but then got pulled into garage. The goal of the project was to help them put back the home's items, but they wanted to declutter at the same time. So i came in and took a lot away, donated a lot and we put everything back in the home in the room it belonged. From there, we actually went and tackled room by room.

Before:

After:

SS: So if a client has a project, what is the best to get in touch and get on the list?

KK: The best way is definitely go to my website and inquire through the contact page. If someone reaches out to me I usually get back in touch asap (sometimes it goes to spam, so if I don't reach back out please get in touch!) to book a date that works for them. I also have my rates are also on my website www.keeporditch.com

I loved this conversation with Kari and there was so much to share that we will definitely be back for another topic around decluttering! Kari has an amazing energy and is overall just a good human, I hope you get in touch with her for your next major clean up!