June 2005 Pro to Pro

Have a question and looking for feedback from industry peers? This month, K&BDN listens in on dialogue between industry professionals, as excerpted from the KitchenBathPros.com online Designer Discussion Forum.

Client Clutter Issue

QUESTION
I recently picked up a retainer from a couple who have a bad case of "pack rat" disorder. They have created paths to get around the house, but there is tons of clutter everywhere! My question is: What is the best approach to handle this situation? Should I admit to myself that they will fill up every horizontal surface as soon as I´m out of their home and try and give them plenty of extra room; sell them a ton of cabinets so they can store things away neatly (the inside of their cabinets are actually rather tidy, but I suspect that they prefer to keep things out on counters so they can see important things), or should I simply sell them a basic kitchen, take the money and run? -- "Ronni"

RESPONSE 1
I would suggest the third option to you. In my opinion, there are more underlying psychological issues going on than not having enough cabinet space. -- "Design Diva"

RESPONSE 2
I just finished a remodel for the same exact type clients. Not only are they pack rats and clutter bugs, they really had to have every gadget ever made, many of which made no sense at all in the type of home they had. For instance, they wanted a river bath tub and a built-in coffee maker, among other things. Needless to say the tab was huge and now that we´re finished, it´s like they´re back to reality. The project turned out beautiful, but we couldn´t fix their psychological issues, and yes, everything is back to being cluttered. Now they are disappointed about having spent a fortune and the overall feel is the same. I actually pushed very hard during the project to get them to purge or sell a lot of items, but they just didn´t listen.

We did, by the way, dramatically increase storage. We added a huge storage room in the garage and enlarged the existing garage, but these clients really couldn´t be helped. It´s painful to see something like that happen. My answer is yes, in the future, choose basic cabinets, lots of storage and run, because you won´t like what happens to your design.
-- "Veronika"

RESPONSE 3
I have to agree: Run! People don´t change unless something very dramatic impacts their lives. I find that the more storage one creates, the more room folks have to store "stuff." Case in point, the garage. What´s up with $40,000 vehicles sitting in the elements while the three-car garage is packed with so many other things? Then if a designer was to ask them what the essential items were, often times people have no clue what they even own. By the way, the storage unit business seems a great investment opportunity.
-- "pischi"

RESPONSE 4
I, too, just finished a job for a "pack rat" family who built a new house. When I first met with them, the house was being framed, so everything they owned was in storage. Despite our thorough planning for maximizing the storage space available, I was almost in tears when I saw the mess of stuff on every available counter space and floor. They are literally packed in with "stuff." It was heartbreaking for me as well as their contractor because it was really a phenomenal space before they moved in.

My suggestion to you: if they clearly stated they have a problem with storage and need your expertise on designing with [a focus on] organizing the space to hold all their stuff, suggest to them that you want to call in a professional organizer for a consultation. This way, you can have an outside opinion in supporting your need to have this family realize they need to declutter their home. If you are near Los Angeles, you can call in one of the HGTV Organization Shows.
-- "Laurie1216"

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