For almost a decade, trained professional organizers of the NEAT Method have transformed their clients’ homes and kitchen cupboards from chaos to composed.
Making a house a home is a lot more complicated than you think.
Enter: NEAT Method.
NEAT Method—which has over 75 locations across the U.S.—utilizes the magical, compartmentalized minds of trained professional organizers, who can organize literally anything from a playroom to a whole move.
We got to take a look inside the literal and figurative kitchen cupboards of Mia Whalley, owner of NEAT Method’s New Hampshire outpost. A busy professional, mother, and fitness junkie, Mia has a lot of balls in the air — but she always manages to find a place to store them.
Meet Mia and her space:
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- Organizing Philosophy in One Sentence: I believe that once your life is clutter-free and well-arranged, you will have a new appreciation for the importance of living NEAT.
- Pantry Must-Haves: Decanted snacks! Most of us are creatures of habit. If there is something you love and eat all the time, consider decanting your favorites so they stay fresh, and so you can see exactly when it’s time to buy more!
- Favorite Food Items in Your Pantry: I love coffee, enjoy wine, and might be slightly addicted to chocolate.
- Space To Most Likely Get Disorganized: My office. After building our house two years ago, that space became a great “drop zone” for everyone in the house. It even has a cute little pocket door to help keep it “out of sight, out of mind.”
- Most Notorious Mess-Maker In Your Home: Hmm, it doesn’t seem fair to throw my 7-year-old under the bus because she actually keeps us in line most days, but she sure does know how to make a mess when she gets going with her crafts! I’m so grateful and appreciative of my husband who is actually pretty tidy and a huge help around the house.
- Labels. Love Them or Leave Them: Labels are a game changer. I do tend to be small and simplistic with labels in our clients' homes, but they really do keep systems from getting chaotic, and they give other family members and even guests some guidelines.
- Worst Bargain: Single-use items. There are lots of clever kitchen gadgets on the market, but if the goal is to have clutter free drawers and cabinets, then you may want to consider getting rid of any items that only serve one purpose. I’m not a great cook by any means, but I can do a lot with just a knife and a peeler.
- Favorite Kitchen Accessory: Something I would recommend for all kitchens — turntables! They are by far the best addition to any space. NEAT Method created a beautiful Acacia Turntable that I loved adding into my spaces.
- Caraway Cookware. Countertop or Cabinet: If I had any open shelving in our home, I would absolutely display Caraway Cookware. They come in gorgeous colors and are beautiful to look at. We have ours stored in a cabinet with pullout shelves.
- Organizing Mantra: There’s no need to overcomplicate things. When establishing your categories for organizing, keep things easy. “Sweet Treats” and “Salty Snacks” are great labels for those items in your panty.
- Clear Containers or Original Packaging: Don’t let the packages fool you. By using clear containers and pulling items from their original packages you can save space and see exactly how much of each item you have left. This goes for anything from kids snacks, coffee pods, detergent pods, and even trash bags.
- Favorite Kitchen / Pantry Splurge: I recently created a new space in our kitchen with decanted smoothie supplies, and a drawer for our coffee and hydration packets.
- Dream Dinner Guest: Who isn’t dreaming of a girls night these days?! Michelle Obama and Oprah would be top on the invite list.
- Last Kitchen Item You Bought: NEAT Method Matte Brass Canisters and Acacia Drawer Dividers. I may be biased, but our design team has done an amazing job coming up with beautiful and functional products that work for any style home.
- Secret Organizing Hack: One in / one out is the tried-and-true hack, but if you really want to make a lifestyle switch, be mindful when you’re shopping. When purchasing anything new for yourself or your home, picture where it’s going to live, what it will replace, what you will use it for. If this doesn’t come easy, then maybe now’s not the time for that purchase.
- Favorite Kitchen Memory: Seeing our kitchen go from a vision on paper to a reality in 3D was pretty amazing. Since moving in, one of my favorite memories would be NYE 2020 — dancing to 90s R&B around the kitchen island with our friends.
Follow Mia at @neatmethod for more organizational inspo!
