Toys can be one of the hardest things to organize and I think this comes down to three things:
1. We are hung up by convention
2. We expect the same from kids as we do from ourselves and
3. We keep toys too long.
What follows are three toy organizing systems I don’t like, followed by three systems I do like.
Don’t Like: The Toy Box
A traditional toy box looks charming on the stage of “The Nutcracker,” but is not helpful in the 21st Century home. First, it’s a concealer and doesn’t invite use. Second, it’s too small for large toys and too large for toy pieces. Finally, it doesn’t take advantage of vertical space and in the event it can actually close, items that get stacked on top of it prevent access.
Do Like: Dedicated Zones and Shelves
I don’t think you can force kids to organize, but if you’ve got any chance to make it happen, your odds are increased by making it fun. For example, if your son loves big cars and trucks, section off a generous corner of the playroom floor and call it “the garage.” Then an integral part of play time can be driving the trucks into the garage. At least it will be easier for an adult to do than trying to force these things into a toy box. In another example, perhaps your daughter can put her plush toys to bed in a hammock, low enough for her to reach, but high enough to take advantage of some unused vertical space. I also favor simple open shelves over closed boxes. Perhaps an open shelf of toys looks less attractive than a closed box, but an easily accessible shelf is more useable and therefore more attractive than a cluttered floor.
Don’t Like: Baskets and Colorful Bins
In organizing magazines the pretty basket is heavily employed, but in real life I find these baskets to be either empty or full of unused clutter. I find this in the typical playroom too. Colorful bins are no better. What’s the problem? Again, the bins and baskets are concealers. You can’t see what’s inside and in the case of the baskets, they’re difficult to label. Oh I realize you need a system for your child that is not dependant on reading, but let’s face it. More often than not, it’s not your child that will be putting things away.
Do Like: Clear Plastic Roller Carts
These simple carts are available at office supply stores like Staples and make sense for toys for a lot of different reasons. First, they’re clear and your child can immediately see inside. Second, with the smooth plastic surface it’s easy to apply a label. (Remember who’s going to be doing most of the picking up.) Third, each drawer sets a limit on what can go in there, particularly for toys and games with many small pieces. Fourth, they take advantage of vertical space, but retain accessibility. Fifth, they represent dedicated zones. You could have one for different Lego sets and another for arts and crafts. Finally, the wheels give you flexibility. You could roll the arts and crafts cart from the playroom to the kitchen table, while you prepare dinner. You could keep the carts in front of the shelves and still access the shelves easily by simply rolling the carts away. Keep a rolling cart on the floor of a closet and you not only maximize space, but prevent junk from being indiscriminately tossed on the floor.
Don’t Like: Stacking Boxes
Stacking boxes tell me one thing: you’ve got too many toys. I know this because stacking boxes are for storing things, hiding things away, and leaving things inaccessible. When these things are toys, you’ve got to ask yourself why you are keeping them. If your child still loves these items, consider some of the “do-likes” I mentioned. Otherwise, they shouldn’t clog up the playroom. If it’s a unique Barbie doll in it’s original box, then perhaps it belongs with the other items you are hoping to sell on eBay. If they are outgrown toys that you are saving for your future child then they should be stored more remotely. If, however, your current children and future children have no potential interest in a toy, I have another suggestion.
Do Like: Regular Purging
Most kids I see have way more toys than they can enjoy. The most helpful thing you can do in that case is donate the excess to needy children. This is not only helpful to needy children, but to YOUR children. They can see and access what is most important to them if the less important toys are not in the mix.
A word about original boxes.
If you’re a fan of Antiques Road Show like I am, you have seen toy expert Noel Barrett freak out when a vintage toy has its original box. If you’re thinking you should keep all your child’s toys in their original boxes, just in case, STOP IT! What makes these vintage toys in their original boxes valuable is their rarity and their condition. The first indication that you do NOT have an item worth collecting is if it is sold as a “collectors edition.” But let’s leave that aside and assume you’re going to ignore me. At least, recognize that you are buying Vancouver Olympic Barbie for its collectibility and not for your child to paint tattoos on. Protect it well and keep it out of the playroom. Also, don’t keep the box as the perfect storage container, because that’s not how it’s designed. Product boxes are designed to capture your eye and protect an item in shipping, not for actual usability. What can be useful is to cut a descriptive piece of your box out and place it inside the front of a clear drawer or clear bag that is containing loose pieces. This makes the contents more findable, compelling, and useable.
Bottom Line
Keep it simple. Think in terms of usability not conceal-ability. Don’t expect your kids to suddenly love cleaning up, but make it easy for an adult to do it. If a child sees you quickly sorting items into their simple clearly-defined homes it MAY actually look like fun. It would be like an advanced version of the simple shape toy, shown above. There’s no reason it can’t be fun!
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What some of our clients are saying
Nanette Baratta
31. January, 2024.
Matt’s team (that my mother and I referred to as “The Angels” a pun on Charlie’s Angels) saved us. We had limited time to move out of a home that had been lived in for 43 years. They came right in, rolled up their sleeves and got the job done! BEST $$$ EVER SPENT!!! Now that my mom is living in her new place, thanks to their organization, its easy to find things that could have been buried. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Matt Baier Organizing!
Pam K
31. January, 2024.
Words cannot express my sincere gratitude to Matt Baier and his team of organizers. I moved from a very large home to a much smaller home and had boxes everywhere.
Matt's company came highly recommended by several local Realtors. At first, I was a bit concerned about the pricing seeming very expensive; I quickly realized that it was worth every penny and soon became a seasonal client.
The team arrives so prepared and professional; they know just what to do and I can be as involved as much as I choose; or not all. They just get the job done.
Just as an example, I had over 15 file boxes of papers and Matt's team organized and reduced it down to only 4 well organized drawers.
Our personal items were sorted, organized, donated or stored neatly throughout the house.
Matt's team was a life saver for my family. I would highly recommend their service; The results are well worth the investment.
Christine Doney
31. January, 2024.
My husband and I bought our home 45 years ago and have loved it over the years but with all those years, we accumulated. My husband passed away two years ago and I have just sold my home and purchased a condo in another state. Time is very tight and I was filled with anxiety on how I was going to manage this all on my own. In two days, Matt and his team led me through my home and organized, packed, labeled, quietly empathized and kept me moving along, and I am incredibly grateful for their expertise and help. And Matt followed up after the two days with possible resources (we have a large LP record collection, for example), contacts for moving, finding new homes for furniture I won't be taking, etc. I would highly recommend this wonderful group and only sad that they won't be in my new state. Thank you kindly, Matt and Team!
Roberta Jurik
31. January, 2024.
Believe it or not, I won a contest that Matt was running on FB for Mother’s Day. He posted an ad that said to enter to win a free consultation for organizing. A couple of weeks later he contacted me to tell me that I had won! I purchased a condo last year, so did much of my cleaning out and organizing then, but my daughter needed help with her house. Matt sent two women up to her house in Derby, they were there working with my daughter for three hours, made bags to give away, made bins and labeled clothing for my daughter, her husband and her two children. They were amazing! In a world that is extremely challenged with good customer service, Matt and his team shine through! Bravo! I would recommend him highly!
Krista Sato
31. January, 2024.
We are *REPEAT* customers of Matt Baier Organizing! I even referred Matt to a family member who also used Matt’s services twice! The first time we used Matt’s services was to organize items in a new apartment. His Team was very efficient, professional, and trustworthy. We can’t thank them enough for the amazing job they did to set up our home office, organize storage, and go through TONS of paper!! The Team arrived with supplies on hand, had a plan in place, and demonstrated incredible teamwork. It was such a positive experience that I recommended Matt a relative!
After several other moves, one of which we were only given a 24-hour notice to move all household items into storage, items were just boxed without labels. Since we had no idea where certain items were, duplicate items bought and used. Along came another move, and we continued to box and move those items again. Finally, we needed to combine similar items to reduce the clutter! The team worked so well, always exceeding my expectations by getting this massive project done! It is wonderful to be organized again and able to find items with ease.
The process with the Team is simple, and you work at your own pace. No one will pressure you to get rid of items. Also, there is a great option to donate items. We were fortunate to have boxes and boxes of kitchen items, household, and bathroom items neatly organized or donated to a charity. We can not thank the team members enough for all the work that they did.
We find so much more clarity with an organized home. The flow of our home is peaceful, and we no longer staring at clutter or rearranging boxes to get them out of view!
Arpita Muchhal
31. January, 2024.
I was a little unsure how it would be to work with Matt for my office- having seen him in action in homes. Matt spoke to me at length before the session and began to understand what I was looking for- both in terms of design & function. He isolated my challenges snd created an actionable list. A few days later, Matt brought containers and other items for my office that fit into my design scheme. He helped implement an organization program that was clear, fit my needs and allowed me to continue to build on it going forward. There were a couple of pieces that I felt I did not work for me and Matt was absolutely ok with taking back anything I didn't want.
Matt and his team were very professional, responsive to my needs and were able to accommodate my aesthetic into their work. But most importantly they were fun to work with and I felt completely at ease discussing my challenges with them. They truly listened. I would recommend them for any project without reservation.
Giora Davidai
31. January, 2024.
After living 24 years in the same house, in New Canaan CT, we decided we need professional help to declutter. Our house is middle size, 3200 square feet, and housed 5 inhabitants, us and our b3 children, and many visitors.
We decided to use Matt Bowers organizers based on recommendations and meeting with Matt Bowers himself.
All of our expectations were met and more. His team of experts were great. They were true professionals in every aspect of the word. Always on time, very knowledgeable and experienced and very accommodating. All through the project they were very attentive to our needs and opinions. And not less important were always punctual and industrious.
Our house is so much more functional now and better organized while we managed to get rid and donate a huge amount of stuff that was just occupying space.
We highly recommend Matt Bowers Organization
Noni and Giora Davidai, New canaan CT
M Coughlin
31. January, 2024.
I NEVER write reviews but had to in this case. Matt Baier Organizing provides an exceptional service that instantly reduces stress and increases happiness. I have had the pleasure of using Matt's service a few times and in each case, my space was efficiently and thoughtfully organized with impeccable organization and sorting. Matt pays personal attention to each assignment, and has only high level staff who are professional, talented, and personable. They bring a warmth, integrity and respect to the assignment that make the experience a treat. One can be as hands off or hands on as desired and they magically collaborate to transform the space. We had long put off a project that in a few hours they took off my to do list, and instantly reduced stress! My husband is ecstatic that we don't have to organize our basement and storage area this weekend! Priceless. Bravo!!!
Amanda Knorr
31. January, 2024.
We couldn't be more pleased with Matt and his team's work! I reached out in an effort to assist my parents with a decades-long overdue garage clean out and organization project. It was not an easy job (endless amounts of tools and screws, small and large items collected from job sites over the years...along with family items like old bikes, video games, a pool table, etc), and the team went above and beyond to keep the process as smooth and successful as possible on two very hot summer days. They worked around our schedules to determine what should be kept/tossed/donated and in the end we wound up with a completely transformed garage space with shelving, bins with labels, and the ability to finally park two cars inside of it! We're still blown away by what was accomplished during that 2-day process. It’s clear that it’s not just the physical and organizational work that makes a project like this a success, but also the interpersonal skills and tact necessary when working in a stranger’s space with their personal belongings too... and they nailed it with professionalism on all fronts!
Patricia Sibrava
31. January, 2024.
After 25 years of being in my home, my basement was completely filled with an accumulation of items that were 3 feet high. My floor was not visible and cleaning up the mess and getting it organized seemed like a daunting task. After contacting Matt and having him come to speak with me, I felt relieved that there was a solution to all of this. His team came and helped to organize my items and provided a system to make it all much easier. During this cleanup, I was in complete control of which items were donated or thrown out or organized and kept. The team worked in complete unison and had a flawless system in place. They worked with compassion, kindness, and wonderful sense of humor. My stress level has diminished because I now have an organized and clean home. I am so happy that I made the call to Matt. After speaking to similar companies, I know I made the right choice choosing Matt Baier Organizing. I would highly recommend this service to anyone. His company is professional, affordable, and detail oriented. They deliver 5 star customer service.
Sharon Wallach
31. January, 2024.
Tremendous results accomplished by Matt’s leadership and the kindest most professional onsite team of women. Our basement went from total chaos to calm and organized. The process was truly easy (at least for me!) and I honestly could not be happier with our results. I would not hesitate for a second if you are considering hiring this company. Just do it!!!
Tamay C
31. January, 2024.
Matt Baier Organization did an amazing job assisting me to organize and empty my storage unit. I will definitely utilize Matt Baier Organizing services in the future. Thank you Matt and team for all of your hard work. Tamika
Ellie Becker
31. January, 2024.
I wholeheartedly recommend Matt Baier Organizing. Matt came to my house for a free estimate of the time it would take and the cost. It seemed more than fair and we booked two days. His team was professional, respectful and friendly. They showed up on time and got right to work. Matt Baier Organizing has a great system that helped guide me quickly and carefully through decades of old business files, clothes I forgot I had and other "stuff". They made it easy to let all except the really important things go. My house feels and looks clean. I can see what I have and actually use things that had been buried in the build-up. A different and enjoyable kind of post-pandemic "weight loss!" Do your home a favor and give Matt a call.
Rachel Walsh
31. January, 2024.
It's been a pleasure to work with Matt and his team both personally and professionally. The whole gang was great. I recently had my garage and attic organized and the feeling was like a fresh shower after a hot day. I highly recommend Matt Baier Organizing for all your needs.
virginia tran
31. January, 2024.
We’ve used Matt and his team on several occasions. Their services are so helpful, they are addicting! We first started with our kitchen, then garage, master bedroom/closet, daughters bedroom/closet, and guest bedroom. It has especially been helpful because my husband has adhd and they not only organized everything, but they helped create a system to keep things organized. It has been a life changed. Thank you for all your help.
Megan M
31. January, 2024.
This is a professional organizing company. This is not a friend helping you put a few things away. They come in and get right to work and leave you with your space totally freed up again and small jobs (if any) for you to do if you are so inclined (sell an item on-line, give something to a friend you had in mind) A couple sessions with Matt Baier's team is both liberating and joyful. A game changer. Truly better than therapy.
Laurie M. Pachetti
31. January, 2024.
We would recommend Matt Baier to anyone interested in organizing their home. We used them several times and plan to use them again in the future. We went from being cluttered to being absolutely pristine. Their organization was critical to our success in selling our home substantially above the asking price. We absolutely love the team who made a difficult job, not only easy but also a pleasure.
MM
31. January, 2024.
It was my birthday. And my children had a plan. But let me back up. Over the course of the year, one of my friends began the arduous task of downsizing from large home to small condo. Somewhere along the way, she discovered the term, “death cleaning,” from author Margareta Magnusson. Death cleaning means to remove unnecessary possessions and reorganize what is left… before becoming too old to do so.
In the past several years, I had emptied 4 separate dwellings, my grandmother’s apartment, my mother's house, my mother-in-law’s house, and my mother’s next apartment.
Intrigued by the notion of death cleaning and the painful memory of the cleanouts, I too began to consider what I might choose to leave behind.
So, what began with a trial run, (a thorough clean out of my eldest son’s childhood bedroom) I was ready to accomplish something far greater.
When my kids learned of my intention to launch an attack on the mother of all clean-outs (the basement), they worried what this might entail both physically and emotionally, So, to my surprise, a plan was hatched for a consultation with organizer, Matt Baier!
Meeting with Matt, with the support of my husband, and in the presence of the madness (furniture from various owners, cardboard in every size and shape, school supplies from a lifetime of working in classrooms, and twenty-three plastic bins containing the details of my children’s lives)... felt like the perfect storm.
As we continued to mine through vessels of pottery, glass, random art supplies, remnants of carpeting, wood, and fabric, costumes, tubs, screens, windows, and a life-size stuffed man we called Ned, Matt was busy outlining a tactical plan of action. Meanwhile, as we stepped amid multiples of objects including, but not limited to, kitchen appliance, toys, exercise equipment, electronics, glassware, three TV’s, VHS tapes, cartons of emergency meals packed since 2001, and mountain of debris that hadn’t seen the light of day in years, Matt’s resolve only grew stronger.
Unequivocally, meeting Matt was the lifeline we needed to pull us up from the weight of what we no longer needed in order to pass it all on to those who could benefit from donations.
So with a plan in place, come that Wednesday, a team of three remarkable women arrived at 9:30 a.m. to bring order from the chaos, in two short days.
The process from day one would have been impossible to imagine. But these three incredible workers managed to remove everything from the basement in systematic stages, but not before passing each and every object, large and small, through my hands for my simple proclamation: keep, donate, trash or sell. Although daunting in scope, with each passing minute, the sorting really was simple, fast and surprisingly painless! Granted, I was a motivated purger, so nothing gave me more happiness than shouting: donate with as much gusto as I could muster!
These women were absolute angels. They were physically and mentally strong, determined to complete the work on time, and committed to organizing and reorganizing with thoughtful intention and microscopic precision to the work of sorting and discarding. In no time, as the basement grew unbelievably spacious, these three, then assembled new industrial shelving to accommodate clear, labeled bins (all provided by Matt) to create a visually consistent and clean appearance to this new system of organization
Through it all, Matt and his crew demonstrated common sense, sensitivity, practicality, wisdom, efficiency, an uncanny ability to problem solve and think on their feet, professionalism, most of all, kindness.
Included in the package was the capable Junkluggers crew. They arrived to haul it all away from my backyard: first to their charity center, then, to a consignment shop and finally to the dump to deposit my trash.
What a relief to watch them pull away with most of my basement firmly ensconced in the bed of their truck.
One week post clean out, I process the experience a little more each day. The sense of well being and gratitude I feel is immeasurable.
Thank you Matt!
Dan Beck
31. January, 2024.
Matt Baier and his team did an absolutely amazing job organizing my mother’s home in preparation for her move across the country. They were thorough, well organized, went through everything in the house and came up with a plan for all items. This was an especially difficult job that took four days (which Matt estimated perfectly) as my mother had been in that home since 1976. Matt himself went above and beyond in removing hazardous waste to his own vehicle. Moreover, in addition to their outstanding organizational work I appreciated how they handled my mother’s emotions about her belongings, which were quite sensitive given the upcoming move and how long she had lived there. I would highly recommend hiring Matt and his team for any and all organizing tasks. Thanks again, Matt and team!
Leslie Gregory
31. January, 2024.
Thank you truly Matt and team for what has officially been deemed the best Christmas gift for my husband! From a messy dirty cluttered garage with too many man and kid toys to a clean and enjoyable organized room. From the walk-through to the finished product, it was a pleasure working with you and your team and to be honest, a pleasure NOT working with you (hahahahaha). I really spent max 10 min providing my wish list and that’s IT! What resulted from your careful planning, ordering and 8 hours of hard work is a garage system we are happy to have and easily maintain- THANK YOU!
Gary Singer
31. January, 2024.
Matt and his crew are simply amazing! He is super responsive and solved my problem. I needed to pack up 2 rooms FAST in preparation for some construction. His crew too were fantastic. They were punctual. They were kind and smart and prepared. They did a thorough and super organized job of packing up a ton of books plus my husband's fully loaded study cabinets and drawers. And they did it in a way that should make it easy to put it all back together after the work in those rooms is completed. I have already recommended them to my decorator and I will call on them again myself! HIGHLY recommend!!
Omorose
31. January, 2024.
WHY CALL: I have a 2 car garage. Before calling in Matt's team to help organize my garage I had difficulty navigating through the maze of "stuff" to get from my car into the house after I pulled in. I was nervous about the thought of having someone else come into my mess, but too overwhelmed to know where to start on it myself. WHY MATT'S TEAM: Matt said a lot of things during our virtual walk through that really hit home, and when his team arrived, the process was exactly what he described. Even though my anxiety tried to creep in, they put me at ease every step of the way, and it wasn't stressful. I didn't have to overthink, and I didn't have to worry. There was time set aside to determine what was staying vs. what was going, and it was entirely my choice. THE RESULTS: At the end of the day, the transformation was obvious. I can walk through my garage and use the items in it with ease. Last week my daughter and I were able to go on an impromptu bike ride by just wheeling our bikes in and out of the garage in a minute....a process that could have taken up to 30 min (to dig the bikes out and clear a path) in the past. It was such a positive experience that I am having Matt's team come back again to organize my basement!
Julie L
31. January, 2024.
I cannot say enough good things about Matt Baier Organizing - it’s honestly been life changing. The photos below are just from 2 1/2 days of work! Not only do they sort, organize, and help guide you through decision making as you decide what to keep, but they also arrange for pickups of trash, donations (including bringing food to the food pantry), and they also help you connect with sellers who specialize in what you’d like to sell. And most importantly for me, as someone with autism and ADHD, they listen to me and help put in organizational systems that fit my needs and that I will be able to easily continue using so that my house stays organized long after they leave! By far the best professional organizing company in Fairfield - and we did our research!!
Priscilla Gingrich
31. January, 2024.
I have been so worried about clearing the contents of my home. I was overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin. Then I remembered Matt Baier from presentations I had seen at Darien Library. Matt met with me and put together a complete plan. There was a LOT of work, but the team he sent worked so hard and systematically, that I couldn't believe how far they got in just one day. They were so pleasant to work with and they took excellent photos of everything so my children could see what I had. I was thrilled beyond measure and I slept well! A neighbor commented that she had worked with a professional organizer, but she didn't do anything like this. They (Matt's team) are GOOD!
Victoria Stein
31. January, 2024.
I can't express enough gratitude for the incredible services provided by Matt Baier and his exceptional team. Matt has been instrumental in helping my dad and me maintain a clutter-free and organized home, and the experience has been nothing short of extraordinary. From the initial consultation to the final day of organizing, Matt and his team displayed a level of professionalism and efficiency that exceeded our expectations. Their attention to detail was impeccable, ensuring that every item found its perfect place, creating a home that felt not only tidy but energetically revitalized. Matt's approach goes beyond mere organization; it's an art form. His talent lies not just in tidying up spaces but in transforming them into harmonious environments that exude positive energy. The process was not only seamless but genuinely perfect, leaving us with a sense of tranquility and order that we hadn't experienced before. What sets Matt Baier Organizing Company apart is not just their organizational prowess but also the genuine kindness and warmth displayed by Matt, Kiersten, and the entire team. Their friendliness and approachability made the entire process enjoyable. In fact, I found myself feeling a bit sad on their last day because their presence had become such a positive part of our daily lives. I wholeheartedly recommend Matt Baier for any organizing needs you may have. His expertise, coupled with a fantastic team, will undoubtedly transform your space and leave you with a renewed sense of clarity. Thank you, Matt, Kiersten, and the entire team, for being our organizing heroes! You saved us, and we couldn't be more grateful! With sincere appreciation, Victoria and Barry Stein
