Clearing Out the Clutter

Julie and LeRoy Kareus want to get their 18 x 15-foot guest room/library in working order. Neglected for years, this room, along with an adjacent 9 x 9-foot closet, is home to piles of books, papers, craft supplies and photos, all of which have made this room the most avoided one in the house.

They turn to professional organizer Charlotte Steill to come up with a prescription for a clutter-free room. The first step she takes is to help them sort through all the existing stuff, deciding what gets to stay and what should go.

Once that's complete, Steill announces her master plan for the room. She intends to warm up the room with fresh buttery gold paint on the walls, create a quaint reading area, get the massive bookcases organized, and bring in a new armoire to house the TV and the Murphy bed linens. Topping off her list is turning that cluttered closet into a working craft room. See the results below.