Tour a Professional Organizer's Apartment Full of Tchotchkes

Jeanie Engelbach is a lifestyle curator on a mission to help you declutter your life and become your best self. And she should know: Her New York apartment is filled with dozens of perfectly organized collections. You might even call it "organized chaos." Whatever you choose to call it, we think it's beautiful.

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December 27, 2019

By: Kamron Sanders

Show: HGTV Handmade

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Photo By: Stephanie Diani

I Dream of Jeanie

Jeanie Engelbach is the owner of a lifestyle curation company called photojeanie. As she puts it, the business "help(s) people who are overwhelmed, disorganized and constantly stressed by mental and physical clutter."

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Cutest Tater Tot We've Seen

Jeanie's roommate, social media manager and all-around partner in crime is her 7-year-old English bulldog Tater Tot. His biggest and only task as social media manager is making appearances in Jeanie's Instagram posts from time to time, but he's just so good at it.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Organized Chaos

Take one brief look at Jeanie's apartment and one thing is for sure: She is a collector. However, what differentiates Jeanie from many other collectors (AKA hoarders), is her keen eye for detail and ability to bring order to chaos.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

A True Collector

There's no end to what Jeanie will collect. Scattered throughout her space are little organized groups of assorted tchotchkes and trinkets. "I am not capable of just admiring one thing, I have to suddenly make it a collection," notes Jeanie in regard to her vast assortment of oddities.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Love Stuff, Not Clutter

It’s because of Jeanie's natural inclination to collect and self-professed love of stuff that she calls herself a "maximist." To fight the clutter, she says, "You need to have a discerning eye, but you also need to curate and keep collections and things together."

When One Door Closes ...

Because of the unique shape of her living room, Jeanie really only had one wall to display her art, and it was shared by the television. This challenge presented the perfect opportunity for a salon wall. Jeanie displays a myriad of art and vintage items alongside her TV.

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The Missing Piece

The start of the salon wall is one of Jeanie's prized possessions: a carnival railing from the UK. Initially, she didn’t have a good place for this piece, but was determined to find one. It just so happened that the salon wall surrounding the TV was a perfect fit and the carousel railing now finds its home right above the TV.

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Creepy Cute

Below the TV is what Jeanie says is probably her favorite collection: an oh-so-charming, "crudely painted" set of carnival chalkware atop a platter, grouped tightly together. What some people see as creepy, Jeanie sees as cute.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Thoughtful Display

To the right of the salon wall is a clever vertical display of vintage lunchboxes. This collection hasn't been added to in a while due to the rarity and price of lunchboxes in recent years.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Colorful Consideration

Jeanie's love for the lunchboxes is evident. As she mentions some of her favorite pieces, she notes that she intentionally aligned them in a rainbow fashion. The color gradient is easier on the eyes.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Wallpaper Worth Gushing Over

"I have been coveting this wallpaper for years!" Jeanie excitedly exclaims from her gorgeous pink sofa. The wallpaper she is referring to resides behind the sofa and is a beautiful pink patterned wallpaper with a "Japanese koi" feel.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

The Art of Luxury

Upon closer inspection, the wallpaper is actually a beautiful mélange of luxurious elements. From diamonds to interiors of private planes and everything in between, it's obvious why this wallpaper is called "Luxury."

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Bye-Bye Boring Lighting

When Jeanie moved into the apartment, one of the first things to go was the modern light fixture. It was fine, but definitely did not mesh with her design aesthetic. Instead, she opted for an intricate pink chandelier. "I love it. It's bright, it's colorful, it's like candy to me."

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Ceiling Cornucopia

Instead of a traditional chain cover, Jeanie chose to insert faux flowers in the chain links. The end result is a flowing cornucopia making its way up to the ceiling.

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Kitchen-Approved Collections

Naturally, Jeanie chose to house her food-themed collections inside of her kitchen. The kitchen wall is also home to her extensive bobblehead collection. The cute toys sit inside a bright yellow cabinet that hangs on the wall.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Sunny Ceiling

Above the yellow bobblehead cabinet, you can see a complementary yellow ceiling. "I can’t live without yellow paint," says Jeanie, labeling the yellow ceiling as the most important part of her kitchen. Jeanie's perfect home doesn’t exist without yellow paint somewhere inside.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Carousel Railing Part II

In Jeanie's bedroom is another carousel railing hanging above a TV. However, this time the vintage carnival piece serves as a light fixture — Jeanie had it wired with globe lights for the ultimate mood lighting.

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Feeling Blue

Behind the carousel light fixture is another familiar item. The same wallpaper from the living room also finds a home in Jeanie's bedroom. The difference this time? A teal colorway. The moody version of the wallpaper fits right in with the darker tones of the bedroom.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Pretty and Practical

Situated in the corner of the bedroom against the "Luxury" wallpaper is a unique piece of furniture towering up from the floor. Patterned with vintage prints of pinup girls and a mirrored front, this "indispensable" piece is actually a repurposed IKEA product that houses all of Jeanie's t-shirts.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Bottlecap Bliss

Bottlecaps filled with glitter and images that Jeanie loves line the edges of the t-shirt closet and act as a unique sort of trim for an already unique piece of furniture.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Nighstand Goals

"I’ve always had this thing for tool kits as nightstands." Naturally, Jeanie’s bedroom houses an ultra-cool red toolbox nightstand with a custom mirrored plexiglass top.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Hidden Beauty

If you open the nightstand’s front doors, you’ll notice that Jeanie has covered it with oilcloth. In her opinion, "One cannot have enough oil cloth in their life." Hidden inside of the door is a sample piece of her coveted luxury wallpaper, a testament to her love for it and a true summation of her apartment’s overall vibe.

Watch the Video: An Organizer's Secret to Keeping Your Collections

Tour a Professional Organizer's Apartment Full of Tchotchkes

Related To:

Shop This Look

I Dream of Jeanie

Cutest Tater Tot We've Seen

Organized Chaos

A True Collector

Love Stuff, Not Clutter

When One Door Closes ...

The Missing Piece

Creepy Cute

Thoughtful Display

Colorful Consideration

Wallpaper Worth Gushing Over

The Art of Luxury

Bye-Bye Boring Lighting

Ceiling Cornucopia

Kitchen-Approved Collections

Sunny Ceiling

Carousel Railing Part II

Feeling Blue

Pretty and Practical

Bottlecap Bliss

Nighstand Goals

Hidden Beauty

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