Judy Foreman: Garage Therapist Helps Me Break Up with 12 Years of Clutter
March 9, 2025 | 2:30 pm
Paige Lambert, founder of Simple Storage Co., comes naturally to the challenge of decluttering. “I have been an organizing type since I was in middle school at 14,” she says. Simple Storage Co. photo
The first day of spring arrives in two weeks. Spring cleaning — as it was known in the Midwest where I grew up — was enhanced by daylight saving time.
The longer days provide extra hours to start paring down my clutter.
I’ve tackled small organizing things like drawers in my closet and stuff under my bathroom sinks.
But that’s a mini-overhaul — small wins but not life changing. Experts call this “soft decluttering.”
But facing down 12 years of assorted accumulation in my garage, I determined I required an expert.
I was recently introduced to Santa Barbara native Paige Lambert, a young entrepreneur and owner of Simple Storage Co. She offered a one-hour free consultation, home organization, moving efficiency and facilitating removal services.
After weighing my choices of going it alone or having professional help, I decided to hire her to help me organize and purge items taking up space.
From my kids’ elementary school art projects to baby clothes, games with missing pieces, vases, Halloween costumes, expired emergency kits — it all gets my blood pressure up.
While I love being organized, doing the organizing is another thing altogether.
The author checks a pantry in need of a makeover. Simple Storage Co. photo
Paige Lambert, founder of Simple Storage Co., comes naturally to the challenge of decluttering. “I have been an organizing type since I was in middle school at 14,” she says. Simple Storage Co. photo
Kitchen, before. Simple Storage Co. photo
Kitchen, after. Simple Storage Co. photo
Garage, before. Simple Storage Co. photo
Garage, after. Simple Storage Co. photo
Home office, before. Simple Storage Co. photo
Home office, after. Simple Storage Co. photo
Growing up in Santa Barbara, Lambert was influenced by her retail sales guru mom, Mimi Doll. She excelled in apparel styling and sales managing for upscale boutiques in Montecito and Los Angeles.
After getting married and becoming a mom to baby Harlow in 2023, she felt the time was right to start Simple Storage.
Lucky me, I caught her before she got too busy with other clients with cluttered kitchens, pantries with shelves of expired food, and closets with three sizes of clothes.
For 12 years I’ve been stuffing and storing charging cables, luggage, old paint, lightbulbs, cleaning supplies, out-of-season shoes and ski gear.
Sometimes when looking for wrapping paper, I need to step back because all the holiday decorations fall out.
Sound familiar?
Lambert emptied all the cabinets and began tossing the obvious broken, dirty stuff. I had to pick what stayed and what went.
She also facilitated carting away options for old shutters, a rowing machine, a file cabinet and broken appliances.
The only things not hauled away were cartons and cartons of tax records. How long do I have to keep them?
Lambert and I discussed sensitivity and nostalgia around loved items, especially my own.
“I have respect for loved possessions and it is a vulnerable job,” she acknowledged.
My family photos, VCRs, CDs, love letters and my mom’s Wedgewood candlesticks are hard to part with. I was my family’s historian and ended up with everyone’s stuff when they died.
Now, to our bittersweet surprise, my friends and I are finding that our kids don’t want our relics.
When it was all said and done, seeing all the empty shelves in my garage was exciting. Resisting the urge to load them with new stuff will be my next challenge.