Kathleen O’Brien
The Principal Organizer & Home Stager
Life is busy, so we buy items to make it easier. But unchecked consumption creates clutter. How it Stacks Up Professional Organizing and Home Staging operates on the philosophy that by only keeping belongings we truly cherish and use, we can live a life of order, simplicity, and happiness.
How It Stacks Up helps you transform your chaotic, stressful environment into a more peaceful one — unencumbered and intentional. We create a home where happiness and calm live. We transform a workspace into a centre of productivity. We stage your home to sell. With our help, functional space becomes a place you want to spend time.
Creating Ideal Environments
Home Organizing
Home should be your soft place to land, but clutter and disorganization create stress. Let us organize your spaces for peace of mind. Learn more.
Office Organizing
Piled papers and scattered supplies are counterproductive in a workspace. Our organizational systems give you back the time, focus, and energy necessary for creativity and success. Learn more.
Digital Organizing
Finding files, documents and email is critical to your job, research, or business. We organize your email system or create a custom digital filing structure — and we can do so in person or remotely. Learn more.
Decluttering & Home Staging
Since homebuyers start their search online, it’s crucial that your home is free of clutter and has the right furniture to attract motivated buyers when it goes on the market. We prepare your home for sale. Learn more.
Home Organizing
Home should be your soft place to land, but clutter and disorganization create stress. Let us organize your spaces for peace of mind. Learn more.
Office Organizing
Piled papers and scattered supplies are counterproductive in a workspace. Our organizational systems give you back the time, focus, and energy necessary for creativity and success. Learn more.
Digital Organizing
Finding files, documents and email is critical to your job, research, or business. We organize your email system or create a custom digital filing structure — and we can do so in person or remotely. Learn more.
Decluttering & Home Staging
Since homebuyers start their search online, it’s crucial that your home is free of clutter and has the right furniture to attract motivated buyers when it goes on the market. We prepare your home for sale. Learn more.
What People Are Saying
“We couldn't be more pleased with the incredible job Kathleen did in staging my elderly parents' home for sale. From the moment she stepped through the door, she had a clear vision of how to highlight the best features of the house. Her attention to detail, choice of furnishings, and the way she arranged each room were simply outstanding… Thanks to Kathleen’s exceptional staging, the house looked better than we ever imagined, and it played a huge role in attracting potential buyers. Kathleen is a true professional with a wonderful talent for making spaces shine!”
— Bernard Arsenault, Staging Client (Antigonish)
" We are busy running several associations and don’t have time to file. As a result, our offices ended up too littered with case file boxes, papers piled up, and publications scattered around to hold meetings. Kathleen first transformed our offices, then overhauled our filing system, and then the storage room. My colleagues and I found her professional and conscientious. Our new offices are now a great space to meet members. "
— Richard Lyall, President & CEO, RESCON (Ontario)
" Working with Kathleen was awesome! I hired her to work on getting my digital files in order, a mammoth task split across multiple cloud storage and hard drive locations. She’s a great listener, takes feedback well and is really enjoyable to work with. She knew when to make decisions and when to check in with me, and kept a great, determined attitude through some tricky and time-consuming aspects of the project. My new file system started making things easier from the get-go. "
— Linn Vizard, Service Designer and Founder, Made Manifest (Toronto)
“I cannot recommend Kathleen enough. As a busy mom of two boys, I frequently found myself drowning in laundry and trying to keep the house clean. I was spending more time cleaning than playing with my boys. Kathleen attentively heard my goals. With her focus and direction, we were able to make many small but impactful changes in our home. She helped me create systems for my laundry and helped me declutter our home. The most functional transformation was the garage. My husband and I feel so much calmer in our home and have more time to spend together as a family.”
— Jessica Rankin
Home Organization Client (Antigonish)
" Kathleen is a lively, engaging presenter and her talk was chock full of useful information and practical tips for those of us who aren't naturally organized. She also used slides well to illustrate her points. "
— Elaine Smith, freelance writer, WordSmithTO
" We are busy running several associations and don’t have time to file. As a result, our offices ended up too littered with case file boxes, papers piled up, and publications scattered around to hold meetings. Kathleen first transformed our offices, then overhauled our filing system, and then the storage room. My colleagues and I found her professional and conscientious. Our new offices are now a great space to meet members. "
— Richard Lyall, president and CEO, RESCON
" Working with Kathleen was awesome! I hired her to work on getting my digital files in order, a mammoth task split across multiple cloud storage and hard drive locations. She’s a great listener, takes feedback well and is really enjoyable to work with. She knew when to make decisions and when to check in with me, and kept a great, determined attitude through some tricky and time-consuming aspects of the project. My new file system started making things easier from the get-go. "
— Linn Vizard, Service Designer and Founder, Made Manifest
" I had numerous organizational requirements in my home, which I was determined to do myself. However, I seemed to take one step forward and two steps back. I had no idea where to turn. Kathleen had already organized my husband’s office, so I hired her to organize our basement storage room. Because of the clutter, I couldn’t use my table to craft or create art anymore. The burden was overwhelming. Kathleen and I worked together, with her doing the lion’s share. Her patience is commendable, and most important to me, she understood the emotional challenge of disposing of my deceased parent’s belongings. I cannot thank her enough for organizing this space. The basement is neat, tidy, functional, and I can easily grab items because I know where they are. I am crafting again! I strongly recommend hiring Kathleen for office and residential space organizing. "
— Debra O’Rourke, Retired Entrepreneur
About
The company’s founder, Kathleen O’Brien, is a fully-insured Trained Professional Organizer and Certified Home Stager who helps people and businesses drill down to identify what your valued possessions are, leaving only what you need. With 15 years’ experience in organizing and decluttering homes and offices and a knack for staging homes to sell, Kathleen, an Antigonish native, brought her skillset from Toronto back home to Nova Scotia in 2022.
We serve Northeastern Nova Scotia in Antigonish and its surrounding communities such as Arisaig, Barneys River, Cape George, Heatherton, James River, Lochaber, Lower South River, Malignant Cove, Maryvale, Monastery, Pomquet, and Saint Andrews. We also organize offices and businesses in Halifax. To book a consultation, please Contact Us.
