Kathleen O’Brien

The Principal Organizer & Home Stager


Clear and organized physical surroundings increase our enjoyment of spaces where we live. Conversely, a cluttered environment can cause anxiety and stress. Homes are an extension of our energy and a reflection of what’s going on in our lives. Too much stuff becomes too much.

Whether you are working, retired, or just want less chaos, How It Stacks Up helps you decide what to edit out and what to keep. We guide you to the tools or systems that will help you get organized to support your life and those around you.

Book a Consultation

Popular Services Including:

Kitchen/ Pantry

Closets

Bedrooms


Basement

Garage

Home Office

“Outer order contributes to inner calm.”

— Gretchen Rubin, Author of the Happiness Project

“Outer order contributes to inner calm.”

— Gretchen Rubin, Author of the Happiness Project

What People Are Saying

" 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 & 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

" 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