Tara’s knack for transforming spaces began in childhood, moving frequently across the U.S. and Europe with her chemical engineer dad, stay at home mom and five sibilings. With each move, whether transitioning between large homes or cozy apartments, Tara was amazed by her mother’s ability to create organized and welcoming spaces in just a matter of days. Her mother’s mantra, “Pack one box and take only what you love,” instilled in Tara a profound appreciation for meaningful belongings and the art of decluttering. After earning a degree in history and fine arts from SMU, Tara’s journey led her from San Francisco to Boston and, finally, to New York, where she pursued a rewarding career in education. Known for her meticulously organized classrooms, Tara soon became the go-to person for helping colleagues revamp their spaces. With her three kids now in college, Tara is thrilled to focus on helping clients create welcoming, beautifully functional homes. In her downtime, she loves visiting her family around the globe with her husband and their spirited Labrador, Bear.
Sharon was born in the US and moved to France as a child, becoming fluent in French. After her formative years in Europe, her family settled in New Canaan, CT. Sharon attended Providence College and discovered her passion for marketing, leading to roles in London, Paris, Frankfurt, and the US.
After earning her MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, Sharon and her husband, Tom, moved to New Canaan, CT where they raised their two children. She has organized her home, her children's rooms, dorms, and apartments. She has a unique talent for re-imagining spaces and witnessing the positive impact of these transformations. Even in her volunteer activities, Sharon brings her organizational skills to Planet New Canaan's Swap Shop, making it easy for customers to find what they need.
Professionally, Sharon has managed complex marketing campaigns and led projects requiring meticulous organization. From marketing plans to family vacations, there's not much that intimidates Sharon. Her diverse experiences and dedication make her a force in both her professional and personal life!
Ulrike was born & raised just outside Hamburg, Germany, in a small town where her father was a doctor and her mother commanded a household of six. Her parents both came from large families and her childhood was filled with visits to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
In college, she studied History, French and Design from 1988-1992 at the University of Augsburg and the Fachhochschule Hildesheim where she received a Fulbright Scholarship for Design. From 1994-1996 Ulrike worked as Art Director at The Lacey Group, Minneapolis, MN and she worked as Art Director at Pluzynski & Associates, Inc. from 1997-1999.
After years of dealing with tight deadlines, she decided to focus on her 3 children full-time. Her husband’s career in the Museum World was blossoming and it was a true gift for her to be able to stay at home. Ulrike's oldest son finished college in May 2022, her middle son goes to "The New School" for Classical Music and her daughter is a Freshman in High School. Her passion is Real Estate Investments: She had the privilege of renovating/flipping small Real Estate Investment since arriving in NYC and she considers it a blessing even though it comes with its highs & lows.
Who knew that she would end up raising true New Yorkers, coming from a small town near Hamburg, Germany - all because of her wanderlust and staying open to the unexpected and to embrace the twists and turns along the road.
I started my career as a style editor at Condé Nast, and moved on to be President of a gallery and photo studio in Chelsea.
Most recently, I’ve collaborated with my partner in real estate development and design. We’ve worked on townhouses in Brooklyn, a farm in upstate New York, and multiple beach homes in New Jersey.
As much as I love to work outside the home, the most rewarding and challenging aspect of my life is raising my four children. They’ve patiently moved with us on many projects and tolerated living in multiple construction sites!
I’m thrilled to be part of the Done & Done and to watch the company grow and prosper!
The living room is my favorite space because we have an open floor plan that overlooks Brooklyn Bridge Park and the NYC Bridges. It’s the perfect room to entertain family and friends because while I’m cooking, we can all hang out together and enjoy the view.
People might have guessed that Stephanie would eventually become an organizer. In high school, she kept a record of every outfit that she wore on a piece of paper in her closet! Fast forward several years to when Stephanie met her husband Dan – set up by their respective Croatian families. Six homes, three children + one dog later, Stephanie lives in Connecticut with her husband and their three children. Stephanie keeps busy organizing their two college boys and high school daughter. When not working, she enjoys swimming, rowing, biking, gardening and volunteering with Meals on Wheels, the New Canaan Garden Club, the Congregational Church of New Canaan and Waveny Care Center. Stephanie is very thankful for team members Lise and Louise for helping to bring her on board!
As a young girl growing up in the suburbs of Cleveland, OH Judy would marvel at her grandmother, who every time she visited, would clean out and reorganize her parent’s refrigerator. She inherited the organizing gene and enjoyed cleaning out and reorganizing her bedroom in between school terms. Much to the delight of friends and family she has carried on the tradition of her grandmother by leaving them with the gift of a reorganized linen closet or pantry after her stay.
Judy graduated from Miami University in Oxford, OH with a B.A. in International Relations with a concentration in Political Science and History. She immediately moved to Washington, DC where she lived for several years before moving to NYC with her husband. She had a career in politics and marketing before becoming a stay at home mom after the birth of their triplets. Over the years she has worked as a small business consultant and fundraiser at her children’s schools.
Judy enjoys working with clients in finding homes for their special things and helping them realize a more organized home. She is looking forward to transforming her own family apartment into a adult family living space now that her children are college bound. Judy lives in Prospect Heights Brooklyn and near Hudson, NY with her husband.
Born and raised in Montreal, Gail embodies the character traits of a true Canadian, nice, helpful, with a sense of humor. As a young girl, Gail would organize her grandmother’s dresser drawers during visits to her apartment. Gail loved their interactions as she worked. Making improvements to someone’s space and listening to the stories of their life proved to be a meaningful experience.
Many years later, Gail chose to study Architecture and got her degree at McGill University. In New York, Gail learned the ropes working for an Architect, designing and project managing high-end residential projects in Manhattan.
Gail delights in collaborating with others to re-imagine a space and then witness the impact of the transformation on someone’s life. She brings her architectural skills of space-planning and visioning, and her enjoyment of brainstorming with clients and a team, to her work with Done and Done. Gail currently volunteers at the Brooklyn Public Library, assisting the Curator of Visual Art Programming on rotating exhibition projects. She lives in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn with her husband, also an architectural designer, and daughter, who is almost off to college. There is always an improvement project to work on at home.
Jeanne was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri but also frequently visited her dad and new family in Northern California. All that traveling for parental visits had its many perks, as Jeanne quickly learned how to master the art of packing the essentials into a suitcase and make a nest fit for any bird.
Jeanne earned her BFA from Syracuse University and later moved to NYC where she worked for artist Kris Ruhs making jewelry for Bergdorff Goodman, Corso Como 10 and private clients. She also started her own accessories business making eye-glass chains which sold in Henri Bendel’s, Robert Marc Opticians in NYC and Rodeo Drive in LA.
Jeanne attended the School of Visual Arts post baccalaureate in Art education and went on to teach art to children ranging from preschoolers to 8th graders until she married her husband Fred. Jeanne has extensive experience with all aspects of the home, from purchasing, selling, designing and renovating. She has designed and renovated many projects in her own home while also helping friends declutter, organize, and make decorating decisions. Jeanne also had a 12 year real estate venture in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It also doesn’t hurt that according to astrology, her birth chart has 6 houses in Virgo, making her exceedingly detail oriented!
Originally from the South and educated in the Midwest, Louise moved to New York after college. With a can-do attitude and lots of energy, she worked in sales for clothing manufacturers selling to everyone from major department stores to golf pro shops. Eventually Louise left the city for Connecticut and raised/managed/organized four children, one husband, countless pets, moves and renovations. These days she still volunteers in town (Meals on Wheels, National Charity League and the New Canaan Garden Club) but has found as her children have grown, she has much more free time. Louise is now thrilled to be able to bring her organizational and management skills, positive attitude and high energy to work at Done and Done.
Born and raised in Denmark, Lise came to the United States for a six month visit in the 1980s in order to improve her English. She met the man who would become her husband within two months of arriving and lucky for Done and Done, she stayed. After graduating from UConn with a degree in Design and Resource Management with minors in Psychology and French, she eventually settled in New Canaan where she raised her two children. After years of homemaking and extensive volunteer work (Red Cross, National Charity League, Girl Scouts and NC Garden Club) Lise’s friend, Macky Hennessy, suggested she reach out to Ann and Kate and bring her organizing talents to Done and Done. Lise did her training hours in record time and very quickly became an invaluable member of the team.
Macky Henesey was born and raised in Seal Beach, California. She grew up playing competitive tennis, swimming, running and was a recruited field hockey player at UC Davis. When the beaches beckoned she returned to southern California to graduate with a degree in Psychology from Cal State Long Beach. She then ventured east to begin a career in public relations and advertising in Washington, DC. She met her husband Mike there and they moved shortly thereafter to New Canaan, CT where they’ve lived and raised their three children over the last 25 years. Macky has organized her home, her three kids rooms (repeatedly!), countless dorm rooms and parts of many friend’s homes. Macky has volunteered extensively and her work has spanned from the New Canaan Garden Club to the Waveny Care Center to National Charity League. Professionally she’s taken on the reorganization of a filing system in a law firm’s Westchester County office. Having organized everything from lace to lawsuits there’s not much that intimidates this one!
We didn’t have to search far when we were looking for someone to start up our marketing department. Meg Koett comes to us by way of family; sister to Ann and aunt to Kate, her hire was a no-brainer. We needed someone who knew us well enough to represent our brand and who better than a woman who has literally been there since day one?
Meg is a graduate of Ripon College, but decided early on to work from home while raising her two children. The co-founder of Jam Custom Handbags, Meg learned how to work with clients, how to advertise a brand and how to sell products online. After a successful run of five years, Jam closed their doors and Meg was available to put her knowledge to work for Done & Done.
Favorite space: My favorite space in my home is my exercise room. It’s very small but it has a ton of natural light so I always feel better after spending some time in there working out and getting my thoughts together!
Emilie Barrientos is a born and bred New Yorker. With close ties to the Eastern end of Long Island, Emilie has an appreciation for both city and country living. With an early love for organizing in her closet-sized NYC bedroom, Emilie never tires of the satisfaction of decluttering one's life, both physically and metaphorically. Emilie received her Bachelor's degree from Connecticut College where she pursued her love of dance. This took her to lead the marketing department at Dance Magazine prior to joining the Done & Done Team. Though Emilie needs only one winter coat and one set of pans, she values the importance of those sentimental silk scarves from grandparents and those gosh darn hand written letters. Emilie lives in Manhattan with her husband and their dog Max, and is poised to continue to delve deeper into the power of human connection and building community.
With a background in event management and hospitality, Lauren recently transitioned from planning and executing corporate meetings and special events to professional home organization. Lauren uses her trademark skills of problem solving, creativity, and flexibility to help Done & Done clients. She excels at logistics and operations, and her attention to detail means that projects go smoothly from concept to completion.
Good at wearing multiple hats, Lauren is adept at responding quickly to changing circumstances, always maintaining an upbeat, can-do attitude. As the Client Experience Manager, she specializes in customer service that nurtures positive, productive relationships with both clients and suppliers.
With a degree in Art History, Lauren has also had the opportunity to work onsite at various cultural institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (Pafa).
Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College and a certificate in meeting planning from Temple University. Lauren, her husband and her two young daughters recently moved and she is excited to renovate, decorate and apply what she is learning at Done & Done to create a more organized home.
Meri was born and raised in New Jersey. After graduating from Lafayette College with a BA in English Literature, Meri began her career working in ad sales in New York City. She then ventured to the West Coast to explore all that San Francisco had to offer. Meri built her career in the Bay Area and spent over 12 years working for a large tech company in advertising sales, business operations, and client services, where she also met her husband Darby. After many years in San Francisco, they purchased their first home in Oakland which is when Meri realized her passion for home interiors and her desire to create functional and beautiful spaces. As their family grew, she tackled many remodels and design projects in their 1920’s East Bay home. When Meri and her husband decided to move back East to be closer to family, Meri de-cluttered, packed and staged their home which expedited the sale and increased the value. She is currently (and slowly) remodeling their NJ home one room at a time.
Meri has always enjoyed helping friends and family problem solve, organize and brainstorm ideas, and brings to Done & Done her expertise of project management, attention to detail and love of organization!
If you’ve bought or sold a home in the last couple of decades, you’ll know how important listing photos can be. They should showcase your spaces in the best possible light as they play a crucial role in getting your home noticed and driving traffic for showings. Below are our best tips to get the most advantageous pictures possible and ensure that your home makes a fantastic first impression when potential buyers walk through your door.
1.) Clear Off Flat Surfaces
This is such an important step, particularly for listing photos. Cluttered surfaces are glaring when people are just looking at a snapshot of a space and it can cause an immediate negative reaction causing people to pass on your home. The key is to clear surfaces in every room, even from items that you use every day and leave out for convenience. For example, in your kitchen you may want to stow away small appliances like toasters, blenders and mixers even if it makes your daily routine more difficult. In your bathroom, counters cluttered with perfume bottles, deodorants, lotions and medications can make it seem like storage is an issue which is not something you want to project. Similarly, living spaces that have random items lying around like magazines, books, excess throw blankets, candles, etc can make it seem like your home doesn’t function well which can be a huge red flag. So before you have photos taken, make sure your flat surfaces are clear, clean and sparkling!
2.) Remove Items From Closet Floors and Organize Under Sink Spaces
Piles of clothes or stacks of shoes on the floor of your closet may work for you, but it’s not going to be appealing to potential buyers. The same can be said for front hall closets, utility closets and under sink areas. Sure – buckets, brooms and cleaning supplies make sense in your utility closet, but if it looks untidy and chaotic that’s the vibe that will be projected through photos and at showings. Remember, when people are doing walk-throughs, they’ll want to look in closets so you can’t just stash stuff behind closed doors. You have to declutter and remove items because you want as clean a slate as possible. You certainly don’t have to throw away things you’ll use in your new home, but you may have to box them up for the time being.
3.) Take Down and Store Personal Items
Your main objective when getting your home ready for listing photos and showings is to make your spaces as neutral as possible. People have a hard enough time using their imaginations, they don’t need your personal items making it even more difficult. They want to envision their kids photos hanging on the walls, and they may not be able to do that when they have to look past pictures of your adorable little ones. So family photos, kids artwork, and personal knick knacks such as monogrammed signs should all be stored for the interim.
4.) Relocate Excess Furniture
Removing excess furniture may seem like a pointless thing to do, but in order to make your home look as open, airy and as large as possible, taking extra furnishings to storage is a great solution. Remember, you have one chance to make a good first impression, particularly in listing photos, and it’s absolutely imperative to take make the most of your space. So consider relocating recliners, extra chairs in your dining room and end tables that aren’t essential. If you’re confident your home will sell quickly and you want to learn more about preparing to move, our post, Decluttering For Moving: A Complete Guide, has all the info you need to get started.
5.) Hide Evidence of Pets
As hard as it is for some of us to believe, not everyone likes animals 😉 and even people who do like animals, may not want them in their home. So hiding evidence of your best furry friends like bowls, leashes and toys is a good idea, especially in photos. Once potential buyers are in your home, they may not be deterred by signs of your pets, especially if your home is clean and smells lovely, but just seeing those things in photos may lessen their interest in your home. You want to eliminate any possible deterrents to reach as large an audience as possible and pets can be a deal breaker for some, so throw those leashes into a closet for now.
6.) Reduce Home Decor to a Minimum
Home decor is what turns a house (or an apartment) into a home and people spend a lot of time and money curating their belongings. But even if you have impeccable taste and your things are expensive, unique and classic, not everyone is going to like your style. This is clearly evident by the sheer amount of things that are available to buy and the number of companies who specialize in home decor. Don’t take it personally! Imagine how many homes you’ve been in and how few you would decorate in the exact same way. So minimizing (not completely eliminating) artwork, tchotchkes and collections for the time being is going to be beneficial in photos and for showings. Again, it can’t be overstated, the goal is an empty canvas for buyers to be able to use their imagination.
7.) Store Out of Season Clothing, Sports Equipment and Tools
Your mantra for listing photos is “less is more”. Yes, your garage is meant to house your lawn mower, snowblower, garden tools and all 4 of your family’s bikes, but that can really make things look cluttered. We don’t typically recommend renting a storage unit because it can become an easy out for hard decisions, but if you have an abundance of seasonal items, it can be a good solution. If you’re listing in the spring, moving all of your winter items out of the usable space can really help make your home look more functional. And in smaller areas, like closets, we advise boxing up all of your out of season clothing, shoes and accessories. The more spacious you can make your storage areas look, the better.
8.) Deep Clean
Dust may appear invisible to you, but we guarantee it will show up in listing photos. Grime and mildew in your bathrooms, a greasy stovetop and dirty windows are all huge missteps. If you need to hire professional cleaners to really get down to the nitty gritty, it’s well worth the money. Not only is an unclean home a turn off, it also raises red flags about maintenance and care which may prevent buyers from giving your home a first look, much less a second.
We’ve been helping our clients prepare their homes for listing photos and showings for well over a decade and we’re extremely proud of our wealth of knowledge and skill. If you’re listing your home and struggling to make the most of your space, contact us and let us help! Our team only needs a day or two to transform your home for the best possible photos and the most successful showings.
