Always on the move, Rachel grew up between Paris and San Francisco where she learned to recognize what matters and how to create cozy homes with what she had. She earned her master’s degree in interior design in Paris and spent over a decade crafting interiors blending purpose with style. For her next act, Rachel teamed up with her mother and for the next ten years, she opened and ran Le Garage in Brooklyn, turning a raw space into a functional and warm French restaurant filled with their love of food and shared story. Now married and based in New York, Rachel naturally gravitates toward harmony. She finds joy in the small details that bring ease to everyday life. A natural multitasker, she believes that peace lives in the little things. When your space works for you, life flows more freely! Rachel also volunteers at a homeless shelter (The Bowery Mission), bringing the same care and love to service. Her favorite escape: a book in hand, lying in the sun by the Mediterranean Sea.
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!
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Should You Stage Your Home Before Listing? Pros, Cons and Costs Explained
Hiring a professional home stager can make or break a sale – or can it? Every situation is different, and below we’ve broken down the pros and cons so you can make an informed decision about the best route to take when listing your home.
Pros
Appeals To A Larger Audience
Professional stagers are experts at making the most of a home’s appearance. Ideally, they’ll choose current trends in furniture and decor to ensure that your home looks fresh and up to date. They’ll also create a neutral canvas so every space appeals to as many people as possible. Because they don’t have an emotional attachment to your belongings, they’ll remove any items that may be too personal or distracting that you may have had a hard time taking down. Additionally, a staged home can make a great first impression so every potential buyer walking through the door has a positive reaction right off the bat. If you’re having a difficult time clearing out all the personal belongings that have made your house a home, a professional stager may well be worth the money.
May Sell Faster
Generally, staged homes sell faster than their unstaged counterparts. In a competitive market, the faster the sale the better, because homes that don’t sell quickly may get a bad rap. Even if your home is in perfect condition, if potential buyers see that it has been sitting on the market for longer than the other homes in your area, it can negatively impact your sale. If you’re wondering if a stager is right for you, consider the cost of your home not selling in a reasonable amount of time vs the cost of hiring a professional.
May Sell For More Money
Staging can make your home appear more polished which may lead to a higher asking price. When buyers walk into a staged home, they’ll immediately see the potential and envision themselves living in the space. When this happens, it increases the odds of a quick offer – optimally multiple offers and in a dream world, a bidding war! A home that has been staged projects one that has been well maintained, is ready to be moved into immediately and will require minimal upgrades. The cost of hiring a professional stager may well be offset by a more profitable sale price.
Will Show Better in Listing Photos
One of the biggest weapons in real estate marketing is listing photos. Gorgeous pictures will ensure that your home stands out among the hundreds of others online. If you need to get noticed, hiring a stager for your photos alone can make all the difference in the speed of your sale and a successful closing.
Emphasizes Key Features
Every home has certain features that make it stand out from the rest. A talented stager will highlight the things that will be attractive to buyers such as a gorgeous view, a working fireplace, or the room that would be perfect for exercise equipment. Often, features such as these can get lost in a home where family life has taken place and your stager will ensure to make them shine again. The more your home stands out because of it’s unique atributes, the better the odds for a quick sale at an optimal price.
Minimizes Potential Issues
Does your home have oddly shaped rooms, minimal storage or a poorly situated kitchen? A professional stager can arrange furniture, showcase storage solutions and use their creativity to utilize each room to its fullest potential making challenging imperfections disappear. The point is not to cover up real problems but to offer ways in which buyers can work around less than ideal aspects of your home.
Stand Out In A Competitive Market
A home that is listed in a competitive market will absolutely benefit from professional staging. Many of the reasons listed above will ensure that your home doesn’t languish on the market while homes around you sell more quickly. A well staged home will stand out in the mind of buyers and will keep them coming back for second looks or to make an offer.
Cons
Cost
Ok, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – cost. Hiring a professional stager can be extremely expensive and may be cost prohibitive. The price obviously varies by location and project size but in NYC, staging can exceed $30,000. If your home is on the market for an extraordinary sum of money, you will make up the cost on the back end. But if you’re in a different price range, you may want to consider doing as much as you can on your own. Investing smaller sums on things like paint, a new area rug and clean fluffy towels will all make a good impression, and may be enough to grab the interest of potential buyers.
Additionally, you could spend your hard earned dollars on movers and a rental unit to get your home as uncluttered and streamlined as possible. Doing what we call a “halfway move” means taking out as much unnecessary furniture, home decor and personal items as possible to create the neutral space a professional stager would give you. Another good use of your money is to hire professional cleaners to deep clean every surface so windows, floors and countertops all sparkle and shine. If you’re able, this is another place you can cut costs, but don’t skimp because dirt is an absolute turn off.
And, of course, professional organizers are a great option if you want to make the improvements mentioned above, but don’t have the time or ability to do it on your own. Generally, they will be more affordable than stagers, have a network of professionals they can call on for assistance and can get your home looking it’s best with the furnishings you already own.
Maintenance
Keeping a home in pristine condition while it’s listed can be extremely overwhelming and is a reality of home sales. But having a staged home can take things to another level, particularly if you have kids and/or pets. In fact, some professional home stagers require that you move out during the process which can quickly and exponentially elevate your costs. While your home should be ready for last minute showings, the stress of maintaining staged furnishings may not be worth it. Think long and hard about whether your lifestyle is compatible with a staged home, even in the short term, before you commit to hiring a stager.
Delayed Timeline For Listing
The process of hiring a professional stager and the time it will take them to get your home market-ready may not be feasible if you need to get your home listed asap. This is a double edged sword because if your home is staged, it may very sell faster but if you have to get it listed immediately, the staging process will deter you from doing so. It may be worth talking to your real estate agent to help you weigh the benefits of preparing your home on your own. If you need tips, we have several blog posts with actionable tips here, here and here.
Hiding Potential Problems
As mentioned above, staging is great for providing solutions to imperfect areas in your home. But if your stager covers up real problems, it could come back to bite you, particularly when the home inspection takes place. It’s never a good idea to cover up legitimate issues because it may cost you time and money if the deal breaks down after weeks, or even months, of negotiations. The better strategy is to identify problems up front and handle them before any potential buyers get a look at your home.
Difficulty Living In A Staged Space
Selling a home and moving are considered two of the most stressful events that take place in a lifetime. While staging may be a necessary evil, it can be an emotionally difficult experience for people who have deep attachments to their home. On the one hand, it can bring up feelings of loss and grief that big change can cause. And on the other hand, feelings of deep regret can be caused by seeing your home in all its glory, in a way that you were never able to achieve. This may be something you have to deal with, staged or not, so be prepared to live in a space that brings up emotional turmoil and reach out for help if needed.
Not Appealing To All Buyers
Many buyers have a hard time imagining themselves in a home during a walk through. If your spaces are highly curated and look more like a showroom than a place where a family could settle in, it may be a deterrent to some. The possibility of a home being overstaged is a legitimate concern and, in spite of the money you have spent, may do more harm than good. Make sure you and your broker have a say in the end result if this is a concern.
Not Always Necessary
If you’re lucky enough to be in a seller’s market, staging may be completely unnecessary and a huge waste of money. If inventory is low and demand is high, your home may sell quickly and for top dollar regardless of whether or not it is staged. Do your research and have an honest conversation with your real estate agent to determine whether or not you can be successful without investing in a professional stager.
The Bottom Line
Weighing the pros and cons of staging your home before listing will help you make the right decision. It can be a costly investment, both financially and emotionally, so evaluating your specific needs and goals should be forefront in your mind. Whatever decision you ultimately make, you can move forward with confidence knowing you considered every angle.
If you need assistance preparing your home for the market, we have over a decade of experience working with stagers, movers, cleaners and junk luggers. Contact us today if you have questions or concerns – we’d be thrilled to help you navigate this difficult and complex process.
