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!
Cleaning out the estate a loved one can be emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting. We’ve been working with families for over a decade and we have tips and advice to help you navigate this difficult time. Below is a list to get you started if you don’t know where to begin:
Technical and Legal Issues
Secure Your Loved One’s Home
While you may not be cleaning out your loved one’s home immediately, it’s important to secure the space. You never know who has keys and if the home will be unoccupied, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If the home was rented, check with the landlord to see what your best options are.
Locate Important Documents
Financial documents and personal papers are essential to dealing with an estate. If these weren’t set aside ahead of time, locating and securing forms and legal documents is a crucial step before you start purging the home of unneeded paper clutter. Some things to look for include: tax returns, wills, trusts and deeds, life insurance policies, 401(k) records and stock certificates. Once located, make sure you secure these papers so they aren’t accidentally discarded.
Contact A Lawyer If Necessary
When cleaning out an estate, it’s imperative to be aware of the laws regarding the removal of items from the home. For example, if the probate process is still ongoing, you may not be able to begin the clean out. If you are the executor or administrator, you have a bit more leeway but the specifics of the will may determine what is permissible. It’s in your best interest to consult a lawyer to prevent any legal headaches going forward.
Dealing With Family
Get In Touch With Family Members
Depending on the relationships in your family, this may be one of the harder things you have to do. But dealing openly and honestly with relatives from the get go may prevent hurt feelings and complications in the future. And depending on the wishes of your deceased loved one, you may not have a choice in the matter. We recommend being clear and straightforward about your expectations and timeframe so everyone can get on board.
Set A Time Limit
The longer an estate sits in limbo, the more it may cost you. Things like mortgages, rent, taxes and storage fees will all add up quickly, so the faster you can get your clean out done, the better. When you’re discussing the process with family members, setting a time limit is an important step. Whether you can meet in person or if you have to do it virtually, creating boundaries and being clear about when you anticipate handling the details will keep everyone in the loop. By having a time frame and assuring all family members are in agreement with the schedule will help with relatives who may be dragging their feet or being resistant.
Carefully Set Aside Sentimental Things
Once your clean out gets going, the process of sorting items can happen quickly. Before you get started, it’s good practice to set aside things like photo albums, framed photos, diaries and personal papers that would be irreplaceable if thrown away. Be sure to look in places like the back of closets and drawers so nothing gets overlooked.
Use Color Coded Stickers For Each Family Member
One of the easiest ways to deal with the distribution of items is for each family member to place a sticker on the items they would like to have. For example, blue for you, yellow for your sister, and green for your uncle will be a clear visual for everyone. For things that have more than one sticker, we recommend trying to make decisions as quickly and fairly as possible. If it’s an item that has monetary value, one family member may be willing to pay the cost if the item means that much to them. Level heads and open hearts will prevail if the situation becomes contentious.
Outside Help
Hiring An Appraiser
If your loved one’s estate contains items of financial value, hiring an appraiser may be in your best interest. Particularly things like art, fine jewelry and collections such as stamps and coins should be evaluated.
We have found, unfortunately, that many of the things that were once considered valuable, are no longer worth that much. For example, silver is assessed by weight, jewelry is often only appraised for the gold or gem – not the piece itself, china is generally not valued and antique furniture is hard to sell. So it may make sense to consider the cost of paying the appraiser versus the potential benefit you would receive from selling the items. Of course, if there is any question and you and your relatives are in disagreement, hiring an appraiser may be the best route. In our experience, The Appraisers Association of America is a good resource for finding a reputable person to assist you.
Sort The Remaining Items
Once the valuable and sentimental items have been claimed, it’s time to deal with the rest. Separate all of your loved one’s possessions into keep, donate and garbage. It’s worth noting that we don’t advise keeping things that you have to store or that you might be saving for future generations. Generally speaking, homes are full to the brim of things we ourselves own without adding items from another home simply out of obligation or guilt. Of course, if you love an item and it brings you joy to have it, then by all means, keep it! But so often, we’re hired to help people who have storage areas full of things from their parents or grandparents that they’ve never used and didn’t really want in the first place, but they had a hard time saying no when cleaning out the estate.
As far as future generations are concerned, it’s highly unlikely your kids will want their grandparent’s headboard or dining room table. More likely, they’ll run down to their local IKEA and buy the modern trendy furniture to decorate their home, just like their peers are doing. It can be a hard pill to swallow, but if you don’t want it and aren’t using it, the chances your kids will is a stretch at best.
Consider Renting A Dumpster Or Hiring A Haul Away Company
The amount of stuff you have to throw away may be shocking, but you’re potentially dealing with decades, or even a lifetime, of things your family member collected. Trying to haul away everything on your own may be daunting, if not impossible, depending on your access to vehicles and the local rules and regulations regarding the disposal of certain items. Hiring a company to come in and handle all of your garbage and donations can be a lifesaver. We use The Junkluggers on all of our jobs because they are reliable, professional and are committed to upcycling, recycling and responsibly disposing of every item they take away.
Hire Professionals
We’re Here To Help!
Even with all the best advice in the world, cleaning out an estate can be an insurmountable task. Not only are you dealing with the physical things, you’re likely going through an emotionally trying time as well. At Done & Done Home, our goal is to take the stress of handling the estate off your plate so you can grieve your loss appropriately. If you’re facing an estate clean out and need help, contact us today – we’d be honored to assist you in this trying time.
