Celebrating 5 Years as a Professional Organizer & My Favorite Kitchen Organization Products
- SK Carr
- Aug 23, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 21, 2025
Next month marks five years since I moved to Knoxville. Five years since I left Asheville for love. And five years since I started the most unexpected and perfect job, organizing homes for Help You Dwell.
This post is a celebration of the people, the places, and the pantries. Of the small tools that make a big difference. And of the woman I’ve become while helping others feel at ease in their homes. It’s also a nod to the kitchen organization products I love and use over and over again.
How the Job Found Me
Before I moved here, I wasn’t sure what kind of job I’d find. I had a creative background in art school and makeup artistry. Throw in real estate and laser hair removal sales. It was a bit of everything with no clear direction. But when I moved to Knoxville, I knew one thing with certainty:
“If I could just get inside people’s homes, I’d thrive.”
That thought came to me while driving from Knoxville back to Asheville at sunrise. And somehow, it was the truest thing I could’ve known about myself. A few months later, I met the team at Help You Dwell.
Thrown In & Right at Home
On my very first day, Taryn asked if I wanted to take a solo consultation. It was for a high schooler’s art room, and with my own art background, It couldn’t have been a better first assignment. Most people might have been nervous, but I thrive when someone hands me a few bullet points and says, “Go for it.” That’s how I learn best, and that’s how I come alive and thrive.
And that’s exactly how it’s been ever since.
What Help You Dwell Has Taught Me (and Gifted Me)
This job has shaped me in more ways than I expected. It’s helped me step into leadership. Not just through independent work, but by being part of a collaborative, thoughtful, high-functioning team. I’ve learned how to guide others, make quick decisions, and lead with both vision and flexibility.
I’ve learned that one of the greatest gifts I bring to this work is connection. There’s something very vulnerable about inviting someone into your home to sort through your stuff, but I’ve found I can build trust quickly, create a sense of safety, and help people feel proud of their spaces again. Over time, that trust has led to real relationships.
And it’s not just clients. Help You Dwell brought me into a team of women who have become so much more than coworkers. When I moved here, I only knew two people. Now, some of my closest friendships have come from this work. We’ve shared everything from car rides to consultations, laughter to loss, and I can honestly say many of them feel like family. This job gave me the community I never expected, but deeply needed.
Being an independent contractor gave me else:: freedom. When my mom was sick, I had the ability to say yes or no to jobs based on what I needed. That peace of mind was everything.
And this job gave me Knoxville. I’ve come to know this city not just through addresses and neighborhoods, but through the people who live here, through their coffee mugs and junk drawers, their stories and their seasons. And somewhere in between it all, I started to fall in love with the place itself. From the quiet curves of the Tennessee River to the lavender sunsets and misty stretch of the Smoky Mountains that reminded me of home, I’ve learned the beauty of this city not only by working in it, but by becoming a part of it.
Why It’s Been the Perfect Fit & What It’s Preparing Me For
Help You Dwell has been more than a job. It’s been a mirror for my strengths, a place to grow, and a glimpse of what’s possible when you're whole hearted working inside someone else’s vision.
But it’s also been preparation. Because while I’ve loved building something that reflects Taryn’s vision, I know I carry a vision of my own. Something I’m stepping into a a little more very day.
Taryn has modeled what that looks like with so much grace. She’s one of the kindest, most understanding people I know, but also direct and incredibly clear on what she wants this business to be. She knows how Help You Dwell serves this community, and she’s built something truly special for Knoxville and all of East Tennessee. Watching her lead with strength and clarity has inspired me.
How I Approach Kitchen Organization
Kitchens are one of my favorite spaces to organize. They're the heart of the home, but also one of the most personal. Everyone cooks differently, preps differently, and thinks differently, which is why I never take a one-size-fits-all approach.
When I work with clients, I want to understand more than just what they use. I want to understand how they think and function. I ask questions about their routines, their habits, what they reach for the most, and how they move through their space. Because ultimately, the best system is the one that feels natural to them. The one they’ll actually maintain. My job is to create solutions that feel intuitive, supportive, and easy to use, not just beautiful.
Here are a few of the guiding principles I always come back to when designing kitchen systems:
Put your most-used items front and center. No more reaching behind six things to get your olive oil.
Keep things close to where they’re used. Measuring spoons near your spices. Coffee scoops near the sugar bowl. Prep bowls near your cutting board. These small shifts reduce steps and create a smoother kitchen rhythm.
Use bins to corral small items. Whether it’s a cabinet or a drawer, a bin or drawer divider makes it easy to pull everything down or sift through without things getting lost or jumbled.
Store things near where they’re used. Mugs near the coffee. Cutting boards near prep zones. Spices near the stove.
Beauty and function. A system should look good and make your life easier.
Let go of the excess. The truth is, no bin or label will solve the problem of too much stuff. Real organization is about creating ease, which means easy to find, easy to use, easy to put away.
My Favorite Kitchen Organization Products
Here are the products I use again and again in clients’ kitchens and my own. These are functional, flexible, and beautiful. They make everyday tasks feel just a little more peaceful.
1. 12" White Lazy Susan with High Sides
Perfect for oils, sauces, vinegars, or baking items. High edges keep everything contained and it spins so smoothly. I use these in both upper and lower cabinets.
2. 18" Acacia Wood Lazy Susan
For those wtih a cabinet 22" depth pantry, these are perfect to use for the higher shelves, especially for larger items like flour & sugar containers, grains, etc. It makes it easy to spin things from the back of a deep space to the front. *Bonus tip: these are also great in laundry rooms!
3. Expandable Bamboo Drawer Dividers
These give your drawers a custom feel without any installation. Great for separating utensils, tea towels, or snack bars.
4. Pan/Lid Organizer
I use these for more than lids. They're perfect for organizing serving trays or platters, as well as baking sheets, skillets, pot lids and more. Using one of these in a deep upper cabinet for larger trays is always a client favorite.
5. Spice Jars
These were a game changer for me in my personal kitchen. These are short enough to stand upright in even a shorter drawer, which saves room and prevents them from rolling around.
6. Glass Pantry Containers
These give your drawers a custom feel without any installation. Great for separating utensils, tea towels, or snack bars.
7. Two-Tier Sliding Shelf Organizer
Game-changer under the kitchen sink or in pantry shelves with a lot of vertical space. Everything’s visible and nothing gets lost in the back. These can be used in kitchen cabinets (think mug stacker) or pantry (can stacker). The height and width are also adjustable!
8. Clear Pantry Bins (Various Sizes)
I use these for snacks, sauces, bulk foods, anything that needs a home. They’re versatile and make every shelf feel intentional. They come in two depths. The 10.5" depth is perfect for upper cabinets and the 14.5" for counter depth drawers, deeper pantries or refrigerators. They also fit perfectly under the shelf organizers above.
9. White Pantry Bins
These are great for organizing grains, pastas, baking supplies, etc.
10. Large Basket Weave Bins
Perfect for bulky items like chips, bread, etc. They also work well on a pantry floor for heavier things like soda cans or bottled water. I have also used these in lower kitchen cabinets to hold something like Tupperware.
Heads up: some of these links are affiliate links through Amazon, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share products I genuinely love and use.
Want to Keep Going in Your Kitchen or Your Home?
Here are a few more blog posts you might love if you’re ready to take the next step:
Final Thoughts
Five years ago, I moved to Knoxville for love.
And through Help You Dwell, I found that and more,
in the homes I've entered,
the people I've served,
and the quiet confidence I've gained along the way.
This work has never just been about stuff. It’s been about ease.
About creating space for what matters.
And about helping people come home to themselves.
Comments