We are DELIGHTED to have Julia to join the Oh So Organised Family, we asked her to tell us a bit about her… Enjoy!
My love for all things Interior / Space Planning / Organisation and Design orientated started when I was in High School.
Back then we did Home Economics as a subject and apart from the stereotypical “cooking” lessons we touched on the ergonomics of design. I had an amazing teacher who inspired me that I could do anything I set my mind to and as a result, excelled in the subject because I loved it.
I went onto study a certificate in Advertising at Varsity College which helped me get a clearer understanding of Consumer Behaviour and Brand Marketing, then onto a 3 year Diploma in Interior Design at the Durban University of Technology.
I’ve had experience in office furniture / space planning offices / designing layouts / travelling internationally to the U.S.A to gain more experience / Country Clubs / New York living / Running a showroom / Managing a KZN sales team to being a Recruitment Consultant.
For as long as I can remember I’ve been one of those people who colour coded my wardrobe, moved my bedroom around to change up the space and literally labelled everything. I made use of every inch of space but in a way that I could always find what I was looking for as it was accessible.
I’ve even repacked my friends dishwasher when she wasn’t looking coz there was no way that last glass and plate weren’t going to fit in :)! I’ve done a full circle since then and now I am embracing my passion for all things Organised / Disorganised / Downsizing and Clutter.
On a more personal note, I remember just before I embarked on my travels to the States, I was in Somerset West with my Grandmother and she had moved into a retirement village from a substantially larger home, along with recently losing my Grandfather.
It was tough for her to let go of the things she loved in order to downscale to a smaller home, and even tougher to go through the mounds of books / clothes and paperwork my Grandfather left behind.
I can honestly say that was “the moment” (singing birds and harp sounds included) that made me realise that people like her needed help with decluttering and organising their space to accommodate their new lifestyles.
I made a pact with her when I left that day, that when I got back from the States I was going to start a business that helped people organise / declutter / downsize and relocate them so that they didn’t have to make those hard decisions alone. Unfortunately a couple months later my Grandmother past away and as so many say, life got the better of me and I moved away from my dream! Until now…
My extensive experience overseas and in multiply corporate jobs has taught me about the consumer, how to arrange a space to best suit its function, interior & furniture trends on an international level, how important HOME is to me, how to deal with multinational / multicultural people at all levels of seniority, that money and security aren’t everything, but perhaps passion and sanity are, that dreams can be real, and that the hardest step sometimes is just taking the leap, and FINALLY, how passionate I am about what it is that I now do professionally.
There is a lot of truth in this commonly used quote:
“Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.”
With Oh So Organised, I feel like I have done just that! I am humbled by my friends and families support throughout this experience and feel brave that I’m now in charge of my own destiny.
