Helena's assistance has made a huge difference in our house. I am sure, that without her help, I would still have unpacked boxes stacked in my office left over from our move almost three years ago. She brings a calm demeanor and quiet persistence to every project we tackle together, as well as great organizational skills and aesthetic sensibility. This means that not only do I FINALLY get through some house tasks which initially felt overwhelming to me, but I come out on the other side with something which is really functional, attractive, and personal. As an added bonus, I really enjoy working with Helena and feel like I have learned a lot from her experience and expertise.
Paula Brinkley
Pediatrician
Berkeley, CA
I highly recommend Helena Tiainen for help with household organizing and decorating. I used her consulting services in my home and found she has an excellent sense of aesthetics and also has a practical approach. She often worked with things I had and I ended up saving money by not buying unnecessary items. I have already received compliments from friends. I found Helena very pleasant and professional to work with and give her high marks.
Rose Neilan
Oakland, CA
Helena is a jewel. She has been helping organize the lovely yet aggravating chaos in our home with efficiency, creativity and artistry, the results are truly remarkable. Before Helena came, I found each day frustrating given the papers I couldn't find, miscellaneous items without a permanent home as well as bigger collections, i.e. toys, books, artwork and so on that we could not figure a good system for. Each time Helena came we tackled a different task or room, and at the end of the session we would have a system that is simple, usable and compact, or a room that looks like an interior designer created it.
Helena has many great qualities: she is a very good listener who can figure out what results the client seeks, she is gentle yet she rolls up her sleeves and works in a very focused and efficient manner. She is sensitive as well to a family's sentimentalities and gives suggestions for paring down possessions when appropriate. Helena is a real team player and I can recommend her without any reservation.
Gail Martin, M.D.
Berkeley, CA
Helena Tiainen has helped me to organize my kitchen, closets, children's rooms, garage and overall household flow issues. She has a designer's eye and a constructive, informed organizer's mind. She made an enormous difference in how we live our lives in our home. With three children to manage and all the stuff that comes with them, Helena is essential to our happiness as a family. She has consulted with us several times and continues to be a resource as we grow and change. I recommend her highly and wonder how anyone manages without her input!
Megan Henney Penhoet
Berkeley, CA
After working with Helena to declutter and create organized systems in several rooms of my house as well as my university office, I received many compliments from friends and collegues about the beauty, comfort and streamlined functionality of these spaces. Even more importantly, the process has made the time I spend in my home as well as office more peaceful and enjoyable as well as productive. Helena and I worked on decluttering and reorganizing small spaces such as linen closet as well as highly trafficked areas like the kitchen. She helped me create a filing system at home and at the office that reflected my thinking and lifestyle. She also gave me redecorating advice and helped me implement these changes. Decluttering, organizing and redesigning are for me tedious and seemingly overwhelming processes, but Helena was consistently supportive, constructive and creative. I appreciated how she attempted to use and re-use furniture and storage containers I already had, which kept additional expenditures to a minimum. I enthusiastically recommend Helena's professional organizing and interior redesign services.
Catherine Ceniza Choy
Professor
Berkeley, CA
I hired Helena to help me organize my papers. My goal was to keep my dining room table cleared of stacks of paper, which had plagued me constantly. She spent two half days with me helping me to organize and file my papers and figuring out systems to keep the papers flowing easily into their rightful place. She got right to work and no time was wasted tackling my many papers. She listened well to my needs and was generous with giving me many ideas for staying organized. She has a vast knowledge about organizing. Her ideas are practical and easy to follow. I appreciated that she prepared me beforehand, letting me know what kinds of containers and supplies I should buy before she came. We ended up using almost all of them. I now have a much more user friendly filing system, and stacks of papers don't clutter my dining room table anymore. I was very pleased with her service and recommend Helena highly.
Margaret Copeland
Graphic Designer
Berkeley, CA
I highly recommend Helena Tiainen. She is a wonderful interior designer. Helena is an accomplished artist with an intuitive sense of space, color and design. She worked with me to furnish a condo that is stylish and inviting for adults and kids alike. Helena stayed within my limited budget and time constraints while keeping a positive attitude. Her attention to detail and a client's likes/dislikes is impeccable. I could not recommend her highly enough. Feel free to contact me directly if you would like more information.
Rachael Korcha at [email protected]
In preparation for remodeling our home starting June 2009, we needed to empty all but two rooms of our house and move in temporarily with my father. Daunted by this prospect, and remembering how helpful Helena Tiainen was in taming my clutter last year, my mother suggested (and underwrote, bless her) Helena's assistance for the move. Helena came to our home once a week for four hours for the month leading up to the move. First she met with my husband and me to develop a game plan that we would follow to tackle the various components of the move in the month leading up to our construction start date. Helena took us from our overwhelmed state, distilled with us what needed to happen, offered suggestions about ordering the tasks and resources we could tap, and left us with a limited number of homework assignments for our session a week later. For the next sessions Helena worked side-by-side with me boxing, sorting, labeling, and stacking. When my decision-making abilities conked out she directed me so I could just be a worker bee, not project manager for a spell. Our last session was an all-hands-on-deck work party with Helena guiding work by my husband, mother, aunt and myself. Helena was a calming presence throughout, and reiterated in word and in deed her willingness to help us do what needed to be done. When my dad heard and observed the progress we were making with Helena, he hired her, too, to prepare his house for an invasion of two small children and their parents. Thanks to Helena, we made our construction start deadline with the house prepared, sanity intact, and moved into a home ready to receive us.
Alicia Klein
Berkeley, CA
To Book a Session Contact Helena Tiainen:
[email protected]
510.848.1525