Township Resident Helps Make Homes ‘Just So…’

Justina Anastasi helps homeowners make things “Just so” through her home organizing, staging and design business.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/sociology, Anastasi worked as a project manager and a paralegal.

But with a natural flair for design, and having grown up working in her family’s flower shop, organizing and designing seemed like a logical next step. Her business also branched out when she became a certified stager and Realtor with the Hillsborough office of Caldwell Banker.

The 16-year township resident, mother of two and active church volunteer has been helping people organize their lives since 1993.

Her first client was a woman who Anastasi describes as a “hoarder.”

It took a year of working for hours at a time with the woman and her family—a necessity in order for the client to maintain the system—to de-clutter and organize the home. Now, six years later, “the house is exactly how we left it,” Anastasi proudly declared.

Unlike the “reality” organization shows on television, where houses are often de-cluttered in a few days, Anastasi pointed out, the process can be much more time-consuming.

“In real life, the process is much slower," she said.  "There aren’t teams to do the work. Television doesn’t show the nitty gritty, the hands on each piece of paper or thing and the discussion that ensues over it; it is very emotional for some people.”

"And one size does not fit all," she added.  "An organizer has to be a very good communicator and willing to adapt to the client’s personal style and then make it work.”

 While she admits her own home is not perfectly organized – yes, she has “junk drawers,” though they do include small containers to keep like things together (one of her organizing tips) – the Anastasi home reflects her design style. She utilized custom paint techniques, including plenty of color and stripes, and is a firm believer in grouping items together. Plants, she says, “are really important. You’ve got to breathe.”

She shops yard sales, Home Goods and furniture stores for the “right” pieces for herself and her clients – or things that she can turn into the “right” pieces. The dining room chandelier, for example, was transformed with some spray paint and the addition of a medallion on the ceiling.

Anastasi emphasized, “The point of organization is reclamation—to reclaim and create more time, space and energy in your life for the people and things that matter most to you. Keep it plain and simple and realize there is no ‘right’ way to organize your space.”

“If it doesn’t work for you, try something different,” she added. “And going forward, keep in mind it is easier to keep up than catch up.”

Just So Homes can be reached via its website, www.justsohome.com, or by phone at 908-500-3432 or email at justina@justsohome.com .