I don't have anybody to recommend, however I would INSIST that, before moving, you go through each closet, drawer, corner, etc in your current home. Toss or donate anything you haven't used or worn lately or don't like anymore. If you tend to hold onto things, try to be a little hard on yourself. Ask yourself - Is this old tshirt collection worth packing and moving? Do I really watch all my dvds? Can I donate or give away these paperbacks I read years ago?

Ask a friend or relative to help before hiring someone. Any third party is always a little more critical and may be the push in the right direction.

You will feel a lot better moving into a new place with only the things you use and love.

As decorating goes, look through magazines or online images. Pull out your favorites. Are you drawn to certain colors? Certain styles? Use that as a jumping point. Now is also the time to remove any pieces of furniture that don't gel with what you like.

Wow, seems like a level of anxiety entirely out of proportion to the setting. You're moving into a new apartment. Congratulations! You don't give a lot of details, but it sounds like maybe your issue is more tidiness than design. I don't think you need a designer...more someone to help you organize. Do you have a friend who tends to tidy? I'd say winnow quite thoroughly before you move. Move in what's left, then see how it looks. Get your friend to give you some advice at that stage.

I also agree you'd be surprised what a difference a big get rid of what you don't need session will make. But if you still think you need a little assistance... check out ocd4life.com and editspaces.com. Good luck!

I just wanted to recommended an amazing interior stylist named Katherine Hammond that helped us when we moved into our new place. She was excellent with space planning and helped us figure out how to maximize our small space. She has an amazing color sense and helped me choose all of my paint colors picking palettes that I would never have thought of but work. Katherine also helped me edit and remix the items that I already had and sourced a few new furniture pieces for us which we love. She was patient, a good listener and helped me feel confident enough to inject our personality into our place making it feel special. Oh, and she was very affordable. Her contact info is katherine@katherinehammond.com

I agree, be as organized as possible while you pack, and label everything!

If you have a small budget, a designer probably isn't going to be too keen working with you b/c their cost won't equal the amount of effort they put out.

I recommend going to Ikea, walking around, and getting some ideas there. If you are worried about organizing a small space and making it stylish, its the best budget friendly option. I know AT readers don't like over-utilizing Ikea, but when you have a small budget its the best style option next to using milk crates as organizers.

Also, when we really hit roadblocks, sometimes we'll go into a store like Ethan Allen or Calico Corners, and have them layout a room for us. They have free design services, so you can layout your space, figure out organization and then take their advice to a less expensive store and apply it. It probably isn't the most ethical thing to do since you won't end up purchasing anything, but it has solved all of our design roadblocks!

Ditto on the purge first. If you take all your stuff, you will be back to a cluttered apartment before you arrive.

Start large. Pick out the large pieces you are taking. Bed, table, sofa(s), and figure out how they are going to fit in your new rooms. (The bed goes against the largest unbroken wall in the bedroom, same for the sofa in the living room.) Don't take a bunch of little stuff unless it has an assigned place: bedside table, coffee table, etc. The same thing goes for the closets. Designate which closet is for clothes, which is for linens, which is for storage, etc. Then pack for each closet. It's easier to unpack as well.

My best advice would be this. Don't get rid of any of your stuff yourself. Just leave it in place and don't pack it or take it with you. Arrange for Goodwill to arrive at your apartment as soon as the movers are out, to pack up what is left and remove it. With a whole house donation, Goodwill will come and get everything and pack it as well. That way, you don't actually have to give it away, or see it leave. Sometimes that helps with those who can't bear to see their things disappear.

Instead on concentrating on what you are leaving, concentrate on what you are taking. Curate your own new apartment. Some of us have the gene for this, and some of us don't. It sounds like you don't, but with help, I hope you enjoy your move and the excitement of a new apartment.

I highly recommend Laura Cattano.

She is an organiser, but does so much more. She helped us with our old apartment and again when we moved.

Not only did she totally sort out our lives, she helped us learn how to keep up with it going forward.

Here is her site http://lauracattano.com/

Below is her blog. She actually has a very helpful series of posts on moving.

http://theorderobsessed.blogspot.com/

Her apartment has been featured on here (there is a link from her site) and as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to work with her.

Good luck.

I'm more productive in the weeding part of organization while keeping in mind that the weeded good stuff will benefit a favorite person or charity. I further support that charity by giving them the good stuff only, discarding the weeded trash myself.

I also see weeding as regaining breathing room and a prettier, healthier home while reducing housework, all at no expense to myself. My belief in its benefits make weeding a celebration of bringing better times into being. Adopting that perspective may help to reduce your understandable yet counterproductive anxiety. Good luck!

Congrats on the new place! I am a Brooklyn-based decorator! My room is in the small spaces book on page 152.
www.jenchudesign.com
Some of my projects on my blog:
http://jenchudesign.blogspot.com/search/label/interior%20design

Thank you all so, SO much for taking the time to respond to my call for help! I know purging is good, but man, it's tough and so much of what I love doesn't really make sense (an outdated globe, amazing wolf-man like mittens and a faux old-style phone handset to use with my cell phone when I occasionally remember, for example...) I know these logically belong in the purge box, but it pains me to give away fun stuff that I really like having around.

On the other hand... it also pains me to think of this lovely new space clogged with clutter and things I really don't need.

I have a great, amazing friend who has been there (physically and emotionally...) with all my moves before and she has generously offered to come all the way from Seattle to help again, so your advice about using a friend is certainly appreciated.

On the other hand, I just love all the houses and design ideas featured on AT and would love to tap into some of that killer design sense, so I will definitely look into your recommendations!

Again, thank you for your kind and thoughtful ideas. It's helping me shift to from anxious worry to feeling far more optimistic!

Steph

"I know these logically belong in the purge box, but it pains me to give away fun stuff that I really like having around."

This isn't what organizing or purging should be. This is part of what I loved about working with Laura Cattano, she doesn't have a "if you haven't worn it in X, toss it" philosophy. She's all about helping you live your life with the things *you* love.

It's amazing how a little re-arranging can turn a pile of miss-matched stuff into a sophisticated focal point.

We just moved into a smaller apartment. I got rid of a few things (old clothes, baking pans to large for the new stove etc) and was really stressed about getting everything to fit and look good. Our place looks fantastic now and I didn't have to get rid of any of the "junk" that I love.

To me it's really important to work with someone who respects your style and taste even though it may not be their own.

You should "interview" any of the people you're thinking of working with to make sure that they will work with you to create the home you want, not the home they think you should have.

I'm an interior designer by day, & I'd like to recommend a couple sites to you - www.iida.org , & www.asid.org . IIDA & ASID members are interior designers (not decorators - there's a difference) who have to uphold strict standards & have certain levels of formal education in interior design. You can read up on it on the websites, & find directories of qualified interior designers in your area.

A qualified designer will know how to make the most of your budget (& respect your budget), no matter how small - & don't worry about the size of the project - because in this economy, there will be someone who will be more than happy to take on that type of project.

As far as organizing goes: I highly recommend www.unclutterer.com .

Hope this helps!

hey, i'm a designer and if you're interested, i do consultations, which are much cheaper and allow you to decorate on your own time. i come to your apartment, talk to you, figure out your needs and style (i have a quiz and inspiration photos to help you focus it!), take photos and measurements, and come back to you a week later with a design box: floorplans, paint ideas, reuses for your existing stuff, suggestions for new furnishings within your budget, etc. you can then carry them out on your own, as your budget and time allow. you can check out my website if you want: www.merimacdesign.com

Wow, there are a lot of good links in this thread. Thanks!

RemoteStylist.com - the quick & affordable platform for interior design. We keep it personal but do it online and people love our flat-free design packages. Check out www.remotestylist.com - can help anyone, anywhere, at any hour!