78 | Custom Storage Solutions with Allanna Bell

Today, I have the pleasure of chatting with Allanna Bell, founder of Optimization Dolls, a full-service custom storage company. Allanna shares her journey from retail management to becoming a leading expert in custom closet design. With her keen expertise in space optimization and project management, Allanna has transformed countless spaces into functional, stylish environments tailored to her clients' needs.

In this episode, Allanna and I dive into her childhood in Brooklyn, where her passion for organization began. We discuss the importance of custom storage solutions, how they are priced, and how they can significantly enhance the functionality and value of your home. 

Allanna also opens up about living with SLE lupus and how it impacts her daily life and business operations, offering insights and tips for others managing chronic illnesses. Allanna’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and the importance of living your dreams. 

Tune in now to learn more about how you can transform your space with custom storage solutions.

And join me as I extend an open invitation to you—to be part of the "100 Hours of Listening" initiative. Whether you're a friend, past client, silent listener, or a fellow professional, your voice matters. This isn't a sales pitch or a consultation; it's an opportunity for you to be heard, without cost or obligation, in a non-judgmental space.

Book a session here, come as you are.

MENTIONED:
Black Girls Who Organize
Association of Closet and Storage Professionals

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Transcript

Intro: Welcome to A Pleasant Solution, Embracing An Organized Life. I'm your host, certified life coach, professional organizer, and home life expert, Amelia Pleasant Kennedy and I help folks permanently eliminate clutter in their homes and lives. On this podcast will go beyond the basics of home organization to talk about why a clutter-free mindset is essential to an aligned and sustainable lifestyle. If you're someone with a to-do list, if you're managing a household and if you're caring for others, this podcast is for you. Let's dive in.

Amelia: Welcome to Episode 78, “Custom Storage Solutions with Allanna Bell” Allanna Bell was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. With 2 decades of experience in retail management where she served as a Visual and Store Development Manager, Allanna has a keen expertise in space optimization and project management.

She’s overseen high-volume store openings for leading retail brands utilizing strategic space planning to effectively manage the placement of thousands of garments and accessories. In this role Allanna: successfully managed large teams and ensured adherence to high visual standards and strict timelines.

Then, in 2016, Allanna: founded Optimization Dolls - a dedicated closet organization company. Allanna quickly expanded her services to include custom closet design at the request of her clients. By 2019, Optimization Dolls had evolved into a comprehensive, full-service custom storage company.

Optimization Dolls now provides end-to-end solutions, encompassing Design, Installation, and Organization, to transform spaces into functional, stylish environments tailored to their clients' needs.

Amelia: So welcome to the podcast, Allanna. 

Allanna: Thank you.

Amelia: You and I met via our pal, Dalys Macon, who's the founder of Black Girls Who Organize. And we both had the opportunity to present at the annual retreat and now serve together on the Black Girls Who Organize Advisory Board.

Allanna: Yes.

Amelia: When we were at last year's retreat, the timing was such that you were featured in an industry publication for the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals. And you're now also part of their leadership team. So I'd love for you to tell folks a little bit about yourself.

Allanna:  Yes, so I'm Allanna. I'm owner of Optimization Dolls, and we are a custom closet and home organization company. I'm also the director of communication for the ACSP.

Amelia:  Amazing. And you've been in business for quite some time and we'll dive into all those details here in a moment. But I love to start every conversation by taking a trip back to childhood. And I know that you grew up in Brooklyn. So just tell us a little bit about what “organization” did or didn't look like for you growing up.

Allanna: Yes.

Allanna: Yeah, I think for me, organization definitely started when I was a little girl. We had weekend chores. Every Saturday we got up and we, you know, if my twin sister did the bedroom, I did the kitchen, and we were proud at the end of every chore, we would grab our parents and say, “Hey, look what we did. Look how good we cleaned.” And then after dinner, we washed the dishes. You know, they would cook and then we would clean after, but we were proud. And I think that's where organization in my life started.

Amelia: I love that you're a twin. I don't think I knew that. And so I'm guessing that there was a routine, like what are some of the lessons that having those chores you feel like that you learned or took away?

Allanna: Yes. Mm -hmm.

I think it was not only time management, right? Because we would plan our chores out. So if we did a deep cleaning in the kitchen this week, next week would be the bathrooms. And then not only that, we were supporting our family, right? So everyone had something to do and at a certain time we would be done and then we can enjoy our weekend. We can enjoy our Saturdays together and we could go to the park, have some ice cream, you know, that type of thing. So, you know, it was the planning part of it as a family, and my mother played zero games when it came to chores.

Amelia: Yes, mom.

Allanna: Yeah.

Amelia:  What you said just then about supporting your family, because a lot of what I talk about with clients and in my work is the value of contributing to your household. And, you know, I think folks want their kids to do chores. They want family members to participate, but we often struggle with getting folks on board.

So I love that language, like cleaning, the work around it was in support of everyone. And then you got to go have fun together.

Allanna: Yeah.

Allanna:  Yeah, and it was positive. It wasn't, we didn't feel like we had a choice and we were forced to do it, right? And then you cut and paste that into your life now, and it's a part of our household. 

Because if I didn't have that, it would be hard for me to manage a business, to, you know, be a business owner, to run two businesses and maintain my household and take care of my children if I wasn't taught that from a child, you know?

Amelia: Hmm. Such an amazing point. Well, when we talk about your work, the way that I connect to it is one of the first things that I did on my path to becoming a professional organizer was to learn how to design closets and other spaces while working at The Container Store. And I learned best practices, but more importantly…

Allanna: Mm -hmm. Yes.

Amelia: I learned that the shelving in most homes and apartments, it's just built without functionality in mind. So real talk, right? Like that three quarter closet hanging bar, like the poor use of corners, widely spaced pantry shelves, wire shelving that's so far apart that things fall through. My goodness.

Allanna: Yeah. Yeah. Builders’ grade. It's a builders’ grade. Like basically when you build a home or apartment complex, you have to pass inspection. So builders’ grade allows you to pass inspection and save. I mean, it takes away from the homeowner. It's kind of not fair, but at the end of the day, it's the minimum. They do the minimum requirements to pass inspection. So that's why they use builders’ grade shelving.

Amelia: I mean, that's just like a little insight right there, right? So for most folks, for most listeners, right? We adapt to that current shelving - the builder grade shelving in our homes - but it often causes more headaches than not. So why does custom design matter?

Allanna: Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm. It does.

I mean, because we use space optimization. So, you know, coming from The Container Store, we have strategies in place and we would do space planning. There's no space planning involved and that's the problem with builders’ grade, right? When it comes to a custom closet, we take the time, we do inventory of your clothes. We do space planning. So space planning is strategic because in space planning, it's not just planning across it's up. So, right. So it's maximizing all the space in the closet. And that's what brings it together. 

You don't necessarily have to fold clothes on the bottom. Sometimes we don't utilize all the space. So space optimization is like a strategic planning tool that I used in H&M when we had to place thousands of garments and accessories. You had to make it fit, right? So when you look at closets on a smaller scale, it's kind of… We have a strategic plan that we put in place for each client because each client has different needs.

Amelia: Mmm. And there are different heights, right? So like, I love that you mentioned going up, right? Cause there's that weird three quarter hanging bar, which does work for long dresses and coats and long items. Correct. But like some folks are six feet or taller. And then some of us are scratching five feet. So, custom.

Allanna: Yes. Mm -hmm. Yeah, you have mid-hang. You have mid-hang, yes.

Amelia: And custom solutions also help like family members reach what they have.

Allana: Right? Mm -hmm. Yeah, and it also helps you maintain organization long-term. I think sometimes when people see the price of a custom closet, it is an investment. I will, you know, admit that. But then you're adding in your wants and needs. You don't necessarily need to do that. You can focus on, we can focus on basically what you need to maintain organization long-term when it comes to custom closets.

Amelia: And so there are different parts and I know there are components galore, but break down for me kind of the most common components: short hang, long hang, some drawers. Like what are the key things that a custom closet company like yours would encourage clients to consider?

Allanna: Mm -hmm. Yes. So when we first come in and design, let's say a basic closet, they call it a “box,” right? And the reason they call it a “box” in the industry is because you can build on it, right? 

So you definitely need your drawers. If you have drawers in your bedroom, wardrobes, if you don't need it, it saves you money. But a set of drawers is normal. Double hang, mid hang, your long hang, because now not only are women wearing dresses, jumpsuits are a big trend.

So you need more long hang than you usually would. And then accessories, I recommend belt, scarf, valet rods, that type of thing. I feel like those few things are important. Then you can go to the upgrades, right? You can upgrade your door fronts or your drawer fronts. You can upgrade your hardware finish or you can upgrade your wood color. And there's seven different levels of upgrades. So you can start with the basics and then you can just you know, go up if you need to. But even if you don't, it'll still be beautiful and functional at the first level.

Amelia: Yeah, we're going to talk about budgeting here in a minute, but I just want listeners to hear, right? If you are out there and you are trying to do this on your own, right? There's so many cubes and cubbies and shelf dividers, and those are all sort of amazing temporary solutions. But if you know you're going to be in your home or your apartment or your office space for the long term, a custom solution, I assume, Allanna, really increases the value of your property and space as well.

Allanna: Yes. I mean, it saves you money long-term. You know, during consultations, I can see all the different products that clients purchased. I purchased this, it looked really good online. And then you're looking down the line for three or four years and you’ve spent so much money when if you invested in a custom closet at the beginning, it saves you time and money. You're not trying to figure out, you know, how to get organized every time you see a new video on Instagram or YouTube or, you know, Pinterest.

But it is, but like you said, it is a small investment.

Amelia: So you have done an amazing job understanding the manufacturing process for custom storage front to back. You see behind the scenes and have developed relationships in the industry that benefit your clients. So talk to me about custom storage solutions, how they are priced and how hiring a custom boutique business like yours ensures clients get exactly what they dream of.

Allanna: Okay. Okay. So custom closets are priced by the square footage and the upgrades. And you have to keep in mind when you go to a store and you buy a storage system, it's in a box, it's a prefabricated system. But when it comes to a custom closet company, we have fabricated. So when we come to install, everything is in little pieces and put together. So the price looks different because it's more of a process. 

And then the product, we use pressed wood. So when you scratch our panels, it's really amazing because people are like, these panels are really heavy duty. It's not pressed paper like the IKEA panels, it's actually pressed paper. So it lasts for the life of your home, just like your kitchen cabinets would. And you know, being behind the scenes at every installation, you learn so much about the product because every closet is shaped differently, right? 

So I can say a closet may range from $5,000, but someone with more square footage, it will cost more. Because let's say if you have a small closet, we're using three walls, right? But if you have a larger space, we're using four walls. So it really does depend on the square footage.

Amelia: And how does, like, I love following you online because you use so much color and you were talking earlier about those seven levels of upgrades, right? There are knobs, there's lighting, there's like those accessory bars. Folks can get a basic closet. Talk to me a little bit about your clients who dream of something, I don't know, fancier or more stylish.

Allanna: So the thing is, I think that's every client, right? Every client wants a really fun and elaborate closet, right? But depending on the budget, we find ways to bring it to life. So let's say you have the budget for a white closet, but you want to add some pizzazz and color, then I will recommend a light fixture, a paint color, and then we would match that with hangers, and maybe we would upgrade the hardware if we can't upgrade the wood color. But there's so many ways to have fun. We add a rug.

And then the finishing touch, of course, is us organizing it. We can bring the whole look together. But it's, I mean, the accessories of the jewelry of the closet. When you think of the valet rods, belt racks, you have slides and trays and pantries. You had LED lighting now. You have puck lighting to highlight your home decor in your living room. You know, living room built-ins.

People are getting more elaborate with garages. If you notice our last install, I don't know if you saw it, we did a black wood grain garage cabinet with hydraulic lift doors on the top. So it's the little ways that you can add little upgrades, but what I try to do for every single Doll is I try to add one thing to each closet or space that I haven't done in just to give them something, yeah, yeah, just to give them something unique to them. 

You know, to cater to them, you know, because it's an investment, but you're investing in my business and I'm investing in your quality of life. You know?

Amelia: That's really fun. Yes. I love that because yeah, supporting small businesses, supporting local businesses, and what you do is fabulous because you take - and again, folks can see this on social media - through the whole journey of design to seeing those individual pieces, and it all comes together. So it really is a gorgeous process. 

Give me a ballpark for how long a project takes start to finish so listeners understand.

Allanna: So for us, it depends on the type of closet you purchase and the upgrades. So let's say normal square footage, you want five drawers and all those accessories that we spoke about. We can still do that in an eight day turnaround, eight business day turnaround. But let's say if you want a decorative drawer front or door front, you want Shaker doors or drawers to match your bathroom or maybe your kitchen cabinets, that would take two weeks.

And then when you get into the bigger upgrades where if you want glass doors and that type of thing, it could be five to six weeks, if we are at metal or glass doors. So it really all depends on the upgrades. But nine times out of 10 for us, I would say between eight to nine days is the normal turnaround time.

Amelia: Which is tremendous because again, let me highlight that that's a benefit of working directly with Optimization Dolls because you are the contact point and you're checking on the process behind the scenes, the manufacturing, ensuring quality control and that communication versus, you know…

Allanna: Yeah. Mm -hmm.

Amelia: …our larger corporations are amazing, but you don't get that personal touch, as well as lead times can be much longer. And, you know, you don't just have that interpersonal relationship of a contact that you can ask your questions and check in on. So I love that.

Allanna: Yeah. Yeah. Especially in this industry. In this industry, you wouldn't, it, it, the chances are closer to zero of you meeting a custom closet business owner. For me, I'm personable. I am a part of the process, right? When my company is an overall experience, I'm there at the beginning, and I'm there at the end, and we enjoy the process in the middle. So even when the guys are installing, I'm there helping them. And then, you know, during that time, if we're organizing, we're getting your clothes ready to go into the closets. 

But sometimes we may not be organizing, right? And I just may be having a cup of tea with the client and we enjoy the process. So for me, it's the overall experience with Optimization Dolls from start to finish, from the design, the installation and the organization. I'm a part of the entire process. For my Dolls. Yes. Yes. I'm living in my dream, awake, right?

Amelia: It feels, it feels so good. It feels so good, y 'all.

Allanna: So when you're living in your dreams awake, you can't forget that. It's very important.

Amelia: My goodness. And so I'd love to turn now, you shared with me that you have SLE lupus. 

Allanna: Yes.

Amelia: And so when you talk about living in your dream awake, right, I'm sure that having lupus as part of your life impacts your energy level and how you operate your business. So share with us what SLE lupus is, and for listeners who themselves may encounter a chronic illness just share with us any tidbits of wisdom you may have about showing up for yourself and your clients each day.

Allanna: Yeah, I mean, having lupus is, having lupus, it's one of those diseases that every day is different. I call it the sleepy disease because you feel tired all the time. And the way that you can feel better is to exercise, eat healthy. So you have to give yourself that time. So even in planning, I plan time to exercise. I plan time to prep meals and make sure that I'm giving myself the best. 

But in the process of everyday running a business, you know, you have to just, you just have to sometimes take a moment. Okay, we're going to do that again. I'm just going to keep talking up. I'm going to go back. Okay. So having lupus, it has its opportunities. It's three different types of lupus. So you have lupus that affects your skin, that affects your organs and then you have lupus that's drug induced. 

So it could be from taking drugs, maybe hormones, let's say someone taking hormones for five or six to 20 years. It can be drug-induced for me. Lupus affects my skin and it affects me - I'm always tired. So I have to take care of myself by eating healthy, making sure that I exercise. I go for five mile walks.

But in the process of consultation, when I first arrived at that client's house, right, they're expecting this lively person that they see on Instagram that's alive. And no matter how I'm feeling, I have to find a way to still give them that full experience. But knowing that I can have that time back at the end of part of the day where my family, you know, they have to help, you know, that's where Fair Play falls in.

Amelia: Mmm.

Allanna: You know, and growing up with those values, my grandmother had an autoimmune. So by us all helping each other, I saw how it worked out. So with my family supporting me, maybe I was planning to cook tonight and they're like, man, you can't cook tonight. And I'm like, we can order something out. Having that understanding or maybe I need you to do the laundry today. You know, that's what helps me get by, you know?

Amelia: I love that you shared that because that's exactly what I was hearing as you were talking about planning your meals, planning your walks, right? I was thinking, wow, that that childhood experience of planning your chores really comes into play here. 

Allanna: Yes.

Amelia: But also that open communication with a client or especially family members, that this is where my energy level is today, and I need your support. I need to give myself compassion. Kind of all of those elements because my understanding is lupus is autoimmune and it's chronic, correct? It's like something you live with..

Allanna: Yeah. Yes, it is. Yeah, because it affects your... So basically with lupus, your organs are foreign. So usually every day our body, every day our cells are fighting in our body to fight off colds, diseases. And we don't know that, but our bodies, but our cells are constantly doing this every single day. But in lupus, it'll attack your kidneys like they don't belong here. “Let's get ‘em,” you know?

So it's that type of thing. So it's in remission if you take care of yourself and you exercise and you eat healthy. And you do have to take medication, but it's like one medication, if you maintain.

Amelia: Your health.

Allanna: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Amelia: Goodness. Well, I'm sure that that will resonate with listeners because we're always trying to navigate life and family and being a small business owner. So reminding yourself that compassion, grace, kindness, as well as healthy lifestyle behaviors, right? I'm sure you have to motivate. Get it in.

Allanna: Yes. Yeah, it's true. And then, you know, when it comes to custom closets, you know, in my videos, I take you from the beginning of the process to the end of the process. And even sometimes I have the LED lights that I'll have with me, and the LED lights will burn my skin. My skin is very sensitive when it comes to lupus. So sometimes behind the scenes are certain things that you're doing or you're trying to get done quick and…

People said, “My God, I love your videos. They're so amazing.” And I'm like, I record them as quick as possible. It's realistic and it's in the moment, right? I don't give you anything that's not organic. It's all organic. Everything you see is in the moment. I don't edit it. I don't, I don't. It's just, you know, some things I cut out, you know, but then for the most part, everything you're seeing is happening in real time.

Amelia: It’s you. So good, so good, y'all. 

Well, what's one way, Allanna, that you employ “organization” now as an adult? And it could be with regards to your daily routine or your business.

Allanna: Yeah.

Allanna: Well, I have a few things. I clean off my desk every single day at the end of the day. Non-negotiable. Because I want to start fresh the next day, right? And if I start with clutter, it throws me off. So it's kind of like when you get up in the morning and you go for a cup of coffee before you start your day. If the kitchen is a mess, like you're going to really focus on that, right? So I have a few things. I clean off my desk.

Amelia: Tell us why. 

Allanna: My pantry stays organized. So every day,not every day, I go get food. I would go to the market. I would say three times a week because when you have a chronic disease, you need fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, that type of thing. Right. It's a healthy lifestyle. So I tidy up my pantry two or three times a week just to make sure I don't have anything expired in there. And when you have a healthy lifestyle, you don't have a lot in your pantry anymore because it's not a lot of processed food. 

I make sure I clean off my vanity at night before I go to bed. So those are just a few little things that I do that it helps me to maintain organization. But in this business, we should practice what we preach. I believe that. You know, it's a lifestyle. It's not just a trend you see on social media. Being organized is a lifestyle.

Amelia: And I imagine, right, I talk a lot about mental clutter and just all that weighs on us in terms of our to -do lists. But what I'm hearing from you is that these are intentional conscious decisions that you have made and have seen the results of them, right, the improvement on your mental well-being as well as your physical well-being by cleaning off your desk every day making sure that the pantry is refreshed weekly and… 

Allanna: In my bathroom and then the bathroom, yes, yes, yes.

Amelia: Yes, and the bathroom vanity. Yes. Talk, yeah, just how does that improve your mental well-being as well?

Allanna: My goodness. 100%. It improves it 100%. 

I don't think most people understand what brain fog is, right? And usually if you have a chronic disease, it's at some point when you flare, you have brain fog, meaning you just scramble, right? But that's a struggle with a lot of people.

Like it's hard to re-prioritize. We have to re-prioritize, right? So maintaining organization. It actually helps me to be successful because when I'm focusing on a to-do list, I can focus on that. Not saying it may be a Saturday when I'm like, okay, I want to go get some ice cream today and I just want to hang out. And I'm like, you know what? The first part of that, maybe you need to take those three or four hours and tidy up. So you're prepared for Monday's craziness. You know, you'll get the time back being organized.

Amelia: And I think that that's often the hardest part for folks, right, is to see past the work that it takes to do, to become intentional, organized, more conscious about the decisions to get to the other side of that reward. But you...

Allanna: Yeah, but you have to love it, you have to find time, right, to enjoy what you're doing. If it's a mess, right, you allowed it to happen. Put on some music, make it a positive experience. Maybe when you're clean and find a way to make it fun. Find a way to get the kids involved. Find a way to get your partner involved.

Amelia: Yes. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it. And I would, in conclusion, just say, I love it. I would like to close us out by thanking you so much for chatting with me, Allanna. 

I would love for you to share how folks can connect with you…

Allanna: Thank you for having me.

Amelia: …and learn more about your services, and of course, the areas that you travel to and see some of the gorgeous spaces that you've designed.

Allanna: Thank you. So you can find me on Instagram and Facebook at OPMdolls. So it's O -P-M -D -O -L -L -S, Dolls. My website is optimizationdolls .com, but for short, opmdolls .com. And yeah, follow us on Instagram so you can come along with me on this process and enjoy it from start to finish. We have a great time. When it comes to services, wow.

I think at this point we are a full service storage solution company, meaning we do pantries, garages, mud rooms. If you name it, we can build it at this point.

Amelia: And you're based in North Carolina. What's your kind of travel range?

Allanna: Mm -hmm.

So I'm in the Concord area, about seven to eight minutes outside of Charlotte. And we do travel. We will travel to Atlanta. We will travel to Virginia. But when you travel, it is an additional cost because we have to bring the whole team. But we do travel at the request. You know, our dolls Dolls If they call me, I come.

Amelia: Amazing, amazing. Y 'all, Allanna: is the best. Thank you so much. This was such a pleasure.

Allanna: Thank you. This was so fun. I loved doing this with you. Thank you for having me, Amelia.

Outro: If you’ve enjoyed today’s podcast and want to stay up to date on what’s happening each month in A Pleasant Solution, I invite you to join my email community. I share relatable stories, post upcoming events, and offer a weekly mini solution. Click on the resource in the show notes or visit apleasantsolution.com to learn more.