Downsizing and design with your story in mind
Story in Scale helps Richmond families sort through a lifetime of belongings, catalog the heirlooms worth keeping, and design a home that fits the life ahead — whether you are moving somewhere smaller or refreshing the house you already love.
- What I do
- Sorting, downsizing, heirloom cataloging, organizing, floor planning and interior design
- Who I help
- Older adults in transition, families planning ahead, and anyone refreshing a home
- Where
- Serving Richmond, VA and surrounding areas
- Start here
- (804) 554-1976
molly@storyinscale.com
How I work
at a pace that feels comfortable to youEvery client’s home is filled with treasures that have a story. As we sort through your belongings together, I listen closely to learn which items are important to you and why.
I help you identify what you still use and truly love, taking the time to catalog heirlooms so your family can preserve their history, while removing pieces that no longer serve you. Using our local connections to consignment shops, auction houses and charities, I help give the items you no longer need a second life.
By focusing on what is most meaningful, I build inviting, clutter-free spaces that reflect who you are. I always move at a pace that feels comfortable to you, honoring your goals every step of the way. Once the sorting is complete, I arrange your home in a manner that complements your lifestyle.
I listen closely to learn which items are important to you, and why.
Services
six services, booked together or on their ownWhether you are downsizing, relocating, or simply decluttering, I’m ready to guide you toward your ideal dream interior.
Sorting & Downsizing
Leveraging techniques refined through years of professional organizing, I utilize proven downsizing practices to deliver efficient results that align perfectly with your ultimate goals.
Cataloging Heirlooms & Sentimental Items
I ensure your family’s legacy is preserved by documenting the stories and milestones attached to your sentimental items. You will receive a comprehensive electronic catalog, including photos of your designated items, for your family’s review and safekeeping.
Repurpose
One of my favorite activities is ‘shopping’ your own home to find items we can creatively reuse. By reimagining pieces you already own, from baskets and bins to nightstands and bookcases, we can transform your rooms into fresh, highly functional spaces that feel brand new.
Organizing
Once we have decided what to keep, I will design a customized plan tailored to your space and budget. Whether you prefer a cohesive look with brand-new, matching bins to keep everything visible, or simply need your existing items arranged in a more manageable way, I can provide the exact level of support you need.
Floor Planning
Drawing on 18 years of space planning expertise, we will work together to design a functional, beautiful layout that achieves your ideal vision for each room.
Interior Design
I love sharing my favorite design resources with my clients. Whether we are shopping for new furniture and rugs or picking out the perfect paint colors and light fixtures, I am here to guide you every step of the way.
Planning ahead
the greatest gift you can give your familyIf my years of helping older adults downsize have taught me anything, it’s that getting an early start is the greatest gift you can give your family.
Sorting through a lifetime of memories can be overwhelming for adult children later on. By taking control now, you spare them that stress and get to actively shape your legacy.
More importantly, starting before you ‘have to’ gives you the time to share the beautiful stories behind your belongings and thoughtfully choose where they go next, making the entire process a truly rewarding experience.
Additionally, planning ahead maximizes your options for profitably selling the belongings you are not keeping.
- You shape the legacyWhich piece goes to which grandchild is your decision to make, not a guess someone makes later.
- The stories surviveAn heirloom without its story is just an old object. Early sorting is when the stories get recorded.
- Your family is sparedAdult children clearing a house under deadline is the hardest version of this work. It does not have to happen that way.
- The timing paysConsignment and auction take time to do well. Starting early is what turns belongings into proceeds instead of a hauling bill.
Customizable plans
as much or as little support as you preferI offer flexible plans designed to support you as much or as little as you prefer. For specialized needs, I partner with a trusted network of vetted, insured professionals. Whenever these external services are utilized, I am fully available for on-site supervision at your request.
Moving to a smaller home
Independent or assisted living, a condo, or a house closer to the grandchildren. Sorting, floor planning and settling in.
Planning ahead, not moving yet
Sorting and heirloom cataloging done while there is time to enjoy it, so nothing has to be rushed later.
Staying and refreshing
The house is right, the rooms are not. Organizing, repurposing what you own, and interior design.
Families helping a parent
Often coordinated from out of state, with photo updates, floor plans and the heirloom catalog shared as we go.
About Molly
owner & founderWith a BFA in Interior Design from Virginia Commonwealth University, I began my career designing one of the most important spaces in any house: the kitchen. I spent 13 years designing kitchens and baths for a local Richmond showroom.
After taking a couple of years to stay home and homeschool my children, I found my true calling as a Move Manager and Client Relocation Consultant. For the past five years, I have worked in these roles at a move management company where we specialized in helping older adults navigate major transitions, downsizing decades of memories into a new, smaller footprint.
I’m excited to bring this passion to my own clients, helping you settle into a new home or refreshing the one you already love.
Common questions
answered plainlyWhat areas do you serve?
Story in Scale is based in Richmond and takes projects throughout Virginia. Most work is in Richmond and the surrounding counties: Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan, including North Chesterfield, Midlothian, Bon Air, Chester, Glen Allen, Short Pump, Tuckahoe, Mechanicsville and Ashland. Projects elsewhere in the state are welcome, and travel is arranged as part of the plan. Call (804) 554-1976 or email molly@storyinscale.com to ask about a specific location.
Do I have to be moving to work with you?
No. Many clients are staying exactly where they are and simply want the house to work better. Organizing, repurposing, floor planning and interior design are all available on their own, with no move involved.
What is heirloom cataloging?
Heirloom cataloging documents the stories and milestones attached to your sentimental items, so a family’s history is not lost with the generation that remembers it. You receive a comprehensive electronic catalog, including photographs of each designated item, for your family to review and keep.
What happens to the belongings I don’t keep?
They are given a second life. I use established local connections to consignment shops, auction houses and charities throughout the Richmond area, so items that no longer serve you go somewhere appropriate rather than to a landfill.
When should someone start planning ahead?
Before you have to. Starting early spares adult children the stress of sorting a lifetime of memories later, gives you time to share the stories behind your belongings and choose where they go next, and maximizes your options for profitably selling what you are not keeping.
How does pricing work?
Plans are customizable and flexible, supporting you as much or as little as you prefer. Pricing follows a consultation, so the plan matches your space, your goals and your budget. You receive the scope in writing before any work begins.
Do you bring in other professionals?
For specialized needs, I partner with a trusted network of vetted, insured professionals. Whenever those outside services are used, I am fully available for on-site supervision at your request.
Can you help if I live out of state from my parent?
Yes. Many clients are adult children coordinating from a distance. The work happens on site with your parent here in Richmond, and photo updates, floor plans and the heirloom catalog are shared with the family as decisions are made.
Book a consultation
reply within one business dayTell me a little about the home and what you’re hoping to change. I’ll follow up to arrange a complimentary consultation (up to 2 hours) and put a plan together.
Or reach me directly:
(804) 554-1976molly@storyinscale.com
Based in Richmond and serving North Chesterfield, Midlothian, Bon Air, Chester, Glen Allen, Short Pump, Mechanicsville and Ashland, across Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan counties. Projects elsewhere in Virginia are possible.
For realtors & older adult living communities
I work alongside agents, estate attorneys and community directors to get a home sorted, staged and settled on schedule. Email me to talk about referrals.