OyChicago articles

Brooke Lawrence is a 30-year-old self-proclaimed anal-retentive perfectionist with a penchant for revamping and decluttering basements, garages, closets, pantries, offices and junk drawers.

She started reorganizing and decluttering not only her room, but also her parents’ room at a young age, and that need for clean only intensified as she got older. She finally turned that cleaning bug into a full-blown business, and started The Duchess of Declutter™ at the end of November in 2007. She works with clients to declutter and clean their offices and homes, help with moving, wedding registries, selling items on eBay and Craigslist, and much more. According to her website, www.DuchessofDeclutter.com, she recognizes that “from Oak Brook to Buffalo Grove and Gurnee to Highland Park, there are people all over the Chicagoland area that need a little push. I provide that one-on-one attention to get the job done, one drawer at a time.”

Born and raised in Highland Park, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and two weeks later enrolled in Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism for her master’s degree. She then went on to work at Playboy Magazine and Chicago Magazine, before she ended up in marketing at Lawrence Foods, Inc. Starting her own organizing business was always a goal of hers, and so the Duchess of Declutter™ was born!

So whether you need some help organizing your home, want to gossip about celebrities, or learn how to start your own business, the Duchess of Declutter™ is a Jew You Should Know:

1. What is your favorite blog or website?
I have a small obsession with celebrity gossip, so I scour People.com almost every day. I am not a gawker or a stalker though. I promise.

2. If time and money were limitless, where would you travel?
I would love to island hop around Greece or travel to different cities in Italy. But I’ve never been to Israel either. Since money and time are limitless, I would essentially be an unemployed multi-millionaire, so I could definitely hit up all three.

3. If a movie were to be made about your life, who would play you?
Me, of course. Plus, I’m too controlling, so the chances of an Oscar-winning actress being able to mimic me are rather slim.

4. If you could have a meal with any two people, living or dead, famous or not, who would they be?
My living dinner date would be Alec Baldwin. I’m secretly in love with him. He’s a comedic genius, and I know any meal with him would be unforgettable. My non-living dinner date would definitely be my Grandpa Sydney. I think about him every day and only wish he could see me now. He’d get such a kick out of me being pregnant. I think he’ll be the most debonair person I’ll ever know.

5. What's your idea of the perfect day?
A good workout and a good meal.

6. What do you love about what you do?
I really believe that an organized home translates into an organized life. It’s hard to breathe with so much clutter around you, let alone focus. When I’m done decluttering an office, kitchen or closet, I’ve immediately made someone’s life easier to manage. That’s what I love the most. The gratification is instant. And, I love seeing the look on my clients’ faces after I’ve completely revamped what they deemed to be utterly unmanageable. 

7. What job would you have had if not the one you have now?
A very senior editorial position at People magazine.

8. What's your favorite Jewish thing to do in Chicago? 
Spend the holidays with my family.