About 

Hi, I’m Anne Marie (Battista) Coogan. As is the case with so many of us, I began doing this work unofficially with my own family–namely, making determinations about what to do with a lifetime of belongings after a beloved family member passed away. There were so many moments during that experience that felt like a missed opportunity. I wanted to go back in time and ask about the history and meaning of rooms-worth of belongings. 

I took that hard-earned lesson and put it into action. I supported other family members in preserving, categorizing, and documenting important stories and contextual information related to family photos and other heirlooms–and in decluttering spaces filled with decades worth of memories.

I’ve turned my learnings into a process that supports individuals and families who want to approach their belongings with intention—whether that’s documenting meaningful items and intended recipients, preserving family photos and heirlooms, and/or navigating decluttering, selling items, or passing things down now. My goal is to make the process feel calmer, more thoughtful, and far less overwhelming (and dare I say, joyful?!). At its core, this work is about bringing clarity to the things that matter and creating space to reflect on what you want to carry forward.

My professional background has been in education policy and human-centered design. I’ve spent years working in a major urban school district, designing policy and supports to improve systems used by thousands of stakeholders. 

I live in Washington, DC with my husband, two children, and our pup.