Author Archives: admin

Yelp Review from Robin M.

Beyond the Box was recommended to us for a difficult move.  We had to move a family member to assisted living, then to full care, within the same facility. Beyond the Box was very caring and compassionate from the beginning.  All employees involved in the process were helpful. The owner was always available when her expertise was needed.  We called her with any question we had during the move.
The move to assisted living was made easier by the Beyond the Box employees taking the time to choose carefully what furniture, pictures, and family photographs would fit well into a much smaller living space from the condo. The assisted living apartment was thoughtfully decorated for our family member.  We could not have possibly done this kind of move by ourselves.  We have used them for other moves and will use them again for any future moves. 9/30/2012

Yelp Review from Sarah V.

This company jumped through hoops for my multi-stage, multi-city move. They blended my two offices into one beautifully organized and efficient space and worked similar magic in culling and organizing my formerly haphazard kitchen. Their on-site supervision of the rest of the move (bedrooms, baths, closets, family room) was smooth, calm, and professional: I could not have managed without them. I’m hiring them to tackle my late husband’s office — a Herculean task — and have every expectation that this organizing project will run as smoothly as the last. Kudos to the entire Beyond the Box team! 9/26/2012

Judy Ball Full Review

Moving is a challenge and an opportunity.  The move was the challenge and Suzanne was the opportunity, organizing it into manageable pieces.    Together with my real estate agent, Suzanne and her staff worked with me to prepare my house for sale, de-cluttering, arranging for excellent vendors (from trash removal to specialty art movers) and staging the house with my own furniture and artwork especially for my market.  The house sold within two weeks of going on the market.  
Suzanne also arranged a complicated move from the east to west coast.  Items went to five destinations along the way and she came cross-country to insure that the end of the process was as smooth as it had been from the start.  Suzanne and her staff, working with the movers, had to change destinations after items were already in storage, further complicating this move.  She handled it all (including me) with an expert hand and good humor.  It pays to have someone who knows what they’re doing!  Suzanne and her crew are worth every penny and then some!

Mary Louise Cohen

“My mother is a formidable force with a taste for fine things.  As my sisters and I prepared to move her from North Carolina to DC, I wanted to find a lovely assisted living residence and to make her apartment pretty as well as safe and secure.

Having worked with Suzanne Windle for years decorating my own home, I knew  Beyond the Box would make my mother’s new home both beautiful and functional.  I also know that they would make the move stress free for the entire family.  I was right on both counts. Because we elected not to move most of Mom’s larger furniture, Suzanne shopped for everything from chairs, tables and lamps, to a sofa and dresser.  Respecting our request that we not spend and arm and a leg, Beyond the Box literally created an affordable living room, dining area and bedroom, arranged all deliveries, and then set up, organized and decorated the entire apartment within a matter of weeks.

They met the truck carrying Mom’s personal belongings, unpacked all the boxes, and put everything away just where she would want it.  They even made special space for her art supplies and sewing machine so she wouldn’t have to struggle to find them. When Mom walked through the door, there were flowers on the dining table and a bottle of wine in the fridge.  I’ll never forget her surprise and delight when she said out loud, “I feel like I’ve lived here forever.”

Moving a parent is one of the most stressful changes a family can undergo.  It’s one of those things you don’t understand until you do it. Whether you’re moving your mom or dad across the street or from out of state like we did, Beyond the Box will make the move a million times easier for everyone involved.”

Mary Louise Cohen,  Founding Partner of Phillips & Cohen, LLP,  Washington, DC, and Mary Frances Snell’s eldest daughter

Kristie Miller Full Review

Kristie has used our services on multiple occasions since 2012 and as a result has multiple reviews.

“Suzanne Windle and her team at Beyond the Box are amazing. I have made ten other moves in my adult life, and only regret waiting until the eleventh to discover this wonderful service. They helped us choose what to take when we downsized from a house to an apartment, and advised us how to place the furniture in the most attractive and efficient manner. They found and supervised auxiliary help – the painting, the window treatments, the woodworker who repaired heirloom pieces. They took bids from movers and negotiated a lower price with the one we selected. On move-in day, they sent us away; when we returned, everything was unpacked and in its place, with no box anywhere. A fairy godmother could not have been more effective.

“Suzanne Windle and her team of elves at Beyond the Box are beyond wonderful! They have moved us and designed new living quarters three times. Each time Suzanne arranged for packing, moving, and storage; designed new spaces; and bought new items where needed and assembled them. She grappled with such issues as refinishing heirloom furniture, hanging pictures, making an inventory of estate items, and shipping dozens of vinyl records. Throughout she was creative, kind, and considerate.

 

— Kristie Miller

Victoria Pedrick

“When my son and I moved back to DC after three year overseas, we faced a task that seemed overwhelming:  my things arrived after months of being lost and reportedly damaged, just as I was recovering from surgery.  It was such a relief to be able to call Suzanne and her team and rely on them.  They handled everything for me beautifully and on very short notice.  

The day before the boxes arrived, Suzanne helped me reorganize my tiny apartment.  The biggest break-through came when she cleaned up and transformed my storage space in the basement of our small building so that I had worlds more room to pack things away and get the clutter out of the apartment.   When the shipment came, a team supervised the unloading, ready to document any damage, and unpacked everything.  Suzanne even placed my rugs and hung the new pictures!  

I can’t say enough good things about this company:  personal, professional, efficient and thoughtful—I’m so glad I had them helping me! Instead of weeks of stepping around boxes and trying to figure out what to keep and what to toss, we were able to relax and recuperate that very weekend.”

Victoria Pedrick

Ron & Jean Steinberg Full Review

“It’s not an easy process to move a parent.  I don’t know how we would have done it without Elizabeth and the Beyond the Box crew.  They helped us from beginning to end: arranged for a terrific moving company, coordinated all of the moving logistics with the building staffs at both ends of the move, Leisure World and Aspenwood, made sure all of the furniture we wanted to take to Mom’s new apartment would fit, and helped us prioritize our downsizing efforts.  Come moving day, Elizabeth stayed with the movers as they packed, making sure everything that was suppose to go, did and nothing that shouldn’t, didn’t.  With Elizabeth there to supervise, we were able to leave with Mom and not have to worry. 

We would have been unpacking boxes for weeks.  Instead, we all walked into Mom’s new home for the first time and everything was done! Books and pictures on the shelves, dishes in the cabinets, clothes hung in the closet, bed made.  Even the window valance in her bedroom was installed.  And after we arrived, Elizabeth stayed and worked with Mom to hang her paintings and artwork exactly where she wanted them to be.  Mom was thrilled!

We have been telling everyone how smoothly the move went and about the wonderful job Beyond the Box did.  Our thanks to them for being there for us.”

– Ron & Jean Steinberg

Michelle Full Review

“Imagine the excitement of walking into your new, beautiful home that has been professionally unpacked and artfully arranged by the creative and watchful eye of an expert design team. Our move was completely stress-free because of the efficient and expert help of our great relocation team.  Every detail was managed to perfection including furniture and art placement, kitchen and bathroom arrangement, closet organization, fine china and collectable displays and more. It’s even more amazing that the team accomplished all this while we were out of the country. What a pleasant surprise when we returned to the states to find our new home perfectly and creatively arranged.  As a result, we were able to enjoy our new home….immediately!”
— Michele – Washington, D.C.

Lee Saterfield Full Review

“After 2 years abroad, our family recently relocated back to Washington, DC.   We retrieved our belongings from storage and welcomed home the pieces that made the trip with us.  Since we’d lived in our house previously, we had a sense of how we wanted furniture and art arranged. The sense of familiarity made the job seem easy. Our moving company agreed not only to unload but also unpack our belongings.  Even after things were put in the places we’d suggested, there was still definitely something missing.  To help us make our house a home, We engaged Beyond the Box. I had no idea the extent of the amazing experience and relocation service I was about to receive! 
Their team of professionals arrived promptly in the morning and worked feverishly all day.  They directed movements from room to room, transforming my existing furnishings in a way that made them seem brand new.  A new lay out for the living room changed its entire feeling . . . .  different art hung in the sunroom created a whole new space . . . .  our former library became a cozy family den.  They fixed a chipped antique mirror (damaged by the movers) on the spot, hung artwork meticulously throughout the house, and even had at their fingertips every correct picture hanger, light bulb and extension cord imaginable. The energetic team even asked if they could forage in the attic.  They unearthed rugs and pillows we hadn’t used in years, integrating them with existing items for a whole new look!  
To say we were pleased with this service would be an understatement. The experience made me appreciate the things we own by seeing them in a new light. The team also made suggestions about accessories (lamps, tables) here and there to round out the look in each room.  But, in such a low key way.  Our home was transformed in a day and the stress of moving was completely eliminated.  Friends who have stopped by cannot believe we have only been back a week!”

— Lee Saterfield – Washington, D.C.

John & Jaye Rogovin Full Review

“I can’t describe how “lifesaving” Lisa Vandenburgh and her relocation team’s service has been to my family over the years. Our first experience was several years ago when we moved into our Washington DC dream home. THe installation week was surreal. I watched Lisa’s experts coordinate, orchestrate, plan, and execute like a magical traffic cop in the middle of the biggest mayhem I’ve ever seen. After 4 days of ant-like industriousness, not one tchotchke, book, photo, piece of art, kitchen utensil or article of clothing was out of place. The boxes were long gone and the lamps were lit. The house basically looked like had lived there, in utter style and pristine order, for 30 years. It would have been simple to have a dinner party the first night in our new home.

When we suddenly were relocated to Los Angeles in 2008, all I could think about was the same furniture, tchotchkes, art, plates, and clothing that had artfully been installed in our DC house had to fit, uniquely, into a completely different style and size of house, 3,000 miles away. The thought of moving without Lisa’s magic and loving touch was more than i could bear. We factored the price of her moving team into our larger moving budget and Lisa, Katina, and a team of others flew into LA for a week to make sure we didn’t lose out minds.

Our new LA rental became, almost overnight, a stunning home, filled with warmth and joy, and, best of all, order! Once again, Lisa’s team had restored us to peace, while totally reinventing how our “stuff” would be presented. Even my husband, one not prone to hyperbole, said it was nothing short of a miracle. Everyone who came to see us in the coming weeks said it looked like we’d lived there years. But perhaps most importantly, we had a lovely moving week, spent with caring professionals, with friends who helped us make sense of an otherwise stressful situation.

We are hoping to buy a home in Los Angeles in the near future, and i guarentee we will not move a muscle until i get on Beyond the Box’s calendar for what this time will be an ‘across the freeway’ relocation and installation, instead of across the country.

I do not exaggerate when i say that, in addition to good medical care and quality education, perhaps the best investment we have made in the last 5 years is in Lisa’s relocation and design management services.

— John & Jaye Rogovin – Warner Brothers General Counsel