When my daughter was younger, one of our most favorite things was snuggling up in the bed with lots of cozy blankets, hot chocolate, and a fun show we loved. One show that was on the tip top of that list was Clean House. We loved watching those folks come in, take over and get families back on the right track. The cleaning and designing crew was like no other. They were incredibly motivational and of course, the Yard Sale Diva and organizing extraordinaire herself, Trish Suhr, was the brightest ball of sunshine on the entire screen. Her Southern charm coupled with her hard work, un-matched organizing skills, and no-nonsense-allowed-style pulled it all together.
As I sit here writing this today, as crazy as it may seem, I am fortunate indeed to call Trish one of my friends. And let me tell you this—she is as bright and sunshine-y AND as incredibly accomplished as you think she is. Her talents know no bounds, and far out reach the Clean House skill set you already know.
This Emmy winning lifestyle expert found her way to Los Angeles after college and never looked back. Although she calls herself a true California Girl, these days she still has a big heart for the South.
“After I went through a divorce, my accountant suggested I put money in a property, and choosing to purchase something in California was out of the question. Real estate was crazy out there, so I looked at Atlanta. I was traveling so much, and as we all know you can’t get anywhere without going through the Atlanta airport, so I liked the idea of an Airbnb style place that I could rent out and stay in when I needed to. Of course, I love remodeling and design, so tackling a renovation didn’t scare me off at all. It was never my intention to live here full time, but once the lockdown hit I was very grateful to have it," she said.
With all that in mind, she bought her Beach Barn just outside of Atlanta in November of 2019 and started getting busy. Little did she know, because of the pandemic, it would become her home base for the next two years. Built in 1972, it has been a labor of love to bring the 4300 square foot home into the modern age and she’s loved every minute of it. Her contemporary edge and eye for great design allowed her to bring the old gal back to life all while keeping the original bones in tact. Being back in the South also led her to a charity event where she met her darling husband Jayce. He’s a Georgia native, and had no objections whatsoever to having a temporary home base in Atlanta. Trish says he’s so Southern he makes her seem like a northerner—he even keeps a can of bacon grease over the stove—and they’re totally smitten with each other. He’s also a big fan of her interior design style and loves the way she’s updated the Beach Barn.
When I asked Trish if she had always been so clean and tidy she told me, “I was clinically diagnosed with OCD at ten. My mama always said it was my superpower, and I learned not to let it control my life. In my professional life I can definitely see it as a blessing, especially when it comes to organizing. Even when I was small, my Paw Paw flipped houses and he would take me with him on the job, and that was always such a great experience for me. He would ask me ‘What do you see that I don’t?’ He took time to explain the things I didn’t understand, and he valued my opinion even when I was very young.”
She also introduced me to the idea of mindful leaving.
“When we leave home, are we checking to see if the bed is made, is the vanity clear, is the kitchen neat, are the den pillows fluffed, etc.? And remember,” she says, “clean is free. The power is in deciding you deserve it. Clutter is an outward expression of an internal thing—and we all have stuff we don’t want to look at.”
Trish uses what she calls “Trish-ful Thinking” to keep herself on the right track. It’s her version of positive thinking, and she’s adding something new each month. In January, in an effort to clear away some digital clutter, she un-subscribed from a minimum of three emails each day. In February, she’s focusing on mindful moving at least four days a week. And happily, she’s getting back to her comedy roots.
“I’m just trying to figure it out like everyone else. Getting back into comedy—because I know it’s my gift, and I’m grateful God gave it to me—is exciting. I’ve been so glad to have the Beach Barn during the last two crazy years. The business had gotten to me. I went through a divorce. But I know you can’t stay in faith and fear, so I’m ready for the change. Getting back to what makes me joyful is exciting.”
Another exciting move Trish is making is to the podcast airwaves. Yes ma’am—she’s coming to a podcast provider near later this month. Her new show Yes Suhr will focus on where your yeses have gotten you. She will be talking with guests about their “best yes,” and learning what they’ve done to become the best versions of themselves.
And as we all know, it’s the things we say yes to that make us who we are.
“I want people to see, aspirationally, what it looks like to do the thing that makes you the best version of yourself. Whether it’s my friend Garcelle Beauvais who is an amazing actress, an amazing mama, does all the things, and is an amazing producer; to my girlfriend Sabrina who has her own rug line, cabinet line, all the lines; to Leanne Morgan who’s my sister from another mister; to Ross Matthews who is in the business of LGBTQ magic-ness and moving the world forward in a harmonious way and being on Drag Race—it was the things we all said yes to that led us to be authentically the best versions of ourselves. You’re in on this too. It was in your DNA to be a full time mama, and there’s not one ounce of anything that doesn’t make that an amazing calling. And then in your 40’s you said yes to being a writer. I love that. Too often in our culture we don’t get the permission to follow the passion of our season.”
I also talked to her about how her social media presence is such a fun, happy, and kind space. That’s something I work toward myself. We both agreed that the mean, judgmental side of social media needs to go.
“Can you think about how much energy it takes in general—it’s so much energy out of your person to be hateful. I don’t get it. There’s no money in it. Not a dollar in it, so why bother.”
Truth be told, we could have sat and talked all day. She’s so full of happiness and great advice and real talk, and I loved every minute of our visit. Getting to share her story with all of you is such a delight.
Before we called it a day we took a little time to chat about Kentucky and the storms that blew through there a few months back. Trish’s family was thankfully safe, but so many others lost so much. As we all know, even though the news cycle has long been over, the need for help will go on for months to come. You can join Trish and me by supporting the residents there with a donation to one of these great, local organizations:
stuffthebusky.com
mayfieldgravesstrong.org
uwky.org/tornado
In the meantime, you can catch Trish (live from her at-home gar-office) on QVC as she shares some pretty handy products that everyone needs around the house. And be sure you’re listening out for that podcast to drop—you never know who you might hear!
You can learn more about Trish at www.trishsuhr.com or by following her on Instagram @trishsuhr.