"Celebrating the art of simple, charming, dollarwise living"
Kathryn Bechen is an award-winning lifestyle writer, a veteran organizer, and a DIY decorator who has relocated many times around the U.S.A., setting up, organizing, and DIY decorating 16 personal small-space residences with her longtime handy husband Steve. They have also stayed in 69 charming Bed & Breakfast Inns in 17 U.S. states, all real-life personal experiences that inspired Kathryn to write several tips eBooks to help everyday people turn their own homes into pleasant and dollarwise havens.
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Kathryn has been interviewed for her home insights and tips by many media outlets such as Martha Stewart Living Radio, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Woman's World, All You, and The Washington Post. Over the years, she has also been hired to write for several U.S. home and garden magazines and for private clients in the shelter niche.
Now a "seasoned senior" who has lived with her husband Steve in Arizona's Valley of the Sun since 2018, Kathryn continues to share her love of DIY home topics through writing vs. seminars and consulting. In her earlier years Kathryn consulted both in-person and virtually about organizing and productivity for many people, from a fine home builder in Nebraska to a busy young Mom in Costa Rica. Additionally, she developed several organizing seminars and speeches that she presented to institutions like Creighton University and UNO, but she jokes that her favorite "organizing students" were her 7th graders when she was a young English teacher and she insisted they learn to organize their papers better, so she added organizing skills to her lesson plans. Other past jobs that have added to Kathryn's organizing repertoire were various office admin roles, helping disorganized lawyers, and working in several libraries in her 20s, where Dewey Decimal became her best friend. Not only her work, but her DNA has definitely contributed to Kathryn's zest for order, as she is descended from a long line of Germans who love order and systems for the greater good?! (Kathryn believes she has found her 8th generation (!) German grandmother online through ancestry research.)
Loving education and learning her entire life, Kathryn has always been an insatiable reader, and she holds a B.A. in English/Education and a C.I.D. decorating certificate.
You can read Kathryn's latest home tips and news below. Thank you for visiting her website.
“Kathryn’s tips were simple to implement and didn’t require me to take out a second mortgage on my home.”
- Sew It Yourself Slipcovers
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Kathryn’s Latest News & Tips
May 16, 2026
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Greetings from sunny Arizona!
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If you have noticed that I have been away from this space for quite some time, it's because ...
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Steve and I moved! Yes, again. Yes, happy we have done so. It's been a long time in the discussion phase and not an impulse move. We don't believe really in a "forever home" and instead we believe in housing by life stage. And for us, now nearly 70 and feeling our age a bit, and both of us tired of home maintenance, especially outside for Steve, we decided to move into a senior apartment complex in a lovely neighborhood with staff on the main floor most of the time in case we might need something. There are also such nice activities, although since we have been busy moving in, we have not attended yet. All of those are included in the rent. Yes, please!
My longstanding fibromyalgia that has challenged my mobility and energy since my diagnosis at age 37, is better served by having an elevator now rather than stairs. And, although I did not need my rolling walker for years, it's better for me to use it at least sometimes now. I bought a new red one and I call it my "Ferrari!" :) Well, I've always felt a girl's got to have a little style and color in life, ya know?!
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Almost three months in, we have set up our apartment together quickly as we both are stressed by clutter so we deal with it as fast as possible and are now just tweaking. Even with a lot of forward planning, it was a stressful move for both of us, but the good news is that our view off our terrace is so fun -- trees! (Pix above.) We named our new home Treehaven Cottage! Because just like people, I think your home should have a name. :) What's your home's name?!
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Photos here are our view out of our living room door onto the terrace. Arizona sunsets make me swoon! Next is our living room. We maintained our cottage style and repurposed and rearranged what we already had. Next pix is Steve putting up his Monet gallery in his den/office.
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Our little cottage style modular home is for sale! We have priced it to sell and hope someone who really wants an affordable cute little home will buy it and enjoy it as much as we did for eight years. If you are seriously interested in purchasing it, here are pix and contact info for that. It is located in the southeast Greater Phoenix, AZ valley in a really nice modular home park with many amenities, including golf on site and several pools. Oodles of activities and nice landscaping. A senior center is behind the park and is really lovely, near a small lake for fishing and lots of activities. Views of the mountains are glorious!
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Wishing you all a wonderful summer! Please come back here with a cup of your favorite tea and enjoy!
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​​​​​​​​:) Kathryn
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P.S. We used my Moving With Ease eBook and it was a big help.​​
© 2026 Kathryn Bechen