Sarah Friesen remembers lying awake at night, only 10 or 11 years old, and redesigning rooms in her head to help her fall asleep. There was an old house next to hers, and she’d picture how she would spruce it up, if she was in charge of its décor.

“I’d lie there thinking, ‘I’d paint the walls this color ... ,’ ” Friesen recalled with a laugh.

Her lifelong passion for decorating, and for creating comfortable, welcoming homes, has translated into a burgeoning career in home management. Friesen owns and operates Gig Harbor Home Management, a 2-year-old business she described as a catch-all for families who need help maintaining, organizing, enhancing or protecting their homes and properties.

“When people come to me, I ask, ‘What are the areas where you need help? What areas are stressing you out?’ ” Friesen said.

She worked in both the nonprofit and corporate worlds since she graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in business, but after Friesen was hired to manage a few of a Gig Harbor family’s properties a few years ago, she found her calling.

“I thought it would be a small job, just a few hours here and there, and then I thought, ‘Wait a minute – I bet there are other people who could use this, too,’ ” she said.

The term “home management” can encompass most things her clients are looking for, Friesen said. Her goal is to work with families to create a fluid management plan that accounts for changes in living situation, time of year and other variables.

Friesen started mostly as a manager of unoccupied homes for families who were on vacation, moved out or owned a vacant property. While that remains a significant part of her business, she’s also moved into full-time home management for families who have everyday needs where they live. Friesen calls her tasks “handing over the honey-do list.”

“I want people to not have to worry about the little things while I’m there,” she said.

Many of Friesen’s services have evolved based on her clients’ needs. Organizing and housecleaning services came from real estate agents who needed help getting houses ready for sale; Friesen’s concierge service came after a family that moved into their new home didn’t have time to shop for new furnishings.

She doesn’t do everything herself  — “I won’t clear your gutters,” Friesen said — but she will coordinate with outside providers for those sorts of tasks. Friesen said she only works with providers with whom she’s built a strong and trusting relationship.

“It’s all about trust,” Friesen said. “You’re not just going to look someone up in the phone book and say, ‘Here’s my security code.’ ”

As such, Friesen tries to build lasting relationships with her clients and gets much of her new business from referrals and testimonials.

The latest addition to her company is the “2013 Simply Prepared Challenge,” a yearlong emergency preparedness program that Friesen initiated after she watched the news about Hurricane Sandy last fall.

“If you’re not prepared for the unexpected, you can’t be fully at peace in your home,” she said. “I don’t want to be known as the ‘emergency prep girl.’ But it’s so important.”

The Simply Prepared Challenge invites clients to download checklists, emergency forms and other materials from Friesen’s website, www.SimplyPreparedHome.com, each month.

Friesen discusses a new topic each month – April’s is water storage – and she posts lists of emergency items that customers can order.

The mission is to provide clients with peace of mind when it comes to their home, Friesen said.

“Your home should be your oasis,” she said. “Everybody deserves a place to come home and just feel good about.”