HELPING CLEAR THE CLUTTER

WESTON-BASED BUSINESS ASSISTS CLIENTS TO STAY `FOCUSED AND ORGANIZED'

BY JULIE LEVIN

Special to The Miami Herald

Thanks to good organizational skills, Kristin Long is fast becoming a celebrity in the world of home decorating.

The professional Weston organizer is about to make her third appearance on national television, decluttering and reorganizing some of South Florida's messiest rooms.

''I like being able to find things,'' she admits. ``If I can't find things, I get very frustrated.''

Long owns and operates Organizational Specialists, a Weston-based company that offers a full range of professional organizing services.

Later this month, her work will be featured on HGTV's program Mission: Organization, where she'll turn a bedroom into a craft and hobby space. For the 30-year-old Long, it is a chance for national exposure.

''I don't like watching myself,'' she said, laughing. ``But I like the opportunity it gives me.''

In her most recent appearance, which ran the last week of December, Long gave new life and a new look to the overflowing garage of the Meiman family of Davie. In one hour, she turned the impossibly messy garage into a usable and attractive room. ''They were very pleased with how it turned out,'' she said.

Long took a non-traditional route to a career as an organizer. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in biochemistry and worked as a chemist for five years. But the results did not come fast enough for her.

''The work I was working on, you saw how it affected people maybe 20 years down the line,'' Long said. ``I wanted to help people right now.''

Around that time, her mother offered to pay Long to help organize her basement. Enjoying the challenge, she decided to take it further.

She opened Organizational Specialists three years ago, offering clients the opportunity to streamline their lives.

''What we do is optimize the space you're living in,'' she said. ``It can be paper management, time management, business organization, inventory control or information management.''

Her clients include businesses and homeowners looking to organize closets, home offices or garages. She spends several hours getting to know her clients and learning what it is they'll need to stay organized.

Long says many people start the job on their own but lose the motivation to complete the project.

''That's really where I come in,'' she said. ``I'm going to make it so that you stay focused and organized.''

Organizational Specialists can work with any budget. Prices range from a few hundred dollars to as much as $10,000, depending on the project.

She says a client's first step is understanding there is no shame in a messy situation.

''We're not there to judge people on their mess,'' she said. ``We are there really to help.''

Long will be featured on HGTV's Mission: Organization at 9:30 p.m. Jan. 24.

For information, call Organizational Specialists at 954-349-8360.