In a recent blog entry, TV interior design and fashion guru Kahi Lee gushes about pairing purple and gold.
“I’d love to use the colors in my house, but the only space left to design is my husband’s den,” she writes. “Maybe I can somehow convince him that I’m actually designing the room in honor of his favorite NBA team, the Lakers. Go purple and gold!”
The entry is a window into the glamour, creativity and subtle humor Lee brings to “Design on a Dime,” the popular HGTV series that challenges decorators to take a space from drab to fab on a tiny budget.
The Denver Post caught up to Lee — a California native who unwinds by dancing, shopping or eating mac ‘n’ cheese — at the Los Angeles factory that serves as the office for her furniture and accessories company.
Q: Why does “Design on a Dime” work so well?
A: It’s a basic, simple concept. Shows that have followed have tried to throw things in and make it more complicated. Here we are, we’ve got $1,000 and we’re trying to create the room that people want. I’m not a master-craftsman or carpenter, so (our projects) are definitely doable. Viewers can relate to trying to creative beautiful rooms on a budget.
Q: What was one of your favorite projects from the show?
A: I have a few favorites, which are pretty dramatic. One room we painted black. The homeowner wanted a ’70s glam lounge, like the movie “Casino,” and she already had a gold chenille sectional. The room had a lot of light so we went really dramatic and painted it black. She was a really stylish fashionable girl, so it worked.
Another favorite is a kitchen that we did. This homeowner wanted a kitschy country kitchen with lots of color so we went overboard with the color.
Q: Do you ever worry that homeowners on the show will dislike your taste?
A: I have a consultation with them before we even film. We ask them what colors they like, what colors they absolutely hate. A lot of homeowners will give me (pictures) of what they like. We want happy reactions, not surprised faces.
Q: How do you stay upbeat about decorating in an economy where people might be putting style farther down on their spending lists?
A: People are saving their money, and they are also trying to do the most with what they have. A lot of people aren’t moving, they’re staying put. So they’re thinking, “If I’m staying here, I want to make this space work.” We do that all the time on the show because we’ve only got that $1,000 budget.
Sometimes we do things for no money at all, like a project I just finished. When I buy a bolt of fabric, it comes on this cardboard tube. I noticed they have lots of those tubes in the dumpster behind the fabric store, so I went dumpster diving. It was for a studio space. (The inhabitant) wanted to separate the bedroom and give herself a little more privacy.
I took those those tubes and sliced them down into 1-inch rings. I painted them white and then I glued them together until I’d made a 4-by-6 (foot) high room screen. I put it on little feet, and it turned out great. I’ve seen similar screens in stores for literally hundreds of dollars.
Q:What can we expect from your Colorado Women’s Expo appearance?
A: I will have lots of visual aids because it’s really hard to talk about design without showing images. I’ll have pictures from the show (to illustrate) common problems or frequently asked questions. Like what to do with dated, mirrored closet doors. One time we took them and flipped them around so the mirrored side was still there. We created a wood molding around the backside and covered it with fabric. All we did is flip it around and do an attachment to the backside. Sometimes we put wallpaper over them.
Q: Some of your ideas might sound a little funky to a decorating traditionalist. Do they always work?
A: Believe me, I’ve started and stopped many projects. But then there are the times when it turns out beyond my expectations. My whole point is to take risks and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Choose a paint splotch that’s a little bit bolder, pick up that piece of furniture from the side of the road and make it your own. It’s really about taking risks and making something your own.
Meet the designer
Kahi Lee appears Sunday at noon at the Colorado Women’s Expo at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver.
Tickets: $12 per day at the door; reserved seating is $40; advance discount tickets also available at King Soopers and Ticket West outlets.
