Dan's Papers - Issue #4 - April 20, 2007

From Southampton to Amagansett, the Hamptons is home to some of the most gorgeous properties in the world. Residents shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars on interior design, just to get that homey beach house look. Many times, these design-savvy homeowners won't bat an eyelash at spending $30,000 to renovate a single walk-in-closet in their tony summer homes. For those of you who have more style than money, there are some easy, affordable ways to decorate your entire summer home for less than $30,000.

"The best designers combine high and low priced items in a way that looks expensive," says Cindy Lee Bergersen, a prominent interior designer. Bergersen suggests filling the room with collections of found objects that you picked up on vacation or at small boutiques, just because you loved looking at them. If you group objects you love together, they make a big impact. Family photos shouldn't be randomly scattered all over the living room. It makes a much better statement if you group all of the photos in one place. Pottery Barn makes great picture shelves that artfully display elegant groupings of family photos like your own personal art gallery.

"A designer look is something simple, elegant and in good taste," states Bergersen. Buying a simple orchid and putting it in a vase with river rocks or sand is a great way to get a designer look for the fraction of the cost. When you combine flowers in a vase, always use an odd number of flowers such as 1, 3, or 5 as opposed to even numbers. It just looks more put together. Another easy way to create dramatic, beach decor is to take a wide hurricane, a thick candle, some sand and sea shells and put them together for a designer look.

As far as accessories, there are a lot of very well-known designers who go to Pearl River Mart, the Chinese Department Store in Soho. "They have a great selection of streamlined products that look more expensive then they are," explains Bergersen. They sell wrought iron trays there that look like they cost $150 but sell for $22.50. Stores like West Elm also have designs in natural materials with clean lines at great prices.

For designer finds on a dime, check out the outlets. The ABC Carpet and Home Warehouse Outlet in the Bronx has fabulous rugs and furniture at discount prices. If you go to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, check out Crate and Barrel, Frette, Le Creuset, Pratesi and Williams Sonoma. En route to the Hamptons, stop at the Tanger Outlet in Riverhead and pick up some last minute finds at the Pottery Barn Outlet.

When should you splurge and when should you cut costs? Bergersen suggests buying the best quality upholstered furniture you can afford. Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams and George Smith make great sofas that will last for years. If you have a great quality sofa that looks a bit dated, have slipcovers made in two different prints. Don't worry that slipcovers will give you that rumpled, sloppy, shabby-chic look that was so popular a few years ago. "A good fabricator can make slipcovers fit as tight as a dress," declares Bergersen. She suggests having two sets made; one for spring and one for the winter months, so you get a bevy of looks. The great thing about slipcovers is you get a whole new look without paying for a whole new sofa. If you get sick of the print, you can always get new slipcovers for an entirely new look. "If you love your sofa, it's a wonderful thing to come home to," notes Bergersen.

Cindy Lee Bergersen has been designing interiors in California and New York for over two decades. She attended California College of Arts and Crafts and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where she earned a Magna Cum Laude degree in Interior Design. Her Home Design Consultation services offer a customized approach for each client, with a menu of design service options. She also offers as access to trade resources and discounts, to help resolve home decorating questions without a required commitment to a larger home design project. For more information please visit www.homedesignconsultation.com.

Cindy Lee Bergersen will be at the Hamptons Home and Garden Show. Look for her latest design projects and other tips on how to decorate your entire summer home for less than $30,000.