Decked Out on a Dime

You’re so excited. You’ve just purchased your first home. You can hardly wait to invite friends over to ogle the psychotropic sunsets from your 25th-floor aerie. That’s the good news. The bad news? It’s a white box with not a whiff of personality, and all of 886 square feet.

No worries: We asked television’s “Clean Sweep” designer Molly Luetkemeyer, of M. Design Interiors in Los Angeles, to have her way with the space. Her challenge was to do it all--toothbrush to tchotchkes--for under $3,000, to do it quickly (she had a week to pull it off) and to do it with style.

She did, taking advantage of a host of stores with pick-up-and-go merchandise: IKEA, West Elm, Kmart, Target and Urban Outfitters. Check out the full list of furnishings and sources on page 55.

--Barbara Thornburg

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RESOURCE GUIDE : Grand Total $2,992.48

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M. Design Interiors, Molly Luetkemeyer, Los Angeles, (323) 933-2981.

Studio apartment, 1100 Wilshire Blvd., Forest City Development, Los Angeles, (213) 482-9000.

Rodin & Co. (paint contractors), Los Angeles, (310) 312-9115.

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IKEA www.ikea.com

Klippan sofa, $199; 4 Lack shelving units, $69.99 each; Inez Rand area rug, $79.99; 2 Klackbo chairs, $69 each; 2 Rens sheepskin rugs, $19.99 each; Docksta dining table, $149; 3 Olle dining chairs, $29.99 each; Anno Freja orange wall panel, $24.99; Skina Blomma hanging flower lights, $12.99; PS Jonsberg black vase, $39.99; 2 Hultet hanging dividers, $12.99 each; Tovik bed frame, $149; Sultan Hogbo mattress, $169; Alvine Spets bedding set, $49.99; 2 Gosa Blinka pillows, $7.99 each; 2 Batolit bedside lamps, $39.99 each.

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KMART www.kmart.com

Stripe throw, $14.99; shower curtain rings, $1.99; bathroom rug, $6.99; Martha Stewart Everyday bath accessories, $31.97.

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TARGET www.target.com

2 Thomas O’Brien side tables, $49.98 each; 2 Asia modern table lamps, $29.99 each; brown neck-roll pillow, $12.99; zigzag-print shower curtain, $19.99; towels, $17.96.

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WEST ELM

www.westelm.com

Coffee table, $279; 2 white ceramic vases, $16 each; bell jar, $24; 3 throw pillows, $78.98.

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BED, BATH AND BEYOND

www.bedbathandbeyond.com

3 placemats, $1.99 each; 3 large plates, $14.99 each; 3 small plates, $5.99 each; Vogue photo, $49.99.

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Urban Outfitters

www.urbanoutfitters.com

2 felted folk rugs, $7.99 each; 2 Moroccan bedside tables, $59.99 each.

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Michael Levine

(213) 622-6259

Orange fabric (3 yards for cushions), $5 a yard.

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Calico Corners

www.calicocorners.com

Floral fabric (1 yards for chair cushions), $20 a yard.

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Diamond Foam & Fabric

(323) 931-3626 Medium-density foam, $55.20;

batting for chair cushions, $5.

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Moskatel’s

(213) 689-4830

10-inch mirror disk, $4.50.

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GM Floral Supply

(213) 489-7055

Small glass vases, $19.30;

black bowl, $3.30.

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Textile Arts

https://store.txtlart.com

Lumimarja Marimekko cherry blossom fabric (2 A 1/4 yards), $38 a yard.

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Blik

www.whatisblik.com

3 Flock Blik vinyl transfers, $45 each.

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Blick Arts Supply

www.dickblick.com

Stretcher, $18.76.

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Dunn-Edwards

www.dunnedwards.com

By the Bayou (2 gallons, bedroom),

$25.66 a gallon; Ripe Pineapple (1 gallon, living room), $25.66 a gallon; Simple Pink (1 gallon, bathroom); $43.67 a gallon.

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Longs Drugs

www.longsdrugs.com

2 toothbrushes, $3.99 each.