CHEAP CHIC DESIGNER KAHI LEE SHOPS AND SHARES HER SECRETS.

Byline: SANDRA BARRERA

>LA.COM

When it comes to shopping for ultra-chic decor, celebrity designer Kahi Lee knows where to find the best deals in greater Los Angeles.

It's crucial to her job as the newest host of HGTV's "Design on a Dime," a popular redecorating show for the style-conscious on a budget -- familiar territory for the 27-year-old Lee who's now on her sixth such show.

"I've done shows in the past and, whether or not we emphasized it, every show had a budget," she says. "So I've had to do the shopping at a few closeout stores before, but not on such an extreme level as this."

Every episode of "Design on a Dime" presents each host and a team of design coordinators with the challenge of transforming a room from "blah" to "fabulous" on a strict $1,000 budget. And that includes tax.

"It's definitely not easy, but it forces you to be super-creative," says Lee, who can be seen most days off-air bargain hunting at giant warehouses, closeout-store chains and gas stations where street vendors hawking rugs and the like have set up shop.

It's a lot of legwork, given the HGTV personality's other full-time gig is running Kahi Lee Lifestyle, a design company that specializes in the high-end residential and commercial market.

Her company has designed for Japanese rock stars, high-profile executives

and was recently brought on board as a design consultant for Solair Wilshire, a $150 million high-rise project in the heart of Koreatown.

But Lee is just as at home designing a luxury condo as she is a studio apartment. And the latter actually lets Lee get her hands dirty.

"There are times when we've gone to a chain store and I'll find one candlestick, and I need four, and so, I'll go to all of the local chains and each store will have one," she says, chuckling. "That's happened more than once.

"So when we have our design meeting, I'll hold up a piece like a lantern and say, 'OK, everybody, hit up your local Ross -- we need six of these,' " Lee says. "So, we've gotten to be very resourceful."

LA.COM tags along with Lee as she takes us to three of her favorite stores for shopping on a dime.

Sandra Barrera [phone];

[e-mail]

Husband Jason Bentley's two cents

Jason Bentley -- the husband of HGTV personality Kahi Lee -- is a giant of the international dance-music arena. Besides having the most-downloaded dance single on iTunes with a remix of the Bee Gees' "You Should Be Dancing," the tastemaking DJ, heard five nights a week as host of KCRW's "Metropolis" (from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. weeknights except Tuesday) and KROQ's "Afterhours" (midnight to 3 a.m. Saturday) works as a music supervisor for film, advertising and video games. Bentley spins intoxicating mixes at live events, as well. On Saturday, he will take part in the 25th anniversary of the American Wine and Food Festival, a benefit for the L.A. chapter of Meals on Wheels on the Universal Studios backlot. And next year, look for his disc compilation of original music and remixes on the Quango label, which he founded.

What clubs do you go to when you're not working?

The Sports Club/L.A. on Sepulveda.

Where in L.A. do you go when you want to relax?

At home in Venice with my wife, or Burke Williams isn't a bad idea for a massage and sauna for a few hours.

When friends are in town, where do you take them?

Venice (Beach) Boardwalk, Hyde Lounge, the Getty.

What's your favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner spot?

My favorite breakfast is (Ocean Park) Omelette Parlor on Main Street in Santa Monica, lunch is Primitivo (Wine Bistro) on Abbot Kinney, and dinner would be Koi in West Hollywood.

Do you ever dig through the bins of record stores and, if so, which is your favorite?

Amoeba is pretty much the last great record store left standing. I do most of my music shopping online, but Amoeba is amazing.

Who's your favorite new artist?

Probably New Young Pony Club ... but with so much great music coming out, it changes daily.

Who's your all-time favorite artist?

The Who.

What's the last thing people would expect you to like?

Probably golf -- I play once a week. Penmar is a decent public course close to my home in Venice. I also frequent Griffith Park's Woodrow Wilson course. Kahi doesn't play, but her parents are big golfers, so I score points with the in-laws.

When not at home, how do you and Kahi spend time together?

On weekends, we like to go over to the Century City mall. The nice open-air food court, Apple store (for me), Bloomingdale's (for her), and a terrific movie theater make it a nice weekend destination.

Where do you shop for clothes?

Barneys, Paul Smith, Stussy.

>S.B.

DESIGN ON A DIME

>When: Airs daily at various times on HGTV, with new shows premiering at 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

>Where: HGTV.

Kahi Lee's tips for decorating on a dime.

>DON'T TOSS OUT THAT SPLINTERY OLD END TABLE -- REFURBISH IT.

"Sandpaper, primer and paint can transform just about any piece of furniture."

>SHOPPING FOR AN ARMOIRE? A DINING TABLE? A SOFA?

Peruse the classifieds and online closeout sites for bargains.

>LEARN TO SEW.

"Sewing your own drapery, bedding and pillows will save you a ton of cash," and, "You have a vast array of fabrics to choose from, making your options limitless."

>SHORT ON SPACE?

Furnish your place with multipurpose furniture. One of Lee's favorites is the ottoman/coffee table/storage unit combo.

>CHANGE THE LOOK OF A ROOM.

Use new accessories such as pillows, rugs and knickknacks.

>S.B.

DESIGNER RIBBON, FAUX FLORALS AND SEASONAL DECOR

In August, when Lee and her "Design on a Dime" crew were preparing to shoot a Christmas episode, they headed over to Moskatels.

"It was the only place I knew would have Christmas decorations in the middle of summer," Lee says. "They have Christmas trees up now."

Moskatels (733 San Julian St., Los Angeles, [phone]) is a popular one-stop shop for crafts supplies and decorative accessories, faux florals and dried botanicals -- anything you could possibly need for an event like a wedding or a quinceanera.

"Sometimes I don't know what I'm looking for," Lee says. "I'll just walk around until something inspires me to make something."

WALLPAPER

Lee loves working with wallpaper.

"Pick any print and you can completely change the look of a room," she says from inside Walnut Wallpaper, a little hole-in-the-wall boutique where she peruses hanging samples of geometric patterns, bird prints and other modern designs.

The upstairs shop (7220 Beverly Blvd., Suite 201, Los Angeles, [phone]) stocks papers for a younger, more sophisticated clientele. Even a loft-dweller on a budget can afford at least one of these designer rolls, from hand-painted and eco-friendly to faux leather.

And why paper an entire room anyway?

"I've used natural-fiber wallpaper for the ceiling of a global-inspired room, I've used the flocked wallpaper for a folding screen in a Victorian-style room," Lee says, adding she's also wallpapered doors, tabletops and a piece of plywood that can be hung as artwork. "You can wallpaper anything."

FURNITURE

A black, slightly worn coffee table with cane legs catches Lee's eye during a trip to Hotel Surplus Outlet.

"And it's only $50? Love it," says Lee, a regular at this popular shopping resource (6843 Valjean Ave., Van Nuys, [phone]) frequented by designers, consumers, wholesale buyers and set designers looking for overstock and hotel surplus.

The warehouse is filled with Philippe Starck chairs, bed frames, chests of drawers, bedside tables and armoires -- especially plentiful now, as many upscale hotels do away with bulky TV sets and introduce flat screens.

But Lee has made up her mind on the coffee table.

She's not the only tastemaker who has singled out this castoff from a Regent Beverly Wilshire redesign. Another designer recently bought up all but three of the coffee tables, one of which is destined for New York for a Domino magazine photo shoot.

"It has the whole chinoiserie look," Lee says. "I see it going bright red. Put that in a modern setting and it's going to look so good."

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, 5 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Decor on a dime? Makes good cents.

Shopping tips from HGTV celeb Kahi Lee

(2 -- color) Lee discovers a bamboo-style table that's a bargain at only $50 at the Hotel Surplus Outlet in Van Nuys.

(3 -- color) Kahi Lee discovers colored bamboo branches during a trip to Moskatels.

(4 -- color) Walnut Wallpaper in Beverly Hills is one of Lee's favorite shopping stops.

(5 -- color) no caption (Jason Bentley)

PHOTOS BY TINA BURCH>LA.COM

Box:

(1) Husband Jason Bentley's two cents (see text)

(2) Kahi Lee's tips for decorating on a dime (see text)

(3) DESIGNER RIBBON, FAUX FLORALS AND SEASONAL DECOR (see text)

(4) WALLPAPER (see text)

(5) FURNITURE (see text)