Despite the efforts of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” to pound simplified, chic décor into the American consciousness, there remains an antiquated misconception that it costs a bundle to create a fab pad. To set the record straight once and for all, oodles of money does not a spectacular setting make. But it does take vision, effort, devotion and most importantly, insider tips, according to interior designer Blake Lyon.

He may spend his days selecting $50,000 rug for clients’ foyers, but Lyon took the opposite approach in designing his own abode. “I must have done this whole place for under $5,000. It’s possible to have the lifestyle on a budget,” he said.

His most talked-about piece is a cocktail (coffee just would not have the same appeal) table discovered at a discount store. Lyon ripped off the ugly formica top and sanded, stained and polyurethaned it until the sleekened slab looked like a piece befitting a pricey boutique hotel in Thailand. Its cost? $8.

Most people regard The Salvation Army as a wasteland, but to Lyon it’s a wonderland. He never tires of sifting through the furniture and dusty racks and bins of clothes. “I do all my shopping at thrift or vintage stores. Basically, you just need to recognize clean lines and good materials,” he said.

At a mere $5 a piece, four chrome dining room chairs cleaned up nicely when reupholstered in faux suede. The solid table with chrome detail was a steal as well at $65. Two Deco-style mirrors with geometric patterns in colored glass didn’t have to be refurbished. Thirty bucks and a wipe of Windex later, they hang near the entrance hall.

Plants instantly cheer up any room, but they can be pricey — not to mention the expense of presentable pots. Lyon solves the problem by surrounding inexpensive cacti from Home Depot with moss in glass or wooden bowls. “I must have paid 50 cents for this glass bowl. The whole arrangement would cost $300 at a flower shop,” he said.

Artwork doesn’t have to break the bank either. When on the hunt for the perfect piece, Lyon attends openings at upstart galleries and auctions. “These artists are young, talented and hungry to put their art out there,” he said, referring to a vibrant, urban triptych he purchased.

With his savings, Lyon now has more funds to splurge on entertaining his friends. “There must be 20 people over here every weekend.”�