Tamara Mellon: Cheap-Chic Ideas From A Fabulous Home

Jimmy Choo Founder and Chief Creative Officer Tamara Mellon has a stunning and over-the-top home. But that doesn't mean we didn't spy some budget-friendly ideas.

Many women dream of owning a pair of sexy Jimmy Choo stilettos. Tamara Mellon? She has over 1,000 pairs. But it's only fair, considering she's the one that discovered Mr. Jimmy Choo back when he was a London cobbler and turned his name into a must-have label for glamorous ladies.
As you'd expect, her home, as seen in Harper's Bazaar, is about as glitzy, seductive and luxurious as the heels she lives in. But looking at the images, we couldn't help but notice some fantastic home ideas that can be reproduced on a budget.

Lesson 1: Create a Grid
We love the look of the six framed images of snakes (above) by high-profile photographer Guido Mocafico. Why not recreate the look with six images within the same theme by pulling them from an inexpensive calendar. (We're not really snake people, so we'll recommend this flower calendar.) Frame them under glass with six identical frames (try your local dollar store for some inexpensive ones).

Lesson 2: Four Is Better Than One
What a fantastic idea: A fabulous bench created by four X-benches in a row! We've often seen two X-benches at the foot of a bed, but it makes sense that Mellon (or perhaps her interior designer, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard), would be the one to take this trend to new lengths. We found similar leopard X-benches at Sears for $50 a pop so rather than shell out for a longer bench, buy three or four of these babies to scoot together -- or pull apart for more casual guest seating.

And then we hit the mother lode: Mellon's shoe closet (get the video tour!) Honestly, we wish we had a budget-friendly idea for recreating the look of 1,000+ pairs of designer heels but ladies, we don't. We will say that IKEA has a $10 shelf that can be mounted at an angle for shoe storage, but beyond that, you're on your own.

Tell us -- what other ideas did you get from Mellon's to-die-for home? And to get more read the interview and see the full slideshow.