"Ivanka Trump, Make Over My Dump!"

The heiress and Celebrity Apprentice star takes one woman's apartment from dingy dive to personal Trump Palace.

After designing her new jewelry store and her New York City apartment, Ivanka Trump, 26, was revved up for another home project. So when she found out that her assistant at the time, Darcy McNutt, 26, had a one-bedroom apartment in scary shape, she decided to help. "I'd seen the pictures, and it wasn't pretty," jokes Ivanka. "I really wanted to make her home glamorous." Your boss, Ivanka Trump, offering to do over your place: How often does that happen?

A vice president at The Trump Organization, Ivanka's no stranger to posh digs: "My mother and father both have a distinctive style," she says, understating it, "and the homes I grew up in definitely played a large role in determining my taste." With help from a stylist, Ivanka pulled together antiques, flea-market finds and lots of patterns. "I knew my place was a mess--I'd just gotten used to it," says Darcy. "Now every time I come home, I can't believe I actually get to live here!" Dealing with a decor disaster? Here, details on the ideas Ivanka went with, doable on any budget.

Mix it up

A medley of patterns, animal prints, pink, silver and gold gives Darcy's place energy and personality. There's a reason they all work together: planning! Get a big corkboard and tack on your favorite fabric swatches, rug samples and furniture photos (ripped from catalogs). It's what pro decorators do for clients so they can see how everything will coexist.

Have fun with your walls

"The place to experiment with color is on your walls," says Ivanka. "Think about it: They're a lot easier to change than upholstery fabric!" She did silver wallpaper in Darcy's living area (Silver Pony Skin, $100 a roll, at Flavor Paper, 504-944-0447) and apple green walls in her bedroom (a paint store custom-mixed colors to match the curtains). The result: gutsy, unexpected and gorgeous.

Get a "statement" piece

As in, an object that's totally whimsical and conversation-worthy. If gigantic ceramic cheetahs aren't your thing, try a major vase with a flower arrangement or a large, framed exotic print. In Darcy's bedroom the eye-catching linens do the trick, while the crystal chandelier in the dining area gives a "wow!" hit of glamour (only $99, at greatchandeliers.com).

Repeat a theme

Your home will look more put together with touches of one color or a pattern running through it. The leopard-y chair in Darcy's bedroom echoes the living room's animal-print extravaganza, the kitchen's silver appliances (spray-painted!) connect with the metallic walls, and splashes of pink are everywhere.

Create a focal point

The living room fireplace is beautiful, but Darcy had covered it up with an ex-roommate's bed (buh-bye). Shifting the remaining furniture around it gave the room a more organized feel. And it didn't cost a thing.

Play with mirrors

They make small spaces seem larger. Get the look of Darcy's kitchen by measuring your cabinets and having a frame store cut mirrors for you--cheaper than you'd think. Have someone handy attach them to each door front.

Prepare for clutter!

No place can always look like an "after" photo. A bed dust ruffle is nice camouflage for storage boxes, and the polka-dot curtain can sequester the kitchen as needed (say, should a certain Trump come over for dinner).