Angelo Surmelis has some advice for the legions of Hawaii residents who inhabit or will inhabit small homes and condos in the coming years: Put your feet up. Get comfortable.

The as-seen-on-TV interior designer spent a few days in Hono­lulu last month setting up displays for his angelo:HOME line at HomeWorld stores in Pearlridge and Honolulu. The furniture he brought seems tailored for small spaces — multifunctional, up to date with current design concepts, and affordably priced.

With numerous condo projects on the boards for the Kakaako and Ward neighborhoods, there’s going to be a big new market for furnishings scaled to apartment living. In Kakaako alone the Hawaii Community Development Authority estimates 20,000 new residents could be moving into high-rises over the next 20 years.

So we asked Surmelis, who’s well known to viewers of TLC’s "Clean Sweep" and HGTV’s "Rate My Space," for advice for new condo dwellers or first-time homeowners who want to get it right.

"Look out your window," he said, for ideas in mixing colors. The displays he’d chosen for Hono­lulu are upholstered and leather pieces in a blend of sea-foam green, maritime blue and white, soft browns and ochres, constructed with recycled or distressed wood and metal.

"Go bold with color on accents," such as pillows and lamps. But also: "Ask yourself, How do you want to live?

"The collection, really, is a lot like fashion for your home," he said. "If you dress your home as an extension of your life, it will look fantastic."

Furniture alone might not always be enough to change the feel of a living space, he noted. If a room is cold, boxlike and monochromatic, he suggested hanging fabric and use of tactile items and texture as antidotes.

WEARING jeans, sturdy, stylish boots and his trademark straw fedora, Surmelis was warm and projected poised energy, bounding across the showroom to pick up an ottoman or point to one of his accessory pieces.

"I love partnering a hard surface with a soft surface," he said, pointing to a grouping of a metal-framed coffee table with two tufted ottomans.

His line illustrates another design concept: avoiding slavish adherence to one style or era. "There’s a difference between great design and living in a museum," he said. "Your home should be authentic to the way you really live."

Angelo:HOME pieces incorporate contemporary styling, a hint of the Jazz Age, a commitment to recycled or rustic materials and a healthy dose of classic, well-built American comfort. You could replicate the basic look by prowling yard sales, refurbishing pieces and making pillows from favored fabrics.

Making his pieces affordable was important, Surmelis said, because his is an immigrant family, and his parents worked hard at blue-collar jobs to make ends meet. They also appreciated style, and encouraged by his family, Surmelis has been engrossed in home design since his childhood.

"I design for people who have great style but don’t have unlimited money," he said.

Comfort is another basic rule, which he applies to his own home.

"I want people to be able to put a drink down on the coffee table, put their feet up and not worry about it," he said.

"I want my place to be the best reflection of my life."