Tis the season for entertaining, so it’s only fitting that many of the homes in this issue were designed for get-togethers with family and friends. Even after the holidays, Florida’s sunny skies and balmy breezes invite a steady stream of company.

Since entertaining comes with the territory, providing guests with the amenities of home has become a key design consideration. Steven M. Hefner’s clients, for instance, wanted several spaces for dinner parties, plus enough guest suites to accommodate several visitors at once. His design includes a sitting room just for the guest suites, complete with conversation, bar and game areas.

Guests who enter a residence in Bonita Springs, Fla., will find harmony and balance. Inspired by Japanese style, Howard Litton and his team designed soothing guestrooms that rejuvenate the senses.

For the dining room, which is featured on our cover, Litton “wanted to create the feel of a Japanese tea garden,” he says.
Eastern and Western elements intermingle with contemporary art in a home renovated by designer Sherry Endelson. In addition to needing more display space, her clients desired an interior that “was both comfortable for everyday living and ideal for entertaining guests,” Endelson says.


Art also influenced Barbara R. Westbrook’s design of a house in Gainesville, Fla. Working with the owners’ art consultant, Budd Harris Bishop, the former director of the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Westbrook gives the art prominence within the context of a 1930s and ’40s Moderne theme.

And speaking of art, this issue profiles Mira Lehr, whose abstract paintings reflect her love of nature. Lehr, who graciously invited us to visit her studio, is as warm and engaging as her paintings.
Best wishes for a happy holiday.

Karen B. King McCallum
Managing Editor