Bruce Williams Homes showed off one of its newest neighborhoods, The Hammocks at River Wilderness, at a recent grand opening. Interested buyers enjoyed a catered lunch, took tours of the two new models and explored the neighborhood. Located in the gated golf course community of River Wilderness, The Hammocks offers award-winning home designs from the $200s, tile roofs on all homes, low-maintenance living with a neighborhood pool and waterfront access. Visit www.bwhomes.com for more information.

Luxury in the loo

If there's one thing Sarasotans do well, it's pampering. And once we get started on our last bastion of privacy-the bathroom-there's no limit to luxury.

One sexy new trend is the spillover tub that allows you to immerse yourself up to the neck, almost as if you were lying in a warm swimming pool, says John Smithman, president of The Plumbing Place. The water spills over the edge into a channel and recycles into the tub.

Also, says Smithman, "theme-ing" is a hot trend in faucetry. Designers look for pieces such as faucets made to resemble Cape Hatteras lighthouses. Furniture designer Michael Berman and the European bathroom fixture manufacturer Rohl have teamed up to create a series of nostalgic pieces that recall vintage Cadillacs, locomotives and steamships with the curves and seams of their spouts. "People seem to like the idea of a product that tells a story," says Smithman.

And here's the ultimate indulgence: Neorest, an innovative toilet by TOTO. Smithman says it doubles as a commode and bidet, with heated water and adjustable controls. The commode senses motion and automatically raises its lid as users approach. It also can detect solid or liquid waste, and adjusts the amount of water in the flush automatically. Price tag: $5,000.

Beach Residences on the rise

Construction may have just got under way on the Beach Residences on Lido Key, but as of early February, 87 percent of the development was already sold.

"The overwhelming response in pre-sales shows there's a significant demand for this type of luxury product," says project director Tom Tosi.

The Beach Residences, managed by The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, is being developed by the U.S. Tower Division of Taylor Woodrow and is adjacent to the recently completed Ritz-Carlton Members Beach Club. The 12-story project, located at 1300 Ben Franklin Drive, is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2005. Prices range from just under $1 million to $4.5 million for the penthouse, estate and villa residences. Amenities include an outdoor heated pool and spa, spacious deck with pavilion and sitting garden, social room, boardroom, library and professionally equipped fitness center.

The U.S. Tower Division is busy with other area projects as well: At Meridian Towers at the Oaks Preserve in Osprey, construction was expected to be completed by spring on a 1,320-square-foot state-of-the-art health and fitness center. The U.S. Tower Division also began construction of Meridian Towers IV, a 10-story condominium with units priced from the $400s to more than $1.6 million.

Say it with flowers

Sometimes, all the expensive antiques in the world can't replace the elegance of a simple bloom.

Gail Conquest, manager of Mr. Florists Plants 'n Things, says people are enamored with blooming gardens in terra-cotta pots. Mingling pretty flowers like pansies and geraniums is especially lovely, and if you use a large enough pot, says Conquest, you can fill it with mulch and simply set individual pots of different plants inside. These can be changed around for the season and are perfect for patios and front doors. A vine of ivy trailing down the side of the container adds the perfect touch, she says.

"They add a spot of color where you need them," says Conquest.

Container gardens are a wonderful way to bring the outdoors into small condos. Also popular with condo dwellers: orchids and bromeliads to place on the patio or on a coffee table. Says Conquest: "They do so well in Florida, and they're so long lasting."

Going up on Manasota Key

Page Developments, with three successful condominium projects on Manasota Key, is adding a fourth, The Palms. Jeanann Dodson of Page Developments says the initial floorplans are 30 percent larger than the company's other condominium communities. Even before completing a brochure or floor plan, Page Developments already has reservations for five of the 12 units.

As of February, only two units remained for the company's Barefoot Beach, and four out of six units at Gulf Breeze Condominiums had been snapped up. Five units out of 19 remain at Boulder Pointe, and prices are bringing $150,000 more than previous years, says Dodson.

What Lies Beneath

Sarasota is an eclectic town, and that shows in our taste for everything from restaurants to entertainment to décor. John Murse, owner of Rugs as Art, says when it comes to choosing what lies underneath their feet, Sarasota customers are all over the board.