Every year, our editors invite Sarasota and Manatee design professionals to send us their best new work; and from those selections, we choose the most exceptional to feature in our Design Yearbook. We think you'll agree that the winning 2005 spaces demonstrate brilliantly the diverse talents and eclectic design aesthetics flourishing in this part of Southwest Florida. While these impressive rooms do not share one unifying attitude (our design professionals are much too individualistic for that), they do possess a common characteristic-color.

After many seasons of soothing, natural neutrals that focused on the layering of plush textures, color has made a robust return. We're not looking at vibrant jewel tones or powerful Mondrian primary colors of the past, but rather sensual, spirit-pampering spa colors-everything from seafoam greens to watery blues, dove gray, pale apricot, coral, lavender and aqua-that are no doubt inspired by unique hotels and private clubs around the globe. It seems the more we travel, the more we want to bring those exotic and colorful multicultural decor experiences back home. So as you tour the rooms of these award-winning designers, do ponder the inspiring possibilities of color and consider what a hue or two could do for your private cocoon.

Technicolor Dreams

Micheline Laberge, A.S.I.D: Master Bedroom

This high-concept bedchamber for a glamorous young Sarasota couple stops just short of theatricality, and it's thoroughly sensuous from top to bottom. The designer has opted for a complex mix of textures and colors, so expertly pulled together that the space expresses a relaxed harmony both welcoming and chic. Blues and greens with cream accents and warm wood tones support the dramatic look and feel. Tall light boxes behind the nightstands were crafted with vintage glass salvaged from the now-defunct John Ringling Towers. The ceiling is deep blue, walls are dressed in silks and velvets, and the bed with its satin quilted pillow shams and velvet pillows is as inviting as the most discerning and sophisticated international resort.

A Confident Palette

Lori Fountain, F.T. Design, Inc.: Master Bedroom

In this stylish beachfront contemporary condominium, the design scheme is bold, clean and spare, but it sacrifices nothing to comfort and refinement. The leather platform bed from Germany establishes a crisp international look. Texture is repeated in the soft faux leather walls and the inviting leather red lounge chair and bench at the foot of the bed. The color choices are few-bold red, deep brown, soft ecru and a flash of silver. And while the palette is certainly assertive and expresses the confidence of the homeowner, the room still remains a calm backdrop for ever-changing tropical vistas enjoyed through walls of glass.

Green Design

Bonnie Lancaster & Keffie Lancaster, Lancaster Humma White Studio: Living Room

Luscious color streams down these 22-foot walls, perhaps to the sound of romantic music from the noire piano in this urbane Bird Key living room. The custom wall treatment, which required eight different coats of paints and glazes, was inspired by a collection of kiwi glazed ceramic flowerpots prized by the homeowner. The lightness of the mirrored coffee table beautifully offsets the gravity of the piano, while kiwi green silk plaid pillows on the English armchairs cheerfully reinforce the color theme in an offhand way. This exceptional room is both timeless and modern, an operatic aria of green that could make any home sing.

Shades of the Island

Suzanne Sultana & Associates: Living Room

Creating a relaxed, inviting flow between indoors and outdoors was the challenge for the designer of this private Siesta Key residence. The design scheme complements the home's modern architecture and accentuates the windows and outdoor alcove. A neutral palette plays off the blues and greens from the natural island setting, with the animal skin rug pulling the eclectic floor plan together while fixed white drapes soften the room's sharp edges. The ceiling is a darker shade than the walls to "ground" the space.

Silver Star

Lois Ross, A Step Above Gallery: Entrance Foyer

A successful foyer should set the stage for what's revealed in the rest of the residence. In this inspired space, it's all about bright, reflective color and whimsical art. The playful foyer is dressed in silver ceiling and walls and a metallic-like floor, all providing a glamorous background for contemporary paintings and fanciful sculpture. Even the mirror, glass shelf and area carpet are treated as objets d'art, and so they are. The chandelier, which evokes all the colors used in the area, is Italian glass. Who says a distinguished home can't have a sense of humor, too?

Unconventional Color