The Hesters' favorite part of the house is the kitchen/family room, which looks out onto a large loggia and pool area. Gary requested a tropical island motif, and he personally selected the double paddle fans with their woven frond blades. "We enlarged this part of the house, adding a bar and more seating areas for home entertaining, because it's where the family spends most of their time," says Youngblood.

The glass and metal table that forms a banquette area at the kitchen window was crafted by Regal Iron Masters of Venice. The custom base replicates the design of the iron chandelier above it, while the glass itself weighs 600 pounds and required eight men to install it. Nearby, a pool bath morphed into a small home office for Julie, with its own porch and separate outside entrance. The flooring downstairs is marble, and upstairs it's wood. The walls throughout the public areas of the home are a warm gold.

The family decided to give up a study off the central foyer in favor of an intimate dining room, where eight can sit around a square table designed and fabricated by Scott Harper. The color scheme of copper, gold and black creates a room both sophisticated and original. The coffered ceiling is gold-leafed, and the hand-painted medallion and painted fabric on the chairs are the work of artist Erika Moore.

Upstairs, the son's bedrooms reflect their individual taste. Scott, 15, admits his design influence has been the MTV show Cribs, which features the homes of rock stars. He wanted drama, which reveals itself in red walls, an Asian screen and a four-poster bed. "Scott is classic with a touch of bling," says Youngblood.

Reece, 13, went for a comfortably elegant Ralph Lauren look with a leather sleigh bed and a burgundy and blue color scheme. Twelve-year-old Joseph prefers an urban contemporary look and ordered swivel club chairs; while Curtis, the youngest at age nine, opted for a sporty-tropical ambience. (He loves soccer.) All the boys are outdoor sportsmen (there are always four bikes somewhere in the entrance courtyard), and their parents say they're healthier in the Florida climate.

All four Hester boys attend Out-of-Door Academy. Their family pet, a cat named Simba, came home as a result of high bidding at the most recent ODA Extravaganza. In Sarasota, you know a family is ready to call this town home when they start accumulating pets or possessions bought with enthusiastic donations at local charity auctions. Clearly, the Hesters have arrived.