Eco-friendly may be the name of the interior design game in 2008, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be green when it comes to your home’s palette. Kris Kolar, vice president of interior design for Robb & Stucky Interiors, says refreshing colors and bold patterns are making a splash this season.

When it comes to color trends, chocolate’s popular partner last year was soft blue. But in 2008, the rich brown hue is being linked to mint green. Other top combinations in 2008 include sticking chocolate alongside latte or caramel.

And what shapes will those colors be taking? Kolar points to fabrics with bold geometric patterns or stylized floral themes that will enliven upholstery, pillows, window treatments and more. And no matter the pattern, rattan, coco shell and bamboo are the green materials moving interiors away from the ornate British Colonial style toward a tropical appeal perfect for summer in Sarasota.

“These are examples of current trends that can easily be incorporated into any design plan,” says Kolar. “The colors, fabrics and materials complement the relaxed sophistication of Southwest Florida.”

DREAM COME TRUE

Premier Properties of Southwest Florida is going to be a big hit on German TV. The firm’s Sarasota office helped bring the story of two Casey Key homes to the homes of 150 million Germans and Europeans via Traumhaus am Meer, or Dream House on the Sea, a popular television show. Partnering with two powerhouses of German media, Premier Properties became part of the first ever Dream House episode to be filmed in the United States. Premier broker Karin Stephan, a German native who’s lived in the U.S. for 25 years, first contacted Germany’s VOX Television to suggest filming in Sarasota. The German-language program presents how properties are shown and purchased in countries other than Germany and has featured homes around the globe. Stephan predicts Sarasota’s climate and beachfront beauty will be a big hit with Germans.

HOUSE MAKES A HOME

In a shaky economy, House of Lords is proud to announce that its business has increased this year. Owners attribute their success to the current demand for reasonably priced furniture and china—among the quality antiques and furnishings offered at House of Lords. The merchandise finds perfect homes in unsold houses that are being furnished as rentals, and homeowners are happily shopping for interesting pieces that don’t break the bank. Folks looking for a change can bring in their pieces to be sold and replace them with the wide array of furniture, paintings, crystal, jewelry, bronzes and collectibles offered at House of Lords.