Oprah's Teahouse

Five years ago, when Oprah first envisioned this small building, she planned it as a cutting room for flowers. But as she watched the structure take shape, she thought, "I'm going to want this space for myself." So rather than equip the room with utilitarian countertops and pruning shears, she and her interior designer, Ellie Cullman, filled it with comfortable furnishings—including a green wicker sofa and armchairs.

"This is mud from yesterday," Oprah says, pointing at paw marks left on the sofa by her white golden retrievers. "That's what you've got to live with," she adds, proving that she's looking at the long view, too.