Bringing Nature Inside

Luckily, Mark, a businessman by day, was game for some hands-on work at home. "I'll say, 'Honey, I want floating stairs,' and he just gets his hammer and nails and goes for it," Kimberly says. Mark also fabricated sconces for the stair wall and installed decorative beams in the dining room. By building the look into the home's very architecture, the couple kept the house from veering into the realm of tropical kitsch.

Give small plants a bigger presence by putting them in large cachepots. Just fill the container with packing peanuts or Bubble Wrap before placing the plant on top.