You can say anything you want about Raymond Baur, but you could never accuse him of leading an uneventful life. Nicamaka, a small shop in the lobby of the Grand Hotel in Miami filled with hundreds of brightly colored hammocks, is his idea and creation. It came about after he started traveling to Nicaragua, where he discovered ``the most comfortable hammocks in the world.''
Francisco Sheuat's artwork ranges from flat to flamingo. The elegant birds are his trademark. People seem to -- ahem -- flock to them.
Visitors to the European Art Gallery are encouraged to touch the art. Three-dimensional works by artist Irmaly Brackin combine layers of resin, enamel, glass and metallic acrylics, framed in glass beads and marbles. The granddaughter of the famous German expressionist painter Hans Grohs, Brackin creates art that is sophisticated and full of texture and depth.
Combining exotic woods with metal can be tricky, but Verna Design International in Doral approaches the task with talent, craftsmanship and decades of experience.
Two South Florida women have created a virtual Little Green House -- an online business selling eco-friendly products for activities ranging from walking the dog to remodeling the kitchen.
Debbie Kavanaugh makes it her business to find out what's going on in other people's backyards. She's owner/manager of Backyards by Design, a South Dade store that sells outdoor furniture and accessories with a personal twist.
Customers navigating to Robbie Bell's home pottery studio in Fort Lauderdale need only look for the black-and-white speckled cocker spaniels lolling in the driveway to know they have arrived.
Wohen Julie Galvin Weilbacher teaches a class in mosaic art, she throws the materials in a pile on a table and lets the students choose what they want.
With plenty of outdoorsy people, the Sunshine State is a perfect place to sell decorative shade structures with an exotic tropical flair.
Steven Mellini sells ''furniture for the bath.'' His contemporary vanities are designed in Italy under the brand name Priele, crafted in hardwoods in Thailand, and topped with tempered glass sinks from Germany.
Most curious shoppers who wander into Ikenga in Fort Lauderdale to check out the unique African art collection marvel at the craftsmanship and historical significance of the pieces.
Imagine a ''rug'' that never needs to be sent out for cleaning. Or walls that will never require paint. Stairs that will never need resurfacing.
Artist Joe Orsini lives in a dollhouse-like wooden home in the heart of Coconut Grove. The interior could be his business card: the trunk that serves as a coffee table once belonged to his girlfriend's family and was hand-painted by the artist and turned into a one-of-a-kind piece, three hand-painted panels behind the sofa create the illusion of a big city backdrop, and many of his paintings adorn the walls. The result is a warm, colorful and cozy living room.
SHOPPING
Mauricio Gomez enrolled in Florida International University's school of hospitality and tourism management to be groomed for his family's hotel business in Colombia. But, as they say, a funny thing happened on the way to the Marriott.
If you're an animal lover, Woody Neilsen's Pet Gallery is going to draw you in when you look in the window and spot a $1,400 fur piano that's a feline scratching post and plays Memories from the Broadway musical Cats.
Ricki Kaneti discovered a new kind of massage while being treated for a back ailment at her chiropractor's office. It's a device called the SpaCapsule.
Pedro Rivera Wiener has dreams for your lifestyle that include subtle doses of bling. His Crystal Furniture Collection, peppered with Swarovski crystals, combines clean lines and smart decorative elements.
At Libby's Mixed Media Gallery, yesterday's tablecloth is today's pillow -- or vest or jacket or purse, depending on the vibes Libby Jacobs gets from the vintage fabric at hand. When the mood strikes, old draperies and bedspreads get reincarnated, too.
Strolling through this gallery is a delightful way to sample the artistic talent in South Florida. See something you like -- terrific. It's for sale.
When most of us drop something, we patch it up or just toss it in the trash. But an artist like Robyn Crosfield sees possibilities.
On Saturday afternoons Shirley and Mario Bello sit at a table near the door of their showroom and play dominoes. They are entitled to a bit of recreation as they work all week hand-crafting domino tables. Mario builds the tables from pine, with either wood or metal legs that collapse so that the table can hang on the wall like a painting.
Donna Ashby-Clark is squeezing through one of the few narrow spaces that exist amid the hodgepodge of antique furniture, paintings, art objects, vintage clothing and eclectic assortment of what-nots in every available corner of her Divine Trash Boutique.
Hanging shelves on a wall generally requires some sort of hardware. Floating Glass Shelves offer a fresh approach to this popular home improvement project.
