Whatever the origin of the items, however, her tastes seem firmly grounded in sentimental memories. For instance, a 10-seat built-in bar with cut green-marble top serves as resting place for metal doves she inherited from her mother, who brought them home from Saudi Arabia. These keepsakes inspired her to create the same item for her Casa Cristina home accents line.

Behind the bar area is a large built-in aquarium for her cichlids, freshwater fish found in Africa. True to her nature, Saralegui has read and collected more than a dozen books on the species, which are now stacked on a coffee table in another room.

''I'm totally obsessive, thank God,'' she says without apology.

In a corner of the indoor/outdoor room she displays an African percussion instrument made of a dried gourd that the late jazz star Tito Puente gave her during his last appearance on her Monday night show. Signed drumsticks rest inside this shekere. When it came time to create her Casa Cristina lighting collection, she decided to incorporate the shekere design into a lamp. She says she imagines Puente smiling down on her every time she turns on the lamp.

Not far from the shekere, on a table, is a pre-Columbian ashtray, a sharp contrast in style to the shekere. Saralegui picks it up. ''It has nothing to do with anything, but I like it and that's good enough,'' she says.

Like the rest of the house, the formal living room is a little bit of this and that. On a side table, an Emmy statue is surrounded by family photos as well as pictures of Saralegui with famous actors and singers. Everywhere there are figures of archangels and saints.

In the dining room, a massive built-in cabinet houses a set of china Saralegui commissioned from Argentine artist Alfredo Ratinoff, a close friend. Ratinoff's art can be found everywhere in the house, including the kitchen.

During a working lunch with her husband and younger brother, Ignacio, Saralegui shows her famous wit, talking about children, current events and travel. Pumpkin soup and chicken lasagna are served on her Casa Cristina Talavera dishware collection. The blue-and-white dishes were inspired by her love of Talavera, a type of Mexican pottery first made in Puebla, Mexico, over 400 years ago.

''I still have the original set that my best friend in Mexico gave to me 20 years ago,'' she says. ``I just love the colors.''

Indeed, pieces from her original set line the shelves of her walk-in pantry.

Saralegui admits that part of her is always working. ``I can't stop thinking. The ideas are always coming.''

She leaves the art, however, to husband Marcos, who approaches his collection with the same ease and eye for the eclectic piece that his wife possesses. The couple has several pieces by famed Cuban artists, such as Amelia Peleaz, Rene Portocarrero and Cundo Bermudez, as well Haitian art, a Warhol-like portrait of Saralegui, a real Andy Warhol, and a beautiful oil of hibiscus flowers painted by Avila's mother.

''We have pieces that cost us $30 in a market all the way to museum-worthy pieces,'' says Avila. ''We buy what we like.'' That's a familiar refrain in this house.

THIRD CAREER

Designing housewares is actually Saralegui's third career. She began her work life as an intern at the Spanish-language magazine, Vanidades, moving up the ranks and becoming editor in chief of Cosmopolitan en Espanol. Her foray into journalism was a natural one -- her grandfather was a magazine publisher in Cuba.

In 1989, she resigned to become executive producer and host of her own TV talk show, which reaches 3.3 million Spanish speakers in the United States and an estimated 100 million viewers around the world.

Branching out into decorating seemed a natural fit for a woman whose name has its own brand recognition. Time magazine named her one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and Home Furnishings News magazine selected her as one of the 50 most Influential People in Design and Home Furnishings.

''We all come with this nesting instinct and we all know what we like,'' she says. ``You simply have to follow that.''

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@