Everything in our lives these days seems like too much. More work at the office. More annoying interruptions from e-mail and cellphones. More, more, more.

It's no wonder that South Florida designers say overworked, over-connected folks are looking for less clutter and more serenity when decorating their homes.

The antidote can be as subtle as adding a fountain for the soothing sound of water or painting the walls a soft color. Or it can be a major redo -- getting rid of too much stuff and creating an environment where open space is as important as too many possessions used to be.

``We are so connected that we feel that we need to disconnect,'' says Brett Sugerman of b+g design in Hollywood. ``The creation of serene environments allows us to disconnect and unplug.''

Giselle Loor, his wife and business partner, says many of us are looking for what we have experienced on vacation. We want our homes to help us feel sheltered from the problems of the world, particularly in our bedrooms and bathrooms.

One of the best examples of a serene design is a home b+g decorated in Coconut Grove. The master bedroom, a second-story retreat with windows that wrap around three sides, provides a water view from the bed. Loor calls it a ``sanctuary within a sanctuary.''

The designers combined a serene, neutral color scheme with rich, earthy materials -- a wool carpet; leather headboard, footboard and bed skirt; a cotton velvet coverlet and sheer draperies. The woods in the room serve as accents -- espresso-stained wood on the walls, custom night tables of Indian rosewood with a granite top. An electronic pad next to the bed controls all the lighting in the room. Swing arm lamps on each side of the bed provide light for the avid readers.

``One of the elements that creates a serene environment is the softening of natural light,'' Sugerman says. ``One of the things that we love about South Florida is natural light, but it can be too much.''

The formal powder room is a study in Zen. A glass vessel sink sits on top of an antique Chinese altar table about eight feet long. Frosted glass adorns the wall and the door. The family powder room off the kitchen uses glass tile for a crisp, clean look. The custom vanity has a clear glass countertop and a vessel sink.

``I find it is really important to have serenity and peace in a house these days,'' says Todd Davis of Brown Davis Interiors in Miami and Bethesda, Md. Davis renovated homes in Washington and Chappaqua, N.Y., for Bill and Hillary Clinton.

``These are such uncertain times. After Sept. 11 and then the economy crashing last year, the reality is there is no certainty in life. Having a place to go back to that provides a sense of calm in an uncertain world is important.''

Brown says some of the principles from the Chinese art of feng shui are applicable. They range from uncluttering spaces to recognizing nature.

``It's important to have natural elements in a room, such as a beautiful shell or some stones you may have picked up on a walk,'' Brown says. ``Whether it's an elaborate 20,000-gallon fish tank or a goldfish bowl, having a fish to care for is a wonderful way to create serenity. There should always be something alive in the house.''

Another way to create serenity is to pare back. The fewer objects that are on display, he says, the longer your eye can rest on one item.

Davis and Brown recently finished a private physical therapy studio on Miami Beach. Because it was a commercial space, the bathroom was required to be handicapped accessible with items such as fluorescent lighting and safety bars by the toilet. But with very little effort they made the room appear spa-like -- painting the walls with 14-inch horizontal stripes alternating between blue and white and affixing open shelves to the walls so they could show off rolled-up towels and oils.

``Painting in horizontal stripes works as long as you use restful colors,'' Brown says. ``A horizontal line is more restful than a vertical. It's much like the horizon when you are on board a ship.'' He suggests using sea-foam green and white, beige and white or coral and white.

Richard Carle of Robb & Stucky in Boca Raton was asked to create a serene environment for a vacation condo with a view of Key Biscayne for a couple with grown children.

``They wanted a retreat to get away from the snow and their hectic life up North,'' he says. ``They wanted something very placid, very relaxing.''

Carle's formula: Neutral colors, Asian elements such as Buddhas and low benches so the furniture would not obstruct the water view. The space was large, which allowed him to arrange most of the furniture in the middle of the room and create intimate seating groups.

Interestingly, he says serene design and eco-friendly design use some of the same ingredients.

Using bio-friendly products such as bamboo, wood flooring, a Tibetan wool rug and a recycled glass countertop adds to the Zen ambience.

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