Marc-Michaels & Peter Marino

After graduating with a degree in and psychology, S. Marc Thee decided his talents were better suited to design. in 1985 Thee (right) joined forces with Michael Abbott, and together they founded the Florida-based design firm Marc-Michaels. "I feel our work is very classical," says Thee. "Florida is a casual place, so even the most formal interiors have a barefoot elegance to them." The firm, which consists of 75 employees, designs many of the furnishings and architectural elements for their projects, which range from a 200-foot yacht to a private business jet, numerous houses in Flori- da and a fishing camp off the coast of Alaska accessible only by helicopter. Michael Taylor was an important early influence on Thee and Abbott, who were "drawn to the simplicity of his interiors and the sense of comfort," says Thee. "It's the same feeling we try to bring to our work-an accessible, welcoming atmosphere."

Architect Peter Marino has been in practice for over 30 years, and his firm has offices in New York, London and Paris. While classicism is apparent in his work, he prefers the 20th century, from Wiener Werkstatte to Art Deco to contemporary "My first client was Andy Warhol," he says. He was a mentor and an inspiration." Marino, however, does not limit himself to either modem or classic styles, His work includes the homes of Giancarlo Gianmetti and fashion designer Valentino, and the restoration of Ascott house in England and the 19th-century Palazzo Sernagiotto in Venice. Currently he is working on residences in Dallas, Palm Beach, London, MiIan and Paris, along with the Four Seasons Hotel in New York. Marino, who firmly believes there should be no division between architecture and interior design, says, "I continue to design furniture, textiles a line of silverware, and carpets in noncolors like taupe and straw."