“My bedroom is still kind of a stretch for me. I go in and think, ‘Oh my gosh, I really have Tony Duquetted this thing up.’”

“Who wants to live in a beautiful, functional space? Everyone,” says Bill Cates. “Who can pull off all the plans and nuances that can produce that space? Almost no one. That’s why you need a designer.”

“Her husband laughs because we are a lot alike,” Doniphan says. “If I loved it, she loved it. It was a match made in heaven.”

“Life is too short to build boring homes. The fun part about our team is that everybody wanted to push the envelope.”

“Whenever we have these really great ideas, we forget who came up with them,” Kandi laughs. “We both like to think that we did.”

“My house is my world. It’s my sanctuary.”

“There are hints everywhere in the house that are playful and happy,” Kim says. “It’s OK to have a bad day, but you’ve got to come home and try to find the humor or the fun and just realize that there’s so much more to life than all that other stuff.”

“Art is always my first love and first choice. It defines who you are and can be your wisest investment.”

“My mom came over and she goes, ‘Oh my God, you’ve got a picture of a rooster on your wall? That’s been out since the ’80s.’”

“When Phil introduces me as his designer, I kind of smile and say, ‘Well, sort of,’” Kate says with a laugh. “Really Phil is his designer, and I just try to steer him away from mistakes.”

“In the end, they achieved a nearly perfect 50-50 marriage of their belongings, and when they eloped in Big Sur, Calif., last October, a happy marriage of their own, too.”

“That was the extent of the decision-making process: It’s on the right street, and it’s big enough.”

“I want people to come in and say, ‘Wow, this is a house that’s loved. This is a house where people love each other.’”

“I’ve had friends say, ‘We keep hoping you’ll move,’” she laughs. “But I really can’t see myself leaving. Anything after this would be a bummer.””