Featured home: Forever Spring

"Three of my buddies and I drove straight from our last math class at Michigan State to the beach in Fort Lauderdale for spring break," he recalled. "We got out of the car, grubby, with winter clothes on, and saw pretty girls strolling along in swimsuits. I knew right then I wanted to live in Florida some day."

The college student also harbored longings to travel the world without a care, and that he also did, when he retired from a career in pharmaceutical sales in 2000, and sold the family home in Farmington Hills, Mich.

"We put some things in storage and sold the rest," said Barb Goff. "Then we took off, homeless, footloose and fancy-free."

When the couple decided to settle down again, they researched Fort Lauderdale and other east coast communities, but were put off by the traffic, the prices and the overpopulation on that coast.

"When we took a look at the west coast by renting a condo on Fort Myers Beach, all conditions were favorable," said Jim Goff. "We were especially pleased with the amenities and mature landscaping at Pelican Landing, and we liked the fact that new neighborhoods were still developing -- that there was still lots of activity going on."

The Goffs were attracted by the floor plan of a home in the Estero sector of the Bonita Springs community.

"The family room was really large," said Barb Goff, "and we liked its potential for entertaining. We were also glad that the subdivision was small and friendly."

They appreciated the fact that the floor tile and carpet were in fine shape, and that the front doors were artfully etched with tropical leaves.

"The Goffs asked me to see what I thought we could do with the home," said Grace DeVito, of Baer's Furniture. They said they wanted the rooms to remind them of some of their favorite travel stops. Italy, the south of France and the tropical islands were tops on their list."

The formerly white walls in the main living areas changed to a soft shade of mocha, a color that harmonized with the mottled taupe floor tiles and sand-beige carpet.

"We did the wood trim in white," said DeVito. "That really refreshed the rooms."

"Grace created a tropical habitat in the foyer with a pair of bronze cranes and silk vegetation," said Barb Goff, a retired high school English teacher. "Then she added to the tropical feeling by having leaves painted in the tray ceiling."

The living room suggests a hotel lobby in Italy.

"We selected a floral tapestry fabric that was terra cotta, sage and muted gold," Barb Goff explained. "We used it for a chair and ottoman, and as the basis for our other color choices."

That translated into a muted gold chenille sofa and two-wood framed arm chairs upholstered in a gold tone-on-tone diamond pattern.

"We loved a marble-top coffee table that we saw in Baer's," said Barb Goff, "and a gold-toned credenza that came from Italy -- the look is right and it's great for storage."

Above that credenza is a painting that includes a section of terra cotta and gold stripes. De Vito found a matching stripe fabric to use for the fringed swags over the patio sliders.

"We used a sheer Austrian shade underneath the swags to convey the formality of an elegant European lobby," DeVito said.

The Italian mood continues in the dining room with a huge, Neo-classic-style stone and iron pot as the table base.

"Grace said a square glass top would best suit the space, and it accommodates eight comfortably." Barb Goff said. "We had the tray ceiling painted with the terra cotta roses of our tapestry fabric, and my mother would be so glad to know the gold sconces she brought me from Italy are now hanging on the dining room wall."

To establish an Etruscan mood in the kitchen, a local artist installed a Venetian plaster treatment on the walls and finished it with grapes and vine leaves.

"We wanted to continue the design elements of the kitchen in our casual dining area," said Barb Goff, "so we chose a fluted wood base for our table that matched the maple cabinets.

But the granite on the counters seemed a little too busy to repeat, so we went with a solid black granite tabletop instead."

	AT HOME
	Locale: Pelican Landing Profile: 3-Bedroom/den/4-bath single-family home Area: 3,365; 5,505 total square feet Built: 199l

"We used the fabric on those chairs as the inspiration for the custom-made area rug near the sectional," said DeVito. "We also took the deep green in the print for the leather cushions of the wicker arm chair, and for the fringed, faux suede shawl swags over the beige linen drapery panels."

The sectional is a cozy and practical soft brown; the coffee table is marble checkerboard.

Jim Goff pointed out that the wall unit houses the core of the sound system he selected. "I confess to spending some serious time in front of the entertainment center," he laughed, "and I also like to hang out in our den/office, where they allowed me to have a leather recliner."

The office was also the ideal spot for a floral area rug made by his mother.

In the adjoining powder bath, the rug's bright colors can be seen again, this time in a floral wallpaper used below a chair-rail border print.

"We had our artist paint the top half of the walls red," said DeVito, "and then he made plaster leaves from the pattern design, which he painted and mounted on the walls."

But there's no red in the master suite, which has been composed in soft tones of green and gold, with a marbleized tray ceiling.

We decided to make the headboard a focal point," said DeVito, "so we designed our own, tufted in a diamond pattern."

The coverlet and headboard are made in reverse leaf print fabrics; the dust ruffle is green.

"We wanted an island atmosphere for our guests," said Barb Goff, "so we chose Tommy Bahama furniture."

The queen guest room sports a tropical butterscotch floral and plaid, and the twin guest room has sage green floral coverlets paired with soft brown dust ruffles.

But a new piece of furniture will soon be added to one of the guest rooms -- a crib. The couple, who are parents of two, has just welcomed their first grandchild -- a boy.

Another dream come true.