FUN HOUSE

AN ORLANDO-AREA HOME IS THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH - AND THERE'S NO ADMISSION FEE

- KRISSA ROSSBUND

In the world of design, many folks subscribe to the idea that Mother Nature delivers the greatest form of decoration. But Marsha Hill will argue that it's the ear-to-ear smiles on her grandchildren's faces that give her home the greatest boost of aesthetic charm.

And why wouldn't they be smiling? The home that Marsha shares with her husband, Gregg, is situated in Winter Park, Florida, just outside Orlando, and a short car ride from the world's most famous and beloved amusement park.

But roller coasters, spinning teacups, and Mickey Mouse ears aside, there's plenty of fun to experience at Grandma and Grandpa's house. After all, with diner-style booths for eating, playful bunk rooms that delight after dark, and a pool that splashes laughter into the family's history, this house was created with the grandchildren (now 15 of them) at the forefront.

"I always wanted our house to be a bit like Disney World," Marsha says. "It was about the grandkids from the moment that we started the house's design. Family memories are important to me, and I wanted those to be about the fun that we share here, not about decorative fads."

But even design that veers to the playful side needs to be wrangled into some level of sophistication. For that, the Hills called on Palm Beach interior designer Ellen Kavanaugh, who built a serious foundation to tout the taste of the Hills and then sprinkled in moments of whimsy.

"I designed the Hills' former home south of Palm Beach," Kavanaugh says. "So I knew they were all about family life. Marsha is a casual person, so when we were planning the renovation of this house, there was no question that we would eliminate the formality of spaces such as a living room or dining room."