SUNNY SOPHISTICATE(3)

Designing for more than 20 years, Dan Carithers is adamant about how a design should work, as well as how it should look. And he's not too shy to be outspoken with his clients, even on lifestyle issues: "I hate hearing clients say 'my formal china.' I tell them to get that term out of their mouth! We all have everyday stuff and more formal things, but we mix it. That's how to live." He and his wife, Nancy, live in Atlanta but travel the globe, designing, procuring, and pleasure seeking. Design is like fashion, he contends. "I was wearing jeans yesterday in Palm Beach, but with a coat and tie. In New York I may wear jeans with a velvet blazer and velvet shoes. There are no rules," he insists, succinctly summing up his magic.