Georgia: Cook Road

Designer Hildi Santo-Tomas transformed this basement into a "tropical paradise." Hildi brought the outdoors in by covering the floor with sand. She then painted the plain walls — and ceiling! — with broad, vibrant yellow-and-red stripes. To match the color scheme, Hildi hung some yellow-and-red curtains, and added a couple of red tables and white deck chairs to the mix. And what tropical paradise is complete without palm trees? For this space, Hildi bought a floor-to-ceiling palm with multicolored leaves.