After designing residences and hotels all over the world, Pamela Hughes recharges in her Sarasota retreat.

When internationally renowned interior designer Pamela Hughes unlocks the door to her Sarasota pied-à-terre, her persona is magically transformed. She’s no longer viewing every object and room from the exacting perspective of how it will work for a client; for once, these rooms and furnishings are not about some other person or time. This is her personal oasis, a tranquil retreat she has created as antithesis, perhaps antidote, to the highly charged world of her booming career.

For her clients, Hughes oversees every project, and she emphasizes that each design is unique, based on influences that range from a homeowner’s personality, taste and lifestyle, to a hotel’s history, clientele and sense of place.

Hughes has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to her own home’s décor. “Personally, I love what I call soft modern,” she explains. “I use few pieces of furniture, but they are large in scale. The look is serene, uncluttered and easy.” Hughes notices that more clients are trending away from over-design and moving in this direction. “People want to simplify their lives and their surroundings,” she says.

Still, Hughes Design Associates continues to provide the gamut, from cutting-edge modern to traditional and historical. “We do anything as long as it is top quality,” she says.