The Bonnet House, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, an exuberant example of an artist's vision of life in three dimensions. Built in 1920 by painter Frederic Clay Bartlett and his first wife, Helen, the oceanfront estate sits on 35 acres, originally purchased for a dollar an acre. Today, Bonnet House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to serve as a gathering spot for artists, with frequent concerts and exhibitions. The embodiment of an idiosyncratic vision encompassing color, art, and nature, the estate remains as enchanting as when it was conceived. 

The interior courtyard of Bonnet House. Two of his favorite colors, blue and yellow, predominate indoors and out.

The Bartletts' 1941 Cadillac remains on view at the 35-acre property; a desert garden was recently restored to exactly the way Frederic had it in the 1930s.

A view of the house, which was designed to resemble a Caribbean estate; the Atlantic Ocean lies just beyond a pond, where alligators once roamed.

Tropical fish decorate a wood-paneled wall in the dining room.

Antique Portuguese hand-painted tiles frame a doorway opening into the adjacent butler's pantry.

Evelyn's 24-piece dessert set, produced in England in the early 1800s, is prominently displayed in the dining room; the hand-painted salmon-pink earthenware features country scenes. The mounted fish above were chosen for their gleaming hues.

Colorful wooden animals from Evelyn's vast menagerie.

In the drawing room, Frederic mounted a pair of halved Italian Baroque columns, using them as door friezes, and painted the fanciful molding over the windows and door.

A wood ceiling Frederic painted in the style of Gauguin.

The artist's seashell friezes decorate a doorway that leads from the courtyard to the living room.

Frederic's expansive studio allowed him to paint large-scale works such as the exuberant example on the landing above.

A painted dog in a mural that embellishes an interior courtyard wall.

A wooden elephant from Evelyn's animal collection.

The antique furnishings in the master bedroom were an extravagant wedding gift from first wife Helen's family; Frederic put his own spin on the room by painting everything blue and white.

The Shell Museum, housed in one of the many outbuildings on the estate, features a stylish cocktail lounge complete with bamboo walls and furnishings.

An orchid greenhouse with more than 3,000 specimens

Maritime objects fill every nook and cranny in the circular Shell Museum. The Bartletts' collection was built over a lifetime of winter travels to warm climates.