hen Lisa and Ed (who asked that we not use their last names) selected the empty lot for their Gulf-view home on Florida's exclusive Belleview Island in 1988, they didn't know that it w ould be eight years before they would actually live there. "Every room took on a personality, and I wanted it perfect," says Lisa, who designed the house, directed the building process and finally moved in with her family on Christmas Eve 1996.

The classic-style house with its marble and wood floors, breathtaking view and elaborate details--from the guest bath's gold-leaf ceiling to the living area's coral stone fireplace--is clearly a labor of love. It is also a showcase for the latest home tec hnology. Hidden in the solid plaster walls and decorated ceilings are 42 sets of speakers that fill the home with sound from one of five separate satellite systems, a 100-CD changer or a radio. Most speakers are flush with the wall or ceiling. "The secret is to hide speakers in plain sight," says installer Paul Fida, president of Pyramid Sound & Lighting, who tucked them into bookshelves, behind plants or low on walls.

Because she likes a bright home, Lisa had a LiteTouch automated lighting system installed by Joe Murphy of Coast to Coast Controls. When Lisa enters the house at night, the lights in the entryway snap on. A "bath path" lights the way for the kids, and a h ouse path lets late-night snackers find their way to the fridge. Even the closets have motion-controlled lights to keep the family from fumbling in the dark.

Beyond the house-wide sound and automated lighting, there is an extensive library of movies, which the Florida couple and their three children watch either in the media room just off the living area or in the master bedroom on a screen that lowers from th e ceiling.

For casual watching, the family has 14 television sets throughout the house, including one in the kitchen, Lisa's dressing room and each of the kids' bedrooms. While Lisa and Ed have two cell phones each, only the jungle-theme room of their nine-year-old son bears the telltale signs of a future gadget junkie. Near some 150 Beanie Babies is the house's sole computer, along with Nintendo 64 and Sony PlayStation consoles.

For all the digital-entertainment options, there are still times when the family can't find anything to watch on TV. One night, after searching in vain for a good family movie, Lisa and the kids settled on a game of cards at the kitchen table, proving the y still know how to have fun without a remote control.