Annsley McAleer, 33, was named a "young decorator on the verge" last year by Domino magazine. The designer, who has worked for Ralph Harvard Inc. in New York and Carter & Company cq in Boston, now operates her own firm, working mostly with suburban couples in their 30s and 40s with families. She took a chance decorating her workspace/guest bedroom in stain-inviting colors: beige and white. "I had the couch stain protected," she said. "I'm all for lots of color. But I do like bedrooms to be calm. It's where you unwind."