Every design of Stilin's--ultra-trad or way mod--is about creating a lifestyle. "At the end of the day, I want to provide a sanctuary that's comfortable and relaxing," explains the Montauk designer. He redoubled his comfort impulse in this living room, going for "a little bit of a loungy look" to contrast with the architecture's formality.

On a custom hexagonal tray table skirted with Duralee fabric, Robert Kuo's larger-than-life copper rabbit holds its own in the immense space. Lanza likewise conquered vertical space with a low-hanging wooden chandelier from Donna Parker Habitat Ltd. "I also wanted an appropriate nature theme, but something other than seashells." Thus the great blue heron painting from Dutch Touch Art surmounts a classic Eames chair; driftwood floor lamps from Greg Lanza Design Home Collection subtly suggest the shore.

"Take it down a notch" was Marshall Watson's prescription for easing the dining room's formal architecture. His "meds" included a renewably resourced aloe Rug & Kilim carpet --"a roughly elegant platform for Judy Mulligan's English oiled walls and graphic ceiling in a toasted caramel finish," Watson explains. The hand-painted designs feature Benjamin Moore paints.

Above the fireplace, a circa-1880 Italian mirror is flanked by 1920s French sconces; in front of it stand a focal-point pair of new iron topiaries from Aidan Gray. Deco chairs flank an old Belgian commode.

An antique William IV library table and 19th-century wing chair covered in an Old World Weavers fabric created the collected look, which McGinnis brought up to date with leafy bronze Claude Lalanne chairs flanking the fireplace, a Michele Oka Doner candelabra, and the Herve Van Der Straeten chandelier. Chista's organically shaped "Bronze Volcano" coffee table stands on a Stark rug.

What she calls "pinchy" spaces are a favorite challenge for designer Carole Reed. Both the hallway and adjacent powder room fit the term. "Tight spaces require a few good moves," she says. An 1880 Chinese console and a Mecox Gardens head sculpture brought "soul and vibration" to the hallway, which she flatteringly illuminated through mango-hued silken shades on iron lamps.

Design: Carole Reed, Carole Reed Interior Design, 485 Magee St., Southampton, NY 11968; 631/204-0060, and 400 Chambers St., New York, NY 10282; 631/875-7366, carolereeddesign.com.

All-white kitchens can be "antiseptic," bemoans Manhasset-based designer Denyse Rinfret. "I love them, but I like to spark them up with color and warm them up with style."

Interior design: Denyse Rinfret, Rinfret Interiors LLC, 99 Bourndale Rd. N., Manhasset, NY 11030; 516/365-7234, rinfretinteriors.com.
Kitchen and pantry design: Christopher Peacock Home, 222 Merchandise Mart #148, Chicago, IL 60654; 312/321-9500, peacockhome.com.

Designer Katie Ridder featured her new wallpaper, "Seaweed," in the butler's pantry.

Design: Katie Ridder, Katie Ridder Inc., 432 Park Ave. S., New York, NY 10016; 212/779-9080, katieridder.com.

Known for tightly edited spaces that still create a splash, Ford decided to "take classic pieces associated with a screened-in porch to the next level." Thus a pair of custom porch swings upholstered in Silver State Fabrics have all the crisp tailoring of sofas.

Wind chimes morphed into wind-chime art, installed by J. Prichard Design. "Each chime was handmade using porcelain. I knew if we layered them and had them at different levels, it would present lots of texture," explains Ford.

A haven of restful grays and pretty pinks, the bedroom is outfitted with a fresh melding of antiques and modern pieces. Lizzie started her search at ABC Home, which specializes in sustainable and fair-trade products. There she found organic fabrics colored with nontoxic dyes, furniture made with sustainable and reclaimed wood and natural upholstery options, tables made from recycled metal, and everything she needed to make an eco bed, including the mattress.

Timeless, tailored, and architecturally appropriate sums up the style of Carrier and Company. Designers Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller stayed true to form in the showhouse game room.

Design: Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller, Carrier & Co. Interiors Ltd., 530 E. 90th St., New York, NY 10128; 212/706-1025, carrierandcompany.com.

Warm layering includes an antique table with a red Treillage lamp and an old Oushak atop Stark's seagrass rug.

They prominently showcased art from East Hampton's Vered Gallery and teamed vintage classics like the doughnut phone and mid-century orange pottery with contemporary pieces, including a Niedermaier silver desk chair, white lacquer desk from Ligne Roset, and Lle-Dom art glass. A Baker étagère displays Lladro animals. Softening the floors is a rug from Odegard.

"I transformed what felt like a large walk-in closet with no natural light into an avant-garde games room for the lady of the house," Kwinter-Schwartz says. A combination of natural elements and glossy finishes--especially a high-gloss lavender Benjamin Moore paint on the ceiling juxtaposed with a wall of reclaimed barnwood--exemplifies the designer's special forte: "I am all about texture, and this project shows that." A circa-1940 "Vintage Kilim Composition" rug from FJ Hakimian anchors the room. Its geometric grid is playfully opposed by "Bangalore Paisley" wallpaper from China Seas. The upholstered daybed is Avery Boardman.

"A sexy room you and your partner may never want to leave" was the response Jennifer Garrigues desired for her and Diana el Daher's master bedroom design. A grand antique Anglo-Indian bed launched them into a good start. A more delicate touch of exoticism appears as a custom Indian paisley stencil that finishes the walls in place of crown moldings. For max comfort, they offered several seating options, starting with slipper chairs covered in a Rogers & Goffigon velvet in front of the fireplace.

Hamilton's own version of happy is a cheerful palette of complementary colors, green and rose, with accents of sunny yellow and a few other garden-variety hues thrown in for a multifarious mix. Green is expressed mainly through an Osborne & Little wallpaper that's "a dizzy contemporary version of papers from the period between the wars in Britain," says the designer, while rose is articulated by the Hazelton House chintz draperies and the China Seas tufted fabric on a Phoenix Custom Furniture chair.

The daybed wears a Carolina Irving fabric; the chevron pillow fabric is Bergamo.

Always, the Brady Design team stresses what's apt for the location. Here, that meant a palette of blues and grays to evoke the sea. "The rich geometric blue-gray Holland & Sherry wallpaper and the opalescent antique Murano chandelier depict it perfectly."

A comfortable multipurpose space that can function as a guest bedroom, office, and sitting room was third-generation interior designer Jeff Lincoln's vision for his assigned space. His approach was back to basics--Billy Baldwin basics.

Design: Jeff Lincoln, Jeff Lincoln Interiors, 315 E. 62nd St., New York, NY 10021; 212/588-9500. Billy Baldwin Studio at Jeff Lincoln Interiors Inc., 212/253-5673.

A contented "aaah" is the response Kate Singer hoped to evoke with her soothing and semi-glam showhouse bedroom.

Design: Kate Singer, Kate Singer Home Ltd., One Huntington Bay Rd., Huntington, NY 11743; 631/271-8376, katesingerhome.com.

The straight lines of a Bolier & Company desk are softened by the tufted custom ottoman.

Covered in Ralph Lauren Home ticking, Yves Delorme linens, and an orange Hermès blanket, the bed was designed for "you to feel very cosseted and safe when lying there," explains Bradley. The room's momentum builds with the shaggy rope chair from Holly Hunt, a globe collection, and, displayed on the easel, art by Michael Allen Lowe. In lieu of architecture, the tailored traditionalists glazed the walls and rimmed the perimeters (even along baseboards) in a darker 1-inch band.

In the showhouse dressing room, designer Kat Burki trumped two questions that often inhibit creativity: Doesn't bold color make a room look smaller? And shouldn't decorating funds be concentrated on the house's public spaces? Her answers: No and No.

Design: Kat Burki, Kat Burki Inc., 35 Old Post Rd., Southport, CT 06890; 203/256-5817, katburki.com.

A pair of Chinese dressing tables offer spots for his-and-her primping from comfortable French armchairs--painted black and covered in a striped silk. Linen sheers with an interlocking circle pattern were fabricated into window treatments in contrasting scale: a simple Roman shade and a pleated drapery. Both exude tranquility.

The only overt signs are the African mud chandelier and African textiles from Melet Mercantile Montauk. The vibrant palette also alludes to an ethnic heritage while multinational pieces invoke a more global spirit. The Japanese bed "gives the room an organic, rustic, but elegant look," says Nathan. To encourage viewers to "look at something in a new way," they covered art above the bed in blue Lucite.

The pool house boasts charming interiors inspired by the long, wide beaches and the energetic surf juxtaposed with acres of farmland nestled between the ocean and the bay. "I used a lot of heather colors inspired by the Hamptons landscape--grasses, blue sky, sea, sand," says Skye. "All the subtle colors really influence the interior palette."

Substantial, curl-up-and-cozy-in furnishings from Lillian August, flagstone floors, and sisal rugs encourage the low-key, sand-between-your-toes lifestyle. A peppering of soft pattern does nothing to discourage the dreamy, soul-soothing atmosphere.

With an African safari lodge as his inspiration, designer Christopher Myers, owner of Just Terraces Inc., created a patio that resonates with fiery color, streamlined seating, and lush, sink-down comfort. Fabrics are Robert Allen; furniture is Barlow Tyrie.

Design: Christopher Myers, Just Terraces Inc., 422 E. 75th St., New York, NY 10021; 877/570-4847 and 212/570-4830, justterraces.com.