Bordered by meandering county roads and three bodies of water, Hampton Bays is adjacent to the Hamptons in geography only. Brandolini has come to appreciate its relative seclusion and vibe of inscrutability. When she has to, though, she can make it to Southampton in her parrot-green Mini Cooper in 10 minutes. "The market is as far as 1 go," says the designer, 62, who is curled up in an Art Deco armchair in the living room, her brown hair escaping from a loose ponytail. "We didn't want to be in the Hamptons," she adds. "We did not want to be out here."

In place of bean-shaped sofas and teak coffee tables in wan, color-free arrangements that have settled like a fog over the South Fork, she's arranged furnishings from no particular place or period, each one attention-getting in material, shape or color. "It's a bottle with everything inside," she says.