Pink, Orange and Red All Over

While Melody's own needs and idiosyncrasies dictated the design, so did the demands of the Pacific. "I have lived by the ocean long enough to know that it corrodes everything and that my television won't hold up for more than two years," she says. "Indoors, we used only outdoor fabrics because they last longer."

"I wanted the environment to be very much one thing," says Melody, who had her black piano slip-covered in pink outdoor fabric after she was told painting it would ruin its sound. "Some people say my living room reminds them of a nightclub."

Antonia chose Philippe Starck's Dr. NA bistro table and translucent Ero/S/ chairs because Melody wanted to keep meals low-key. The built-in sofas can be used as beds when Melody's grandchildren sleep over.