Electronic lounge music is playing and candles are burning in the bathroom, where hand towels embossed with a gold “R” are resting next to the sink. It feels like a chic urban pad in the middle of the city, but it’s actually a three-bedroom ranch house in East Hampton perched on a hill overlooking Three Mile Harbor.

This is the summer retreat of Jaci and Morris Reid, a house they have rented for five years. During that time, they have worked closely with the owner, Gary Simko, to bring in the furniture, art, and architecture that suits them all.

“I wanted cozy, but it also had to be swanky,” Mrs. Reid said Saturday, with less than a week to prepare for the swanky, but not necessarily cozy, party they are holding this weekend at their home to raise money for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation.

With 500 guests expected, most of the action takes place outdoors, with a stage built on the lawn for performers Ciara and Lyfe Jennings and a large tent covering the front of the house, for food and other preparations. For the indoor portion of the party — a dinner for 50 VIPs following the main bash — the Reids will remove their furniture. Still, the vibe of the party is in line with the décor of the house: modern and contemporary, colorful and clean.

It’s a very different look from their home base, a penthouse apartment in the Kalorama section of Washington, D.C., where her husband’s consulting company, Westin Rinehart, is based.

“Our place in D.C. is so much more regal. It’s old world charm. Here, we could have gone with something like American country. But this was a cool house with a cool view, and so we decided we’re going to make it modern,” Mrs. Reid said.

“And the VH1 crowd appreciates that. They’re off the grain and so is the house,” the prolific charity hostess added. (Earlier this month she organized a fund-raising event for Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa and in August she is putting together a party for the Ron Brown Scholars Program, in honor of the late commerce secretary who was a mentor of Mr. Reid’s).

The key to the look is a few design elements employed consistently, such as stainless steel. Outdoors, there’s the grill and the wood dining table with stainless steel inlays. Indoors, the sturdy and sleek material can be found all over the kitchen and the bathrooms.

“It’s easy to clean, it’s always very modern, very hip, and it changes an environment very quickly,” Mrs. Reid said.

Another staple is the contemporary chandelier of glass and steel. One is a delicate cascade of tear drops, another is funkier with large bulbous designs.They hang in the dining room, central hall, and den.

The den was just refinished this year but already the Reids are talking to the homeowner Mr. Simko about knocking out a wall and making an entrance to the pool. (They’ve also expressed interest in purchasing the home). At the moment the den gets little natural light compared to the upstairs living areas, which feature large windows and sliding doors. But the room does have a lot of storage space. A week before the party 200 red and white totes filled the deep shelves on either side of the fireplace.

“These are the goody bags for the party,” Mrs. Reid, who met her husband while both were working in government in Washington D.C., said. Inside one was a Frisbee, more than a dozen beauty products, and a bag by Heatherette designed for the VH1 foundation, which funds the purchase of musical instruments in public schools.

Mr. Reid’s favorite spot at the house is right next to the pool. When it’s raining, as it was Saturday, he retreats to the table in the den.

“I’m a pretty simple guy. If I have a pool and a cigar and the ability to talk on the phone and be on my BlackBerry, I’m all set,” Mr. Reid said.

He paused, glancing behind him. “I do have one special contraption,” he said, opening the cabinet doors to show a small wine storage unit. “It keeps things nice and cool. For me, it was the only thing that was important to have in here,” he said.