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Super-matte white p-Lam upper cabinets blend with the walls to give the illusion that the space is wider than its 16 feet. Lower cabinets are a rich walnut veneer, topped with Glacier White Corian countertops. Concealed sockets from Bocci add to the sleek, minimalist effect, while a soapstone slab on the island adds a welcoming warmth. “The island is where everyone sits, for breakfast, for snacks, for working,” says Bader. “You don’t want a surface that’s polished and cold.”

Throughout the home, Kebony wood trims the new energy-efficient windows, which are set in their original rough openings but larger span for fewer visual disruptions.

Topped by a distinctive mansard roof "hat," this midcentury house in Belle Meade, Tennessee, was renovated and reimagined for contemporary family living by Nashville architect Michael Goorevich with builder Giachery Lizarraga of Hybrid Phoenix.

The wraparound balcony provides outdoor space Roberta can always access.

The primary bath has large slabs of porcelain tiles made to look like veined marble, which cost much less than real stone. The seamless concrete floor flows into the curb-less shower for access. There is in-wall storage on the left, and the sink and countertop are made of seamless Corian. The wood door pockets away.

“Cocktail hour is sacred,” says Roberta. So, in a storage wall (shared by the living area on one side and the kitchen on the other) Bjorngaard tucked in an elegant bar (with a French Pyrolave lava stone counter and backsplash) that has everything she needs for drink service.

The expanded dining room has new sliding doors that connect it with the garden. The threshold is seamless for easy indoor/outdoor access. The wood-clad wall on the left contains storage for the kitchen as well as the living room. An Arrangements pendant by Flos hangs above a custom table by Mark Albrecht and Nobel Soft side chairs designed by Gino Carollo. A photograph by Michael Light is fixed above a custom console by Bjørn Design. The woven Ortigia chairs are by Flexform.

The custom slatted wood railings is fitted with discreet flip-down hooks to hang coats. Stairs lead down to a guest space and an additional unit for a future caretaker. An elevator, not visible, also connects the two levels. The Overlap pendant is by Michael Anastassiades for Flos.

The kitchen is customized for Roberta, an avid cook. Easy-to-reach pots hang from a custom rack by Bjørn Design. Its hooks can be lengthened if she has to reach from a wheelchair someday; a lowered counter where she likes to work, read, and play cards can accommodate a wheelchair, should she need one. Oak veneers for the ceilings, floors, and cabinetry were a splurge, but Roberta loves their warmth and texture.

Practical, long-lasting finishes throughout meet Roberta’s dictum that everything should be easy to use. Stone-like Cambria quartz backsplashes and seamless countertops don’t have grout, making it easier to keep things clean.

"Last summer, our kids had the thrill of catching crawfish in the lake, which was pure nostalgia for me. My side of the family is from Louisiana, and boiling live crawfish was something I never thought we’d be doing in California,

"I thought if we made a beautiful plaster hood garage, your eye would go directly there, rather than to the functional soffit that runs the perimeter of the kitchen walls,

A Nickey Kehoe runner sits below a Waterworks faucet. "Bess and her husband requested no upper cabinets, floating shelves, or sconces,

Coats of Benjamin Moore's "Cloud White

Custom bunks built by the contractor are covered in vintage throws from Elsie Green and lit from within by Schoolhouse Electric sconces. "Rainy Afternoon

Friday wanted to make the powder room distinctive, and she chose a navy lime wash paint from Color Atelier to do so. A Stone Forrest marble vanity and Highgate Waterworks faucet sit under a vintage pendant.

In the evening, the glass-clad home glows from within, an inviting presence in the forest. While the interior is highly visible, the trees and landscaping on the sloped site offer privacy for the residents.

The slim, black frame on the Marvin windows in the bedroom are visually unobtrusive and keep the focus on the view.