Though this Seattle home is very close to Lake Washington, it’s in a wooded area that feels like a world away from the city. “It almost feels like a treehouse,” says interior designer Lisa Staton. The neighborhood boasts a combination of architecture, from heritage pre-World War II homes to post-war mid-century modern abodes, like this one.

The homeowners both work in tech, but Lisa says they are design fans through and through. “They wanted to return the house to its original mid-century bones, but make it a little more open and airy,” she says. Most importantly, they needed a large kitchen for cooking and entertaining. They embarked on a full gut remodel of the kitchen area, bathroom, and pantry, opening it up to the rest of the terraced main floor.

Preserving as much originality as possible was key—but took the keen attention to detail that Lisa’s eponymous design firm is known for. “The challenge was keeping the original wood cedar walls and introducing a different wood in the kitchen that could be harmonious,” Lisa explains. “Layout and the engineering to accomplish it were also a challenge. (Enter the great contractor!) We added needed structural beams, and then included faux ones to create architectural harmony. The layout of the snazzy wood integrated pulls on the kitchen cabinets were also a big hurdle to achieve and have work with panel front cabinetry.”

The home feels modern, sophisticated, and most importantly, cohesive. It took just over nine months, and the design-loving clients are thrilled. “The space is so zen, soothing, relaxing and warm,” Lisa says. “But still feels of the time of the house, not a new and changed to be now! It all works with the original seamlessly.”

Take a tour in the slideshow.