The key to great design is understanding how the homeowners live day to day. For Francesca and Jay Uberoi, it was all about cooking and entertaining. “They made it clear from the outset that the bar and the kitchen were the starting points,” architect Jonathan Rivera recalls. “She came to me with a picture of a cathedral-ceilinged room and said, ‘That’s what I want for my kitchen.’ From there, everything grew outward.”

Having seen Rivera’s work throughout Baltimore County, the couple, both doctors, approached him even before buying their two-plus-acre Lutherville-Timonium property. “They wanted me to consult on which lot in the neighborhood would work best,” the architect recalls. “We picked this one because we could orient the house parallel with the sunrise and the sunset.”

While the photo Francesca showed Rivera was for kitchen inspiration, it encapsulated what the Uberois wanted for the entire home: An abode that was at once expansive and intimate; a modern farmhouse style that could serve their family and frequent guests.

Working with JD Canatella of Arma-Gesch Building, Rivera’s goal was to create a home in which the exterior surroundings play a starring role. “We treated it almost like a waterfront property,” the architect says of the 7,400-square-foot home, which includes five bedrooms, four full and two half-baths and a 1,200 square-foot in-law suite. “It was about keeping the views open and unimpeded.”

He ensured this was the case from the moment guests arrive. “It was important to place the stairwell in the entry hall outside of the view, but at the same time make it inviting for everyone to go upstairs,” he says.

Designer Laura Hodges, who was brought on post-construction for finishes, furnishings and architectural detail, took cues from Rivera. “I added decorative molding and tapered balusters to the stairwell, but we didn’t want anything overly complicated,” she explains. “We wanted to respect the architecture and not distract from the kitchen and great room beyond.”

It’s in that living-and-dining space where the indoor-outdoor vibe completely takes hold. A triangular wall of windows rises to a peak of 22 feet, serving as an architectural centerpiece and bathing the room in light. Sliding glass panels stretch across the back wall, ensuring that the pool and yard remain a constant presence indoors.

White-painted cabinetry, as well as a quartz backsplash and countertops, are warmed up by white oak floors and beams, while the island showcases its wood base and partial butcher-block top as a spot for easy chopping. “You walk in and your eye rests naturally on the island,” Hodges says. “The wood makes the scale approachable, even with the ceiling soaring overhead.”

But the real star of the show is the deep green Lacanche range, which was one of Francesca’s other requests. “The British racing green finish spoke to the natural surroundings outside,” notes Hodges, “and the brass accents tied into the gold details we layered throughout the kitchen.”

Of course, a house designed for entertaining needs to offer up plenty of seating for a dinner party, which is exactly what Hodges provided with a rustic dining table that accommodates up to 10. In a deliberate move, she left the space without a chandelier, allowing the monolights on the ceiling to serve as the main illumination so the architecture would shine. “The view through that triangular window was too important,” she says. “The light fixtures didn’t need to compete.”

The living room extends seamlessly beyond, anchored by a limestone fireplace with firewood storage designed into the millwork. The cozy space encourages everyone to pile upon its oversize sectional for evenings spent relaxing by the fire.

Contrast comes in the den, which Rivera notes, was Jay’s one specific want. “The house was really about Fran’s vision, but the den was his requirement,” he says. Hodges painted the walls a deep blue, then designed an arched, built-in bookcase that softens the long, linear room. “The rest of the house is so light and airy that this space could go deeper,” she explains. “It shifts the mood in a wonderful way.”

The moody den also provided an opportunity to bring in the Uberois’ love of travel, where they could showcase objects collected from far-flung countries such as Vietnam, Greece and India, as well as places closer to home like Charleston and New Orleans. This nod can also be found in the dramatic entry powder room with its Indian-inspired block-print wallpaper. While upstairs in the primary bath, deep blue tile evokes the waters of Greece and Capri’s Blue Grotto. The custom reeded-front vanities in a warm brown stain and arched mirrors reinforce the motifs of curves and texture seen throughout the home. “We wanted the interiors to reflect those influences without feeling thematic,” Hodges notes.

For Rivera, the project’s success lies in suiting the couple’s casual lifestyle. “It’s functional, contemporary and understated,” he affirms. “It really lives well.”

Hodges agrees. “Even though it’s large, it feels welcoming,” she says. “You walk in and imagine yourself cooking at that range or gathering in the den. That’s what design should do—it should make you feel at home.”