New arrivals from West Los Angeles, a young family of media professionals chose a well-maintained, classic Northwest mid-modern home in southeast Mercer Island as a landing pad. With its lake views and steep terrain, the house possesses a unique terraced parti to take advantage of the lakefront slope, placing the main floor living area above a daylight basement bedroom wing. We were selected to help them convert the under-utilized rooms as the first phase scope of work, with emphasis on a suite for two daughters. The assignment was a refined “so not basement” feel which anticipates the girls’ joyful future, while celebrating the now in a communion of tasteful layout with timeless fixtures and finishes.