There was nothing modern about the dwelling, however, when the homeowners first happened across it. The original 1950s flat-roofed beach house was so badly deteriorated the only things worth saving were foundation and fireplace. To design a new home, they called in Harry Fischman of Southampton Engineering, asking him, says Gasby, to create for the couple “a 21st-century ranch house with an attitude.”

Fischman decided to maximize the expansive views of sea and sky with a double barrel-vaulted design that struck a powerful chord with his clients. “We try to see the similarity among different peoples,” Gasby explains, “and this shape could be a hut in Africa, an igloo, a synagogue, a mosque-or a space station.”

Instead of using heavy bent-steel I-beams for the vaults, Fischman located prefabricated, arched, corrugated-steel structures ordinarily used for industrial purposes. Within the larger one, which rises 34 feet above the living room, is a bridge stretching from a spiral staircase in the foyer to a rooftop deck.

As might be expected from a couple whose lives center around cooking and entertaining, Smith and Gasby's kitchen is generously open to both the living and dining rooms. Yet, here as well, the couple asked Fischman to create for them something unexpectedly modern. “I wasn't in the mood for kitchen cabinets,” says Smith, explaining that she wanted a cooking space that, while elegant, would in no way distract from the views.

Fischman obligated by centering the kitchen on a forthrightly geometric island that leans invitingly toward the living room. “It has a very 'Star Trek' look, like you could beam up from it,” enthuses Gasby. Where a sci-fi transporter panel might go, Fischman placed the cooktop, flanked by capacious cabinets that, along with base units on the rear wall and a recessed wall pantry beside the refrigerator, give Smith excellent storage. The countertop behind the island is free to display more of the couple's collections, along with cookbooks, appliances, and serving pieces, while the sink enjoys a window view. All the built-ins are finished in maple, coolly blending with the house's subtle palette. The island's green-glass bar top and pale green walls subtly echo the sea, and bright sunshine enters through twin skylights directly overhead.

“I can cook here and look out and see what everybody else is doing,” Smith enthuses about the open kitchen/living space. An everyone else, in turn, can look in-especially come this autumn, with the debut of “B. Smith with Style.” The half-hour weekly lifestyle and entertaining series in which Smith and Gasby's welcoming modern home will regularly appear will be syndicated nationally.