When our client purchased the property, it already had a residence on it that had been built in the early 2000s. He wanted to make it his home, a place to de-compress from the busy work life and to connect to the outdoors. The intent was to bring a more modern and lighter design to the interior spaces, without losing the original appeal of a simple building atop the hills.

For the main residence, we wanted to create a stronger visual flow between the spaces, with materials and finishes; the more ornate details were simplified, and the connection with the outdoors amplified, removing elements that could restrain the views or felt too heavy at key rooms of the house. The primary suite was expanded, and the primary bathroom and outdoor courtyard were re-envisioned to create a quiet, almost Zen, retreat space. A more contemporary guest suite was also added to the main house. We re-designed the wine cellar to increase its capacity and create a strong visual connection to the rest of the house through the use of materials.

The objective for the detached guest house was to reimagine it and to allow it to blend in with the surrounding native landscape that remained undisturbed. The exterior of the building is painted taking inspiration from the color of the trunk of the oak trees surrounding the building, in contrast with a bright and fresh interior.