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L U X E I N T E R I O R S + D E S I G N 1 4 1

architecture Ani Wade and Luke Wade, Wade Design Architects

interior design Jennifer Macdonald, Jennifer Robin Interiors

home builder Jim Murphy, Jim Murphy and Associates

landscape design Javier Orozco, Tarantino Landscape, Inc.

bedrooms 3 bathrooms 3 square feet 3,600

t h e g l e a m i n g w h i t e f a r m h o u s e - s t y l e h o m e — e m b r a c e d

b y t a n g l e d v i n e y a r d s , s o a r i n g m o u n t a i n s a n d a

n e v e r - e n d i n g e x p a n s e o f b r i l l i a n t b l u e s k y — p o s -

s e s s e s a c o m f o r t a b l e g r a c e t h a t ’ s a n a p p r o p r i a t e

a e s t h e t i c f o r i t s l a i d - b a c k n o r t h e r n c a l i f o r n i a

w i n e c o u n t r y a d d r e s s . Entrenched at the bottom of a sun-dappled

valley, the home is a long-awaited weekend destination for its owners, a couple

based in the southern part of the state but with family close by. “We vacationed

in Napa Valley for years,” says the wife. “We love it here.” So, a hunt to find a per-

manent piece of the good life ensued, though not without a few bumps.

“We looked at a lot of houses and a lot of property,” says the husband, recalling

the day that he and his wife toured 16 potential homes in a single morning. But

a visit to what would ultimately become the site of their dream digs put an

immediate stop to the running around. “Some people like to be up on the moun-

tain looking down at the views; our preference is to be on the valley floor look-

ing up,” he explains. “The most appealing part about the site was that the views

were all around us.”

To take absolute advantage of those views, and to realize the contemporary

farmhouse ideal they imagined, the couple reached out to another husband-

and-wife team: Ani and Luke Wade, principals of Wade Design Architects in

Fairfax. The synergy that crackled among the quartet at its first meeting proved

auspicious. “We met on a Friday, discussed what they were after and met again

on Sunday with a fine-tuned schematic of the design,” says Luke. “That’s pretty

much what got built.” “It was remarkably quick,” adds Ani. “Part of that came

from listening carefully to what the clients wanted; the other part came from the

husband’s knowledge of construction as a builder and developer. They were both

very specific about what this house needed to be.”

WRITTEN BY ELISA CHEMAYNE AGOSTINHO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE FLETCHER

F A R M H O U S E F R E S H

style selection

A collaboration between aluminum chaircompany Emeco and Coca-Cola resultedin this exclusive piece for Design WithinReach made from 111 recycled plasticCoke bottles. 111 Navy Chair, $230;dwr.com

1 4 2 L U X E I N T E R I O R S + D E S I G N

stage presence

A 20-foot-wide wall of telescoping, lift-and-slide glasspocket doors—custom from NorthStar WoodWorks inFerndale, Washington—opens up the north side of the livingroom to the courtyard area behind the house. The draperyfabric was found at Calvin Fabrics in Medford, Oregon; thedrapes themselves were fabricated by Magnolia Lane in SanFrancisco. The teak picnic table and benches on the patiowere designed by interior designer Jennifer Macdonald andmade by Gabriel Statsky Furniture Design in Santa Cruz.

garden grown

Raised vegetable beds made of cedar and installed by MBLandscapes in Calistoga sit just a few steps outside thekitchen and are a reflection of the homeowners’ desires toimmerse themselves in the farm-to-table lifestyle intrin-sic to the Napa Valley area. The metal planters are from NapaHome & Garden. The clear-cedar lap siding was found at All Bay Mill & Lumber in American Canyon; it was

The plan dictated a precisely massed “farmhouse cluster” comprising an H-

shaped main house, an adjacent guesthouse and a separate, barn-like structure,

all constructed with a spare palette of materials, inspired by the traditional but

with a contemporary influence. “It’s a simple shape that creates a lot of symme-

try, but, at the same time, it’s not just symmetry for symmetry’s sake,” says

Luke. “The program allowed us to achieve maximum exposure to natural light.”

Indeed, says Ani, “They wanted a house ‘flooded with light.’ That meant every

room had to have more than just one exposure and, in some cases, three. It def-

initely pushed the plan in a certain direction.”

So, in the main house, a south-facing porch and entry lead directly to a refined yet

unpretentious living area with a wall of glass doors that allows the room to be left

open to nature. A dining room, kitchen and snug butler’s pantry fill the right wing

of the structure; a small library and guest quarters unfold to the left. The master

suite takes up the entire second story and functions as an aerie-esque retreat.

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1 4 4 L U X E I N T E R I O R S + D E S I G N

studied contrast

In the living room, distressed,cognac-colored leather from Moore & Giles hugs a pair of clubchairs that face a custom table ofbleached reclaimed wood, designedby Macdonald and fabricated byGabriel Statsky Furniture Design.The candle table is Gregorius Pineofrom Kneedler-Fauchére in SanFrancisco; the cricket table wasfound at Sonoma Country Antiquesin Sonoma. White oak wood floorswere sourced at Restoration Timberand installed by First, Last & Always,also in San Francisco.

L U X E I N T E R I O R S + D E S I G N 1 4 7

beam of white

A custom-designed four-poster bed of dark-stainedreclaimed wood seems to float in the center of the vaultedsecond-story master suite. The Holland & Sherry pillow shamfabric was found at De Sousa Hughes in San Francisco; theSue Chalon throw at Kara Mann in Chicago. The side tablesare Oly Studio and the lamps are from Restoration Hardware.The Bravado carpet was found at Design Materials inKansas City, Kansas.

Outdoor eating and sitting areas provide additional points from which to enjoy

the views; the guesthouse and barn flank the central building, creating a court-

yard behind it.

The porch—that archetypal farmhouse component—was a particular triumph,

says builder Jim Murphy, founder and partner of Jim Murphy and Associates in

Santa Rosa. In place of a solid roof, “Luke and Ani used clear plastic panels that

throw light down into an area that would typically be very dark,” says Murphy.

“It’s a clever detail that creates wonderful shadow lines.”

The interiors also reflect the clients’ edict of light, light and more light, thanks

to the subtle interpretation of wine country style composed by San Anselmo-

based designer Jennifer Macdonald, of Jennifer Robin Interiors. “Our main

objective as a team was to keep everything harmonious,” says Macdonald. “I

didn’t want anything to feel too heavy or overdone, so my goal was to blend

modern pieces and antiques with quintessential Napa materials and textures—

like reclaimed woods, jute rugs, Belgian linen and distressed leather—against a

white envelope that works beautifully with all the light that sparkles through the

space. That gives the interiors a crisp, fresh vibrancy.”

The sincere design vibe continues outside, where landscape designer Javier Orozco,

owner of Tarantino Landscape in Santa Ana, plotted out an agrarian-centric frame-

work that complements the architecture and interiors. “The elements that were

incorporated into the exterior environment, such as the climbing roses, mustard

seed, wisteria and lavender, allow the seasons to announce themselves in a rural

context,” he says. “We also created natural transitions between the different

structures on the property, to link everything together in a way that felt

unforced.” It’s yet another decision that underscores the cohesiveness of a design

team that delivered a reality far sweeter than the dream.

“There was a positive approach to this project from everyone involved,” says the

husband. “It was a delight to build this house, and it’s a delight to be here.” L

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