Bucolic Beauty

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A sprawling Sonoma oasis offers a quiet luxury—and a contrast from city life

A pair of 60-inch dome lights procured from March in San Francisco illuminate the great room, which is outfitted with Sonoma sofas and TWG-designed leather ottomans for Hildebrand Furniture. Photos by Roger Davies.

The Wiseman Group design director James Hunter and associate design director Shannon Jue were wrapping up a project in San Francisco’s Sea Cliff neighborhood when the same clients asked them to start work on a vineyard property in Sonoma that they had just acquired. Although the homeowners’ affinity for tailored interiors carried over, the two residences are architecturally divergent. “The San Francisco home is a Willis Polk from the turn of the century, with wood paneling and formal rooms,” Hunter says. “The Sonoma house is in the vernacular of the area—built in a somewhat agrarian style, with board and batten and stonework.”

Behind a bar that doubles as a divider from the great room, the kitchen’s rustic warmth contrasts with the clean modern furnishings throughout. Photos by Roger Davies.
In addition to wine-country views, a corner den beckons with a U-shaped sectional sofa and matching ottoman, both designed by TWG for Hildebrand Furniture. Photos by Roger Davies.

For the latter, Jue adds, “the mandate was to make it comfortable and durable. Yet we wanted to continue the idea of clean lines and a high level of quality finishes and luxury elements that supported something more relaxed and appropriate for a vacation or a weekend getaway.” Although the city home sits on a corner lot with rear and side yards, indoor/outdoor living is amplified at the wine country place—whose generous acreage makes for “an amazing playground for all kinds of outdoor activities,” Hunter says, noting the bocce ball and tennis courts.

With its arched ceiling and stone wall, the wine room captures the home’s rustic architecture. Photos by Roger Davies.
With its arched ceiling and stone wall, the wine room captures the home’s rustic architecture. Photos by Roger Davies.

Over the years, the owners have gradually created quite a compound. After previous incarnations of an on-site barn and tree house burned down, they built both anew, enlisting TWG to collaborate with Neil Peoples Architecture on the structures. The clients also introduced a guest house and a lower pool. The pool house itself was existing, as was a garage building that now contains a game room, complete with a kegerator. In the main house, the rooms are organized across two levels, with an enclosed glass bridgeway that connects to the primary suite.

In the primary bedroom, an upholstered Pierre Jeanneret chair, from P! Galerie on 1stDibs, is combined with Christopher Kreiling’s sculptural bronze Nautilus table lamp. Photos by Roger Davies.
Solid wood nightstands by Kroft, with a blackened finish and leather laminated drawer fronts, are topped with Baker Furniture lamps and flank a custom bed by Dmitriy & Co. Photos by Roger Davies.
the primary bath includes Paul Ferrante’s Brice hanging fixture and Jonathan Browning’s Montfaucon double sconce.
Photos by Roger Davies.

Since the Sonoma residence, built by Reiter Fine Homes, was nearing completion at the time of its purchase, TWG weighed in on finishes and outdoor features. “We started with the light fixtures and continued from there,” Hunter recalls. Among the showstoppers are the great room’s fiberglass dome lights from March in San Francisco, which are a whopping 60 inches in diameter—a custom size. “The ceiling is so high and dark,” Hunter says of the wood-beamed space. “Putting those big white fixtures brought that down and shifted the scale a little bit.” Jue further explains that their placement relates to the layout and purpose of the room. For example, the dining table sits beneath one of the domes.

In the pool area, Branch chaise lounges and side tables by Janus et Cie are joined by Ocean Master hexagon umbrellas by Tuuci.
Photos by Roger Davies.
Poufs and ottomans by Gan, sourced through Gandia Blasco Group, welcome visitors to the tree house.
Photos by Roger Davies.

The designers maintained a disciplined and calming palette of grays and gray-blues throughout the home. Textural materials—think wools and bouclés—imbue softness, while outdoor-grade fabrics satisfy the clients’ desire for durability. (The couple, who work in finance, have three kids and a blond Labrador.) Most of the furnishings were sourced from Bay Area showrooms, with vintage pieces plucked from 1stDibs. In the great room, the iron-grate coffee table already belonged to the clients. “We thought it had great presence and added a quirky note, but it wasn’t the proper scale for this room or our long sofa,” Jue elaborates. “So we added four ottomans to flank it, for better scale and function.”

Amid vineyards and orchards, the 1,600-square- foot barn offers a picturesque spot to host parties and board meetings.
Photos by Roger Davies.

The original barn essentially served as storage and was not initially included in the scope of the project. However, as it was rebuilt, Hunter and Jue found themselves tasked with conceiving their first-ever barn space. With a custom bar and stainless steel kitchen—which references the metal often used in wine-production equipment—the barn is an ideal entertain- ing venue, anchored by a 12-foot table composed of reclaimed oak. Thanks to adjoining smaller tables, the homeowners can host roughly two dozen people for parties or board meetings. The bench seating stacks like a bookshelf when not in use.

The barn’s bar sign and industrial table are by American Garage. Photos by Roger Davies.

“I always say, I’m never mad about going up to this property or doing work there,” Jue shares. “The drive itself is so gorgeous and once you get there, it’s really calm and peaceful. Everything’s about a quiet luxury.” She and Hunter agree that the project was a wonderful collaboration with the clients. “It resonates with our own personal taste—the clean lines, tailored look and soft palette,” he says. “We could live there.”

A loft in the barn includes an American Garage mirror, Aero dining table by RH, a Shale dresser and Neat dining chairs by Blu Dot. Photos by Roger Davies.