2020 Wine Country Residential Interior Design: Gary Hutton

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A balance of lines and curves comes courtesy of daybeds by Jiun Ho, Philippe Starck’s Costes chairs and Claudia Moreira Salles’ Cubos Libres coffee table. Photos by John Merkl.

When it came time to source furniture for the casita on Sandra Jordan’s Healdsburg property, interior designer Gary Hutton didn’t have to go very far for much of it. On the same grounds as the 1,300-square-foot guest quarters he was tasked with appointing is a barn brimming with personal treasures amassed by Jordan—among them, finds from her global travels and mementos of her native Peru. “It was great fun. She said, ‘Here’s the stuff. Take a look. What do you like? What do you want to use?’” recalls San Francisco-based Hutton. “I tried to use the beautiful pieces of furniture that she already had, and then add things that would be compatible with her interests.”

A colorful tablecloth, devised by Hutton and fabricated by Malatesta & Co. highlights the Sandra Jordan Prima Alpaca range. Photos by John Merkl.

Among the antiques plucked from Jordan’s rustic reliquary is a hefty credenza that, by Hutton’s estimation, stretches 22 feet. The wall behind it is adorned with items tied to her homeland, including photographs of alpaca herders and 18th-century Peruvian textiles. Hutton selected the bathroom’s tall, narrow double doors, which date back to 18th-century Spain, from an assortment of portals stored in the barn. The bathroom mirror and vanity were also found there; Hutton combined the latter with a slate top and a bronze vessel sink.

The Hutton-designed dining table is mated with antique chairs and banquette seating featuring Jordan’s textiles. Photos by John Merkl.

Since a priority of the project was showcasing the client’s product line, Sandra Jordan Prima Alpaca, the procurement of textiles was a cinch for Hutton as well. The casita primarily consists of an expansive space with the living room on one side and the kitchen and dining nook on the other. “We wanted all of the interior surfaces to be the same value and the same color so that when we used her fabrics, those colors would pop,” says Hutton. To that end, the structure’s walls and ceilings are rough pine boards stained gray, and the flooring is concrete.

A credenza and the decorative columns topping are from the client’s antiques-filled barn. Photos by John Merkl.

A series of French doors and windows provided Hutton with an opportunity to incorporate Jordan’s alpaca fabrics to striking effect. The drapes, made by Malatesta & Co. using 108 yards, feature a whopping 36 hues. “We start at one end of the casita with the cool gray colors and then it transitions all the way around to hot bright red,” says Hutton. “It’s kind of radical.” The inspiration for his exuberant rainbow was artist Michael Hayden’s neon installation, =, at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

Wood continues on the kitchenette cabinetry. Photos by John Merkl.

Although the casita has no bedrooms, it can accommodate overnight guests thanks to two daybeds. Jordan acquired the Jiun Ho prototypes and had the cushions recovered in a pale blue and beige plaid from her collection. The dining banquette is upholstered in Jordan’s cloth, too, and is combined with one of Hutton’s own designs, the glass-topped Pier table. Even this new piece comes with some history: The turned wood forms comprising the base were previously pylons in the San Francisco Bay.

The bathroom’s porcelain tiles mimic the wood used in the rest of the casita. Photos by John Merkl.

“Shopping” the on-site barn allowed Hutton to trace Jordan’s taste over the years, “to see where her head was at and what she was doing,” he notes. Ultimately, his vision for the casita offers a juxtaposition of styles—for example, antique French Louis XVI chairs and contemporary Philippe Starck chairs happily coexist alongside additional furniture of Hutton’s design, like the York armchairs and custom bronze A4 end tables. “There’s an interesting cohesion of all of these disparate elements,” he says. “But it really is Sandra and has a whole lot to do with her point of view.” – Anh-Minh Le

A lovely seating area outside of the casita. Photos by John Merkl.