Napa Spec-Tacular
Author:Lindsey ShookWade Design Architects and Jennifer Robin Interiors craft and idyllic spec home in Atlas Peak that is move-in ready
“Each new home begins with seeking out what’s distinctive about the site, and studying how the client’s goals can be expressed while simultaneously illuminating the land’s uniqueness,” says Luke Wade of Wade Design Architects. “We think of floor plans as flow diagrams, and look for ways to encourage indoor-outdoor connections and opportunities for engagement with natural surroundings.” This process was applied when Wade and his team collaborated with designer Jennifer Macdonald of Jennifer Robin Interiors on a ground-up spec home in Napa Valley’s Atlas Peak.
The 5,200-square-foot contemporary, three bedroom home has a home office, media room, wine cellar, infinity pool, outdoor entertaining area and bocce court, and is fully furnished for the future home owner to move in seamlessly. “My design philosophy always revolves around honoring and complimenting the architecture and landscape. For this project I wanted to design a comfortable home with thoughtful details, but also leave enough room for the new owners to add their own finishing touches to complete the home,” says Macdonald on her design direction.
Photo by Paul Dyer.
“Our mandate was to explore something forward-looking with a more contemporary sensibility. Flat roofs, expanses of glass, plaster walls. The geometry became more important, and the details more hidden away,” says Wade. The clean lines and modern interiors are a refreshing departure from the farmhouse style commonly seen now in throughout Wine Country. Wade notes, “As much as I love barns, it was refreshing to not get locked into that aesthetic.”
Photo by Paul Dyer.
Built as a spec property both Wade and Macdonald had to design with a potential client in mind. “I imagined a hip couple that loves to entertain, throw parties, and truly appreciate the indoor-outdoor wine country living,” says Macdonald. She and her team focused on curating casual yet sophisticated interiors where the clients could warmly welcome guests. They achieved this by infusing the home with organic textures, plenty of reclaimed wood, linen, jute and leather.
“One of my favorite design details is the hanging wooden-wrapped window seats which we repeated in both the primary and guest bedrooms,” she says.”They create playful built-in seating and add texture and dimension to both rooms. We also added a wood-wrapped element to the walls in the media room to create textural interest and bump up the coziness with a feeling of being wrapped in the space.”
Wade and his team focused on bringing the idyllic California lifestyle to fruition by drafting an open floor plan and a structure that could withstand potential environmental issues. “We wanted to make sure the home worked well for indoor-outdoor living, and also wouldn’t require fussy maintenance,” he says. “This is a wildfire prone area, and one of the core values of the project was to build in a very fire-resistant and resilient manner without making that choice obvious. We chose plaster walls and eaves, aluminum doors and windows with stone sills, and metal fascia at the roof edge. These selections have the added benefit of being low maintenance.”
“In the primary bath we used a traditional Calacatta stone with grey veining to complement the concrete floors, but soft in its coloring to create a relaxing spa vibe,” says Macdonald. “For the kitchen I wanted the same stone coloration but needed durability so I chose a quartzite slab from Da Vinci Marble for the island and the hood. The surrounding countertops are a durable white quartz.”
The final result is an exquisite residence floating among the Napa Valley oaks where a potential owner can immerse themselves in the unparalleled Wine Country vistas and lifestyle. For more information on the listing, visit Compass.