A unique Cotswolds-style farmhouse in California’s Sonoma Valley now offers a blend of British heritage and Northern California living. This distinctive property, designed for a Los Altos family with strong British roots, features a hidden teahouse and an arts and crafts studio, creating a multigenerational retreat.
Key Takeaways
- Designers transformed an outdated 'Santa-Fe-meets-log-cabin' into a modern Cotswolds-style farmhouse.
- The home balances communal spaces with private areas like a hidden teahouse and an art studio.
- Structural changes included raising ceilings and introducing sliding glass doors to enhance flow.
- Interior design features warm colors, luxurious textures, and specific nods to British heritage.
- Outdoor spaces are integrated, with a shaded structure and native, drought-tolerant plants.
Bringing the Cotswolds to Sonoma Valley
The concept of a Cotswolds-style farmhouse in California’s wine country might seem unusual. England's green landscapes and Sonoma Valley's vineyards are distinctly different. However, this blend was precisely the vision for designers Aimee Kirby of Ferox Studio and Mariam Mollaghaffari of Miriam Grace Design.
The clients, a Los Altos-based family, sought to honor their British heritage while fully embracing their life in Northern California. The property's secluded setting, offering views of Sugarloaf Mountain, was a major draw from the start.
Initial Challenges and Vision
The original house presented several challenges. One homeowner described it as a 'Santa-Fe-meets-log-cabin' structure. It featured orange-hued wood, plaster, and slate floors, which felt out of place for the Sonoma area.
The designers aimed to transform these outdated interiors into an airy, family-centric home. The goal was to create a space that felt more cohesive and 'of place,' according to Aimee Kirby.
Designing for Family Life and Privacy
A core element of the design process was balancing discrete spaces for individual family members with generous communal areas. This approach ensured comfort and functionality for a multigenerational family.
Mariam Mollaghaffari emphasized the intention behind making the home comfortable for everyone. The design needed to foster fluid connections between indoor and outdoor spaces, while also infusing the warmth and intimacy found in traditional English cottages.
"A lot of the intention was around how to make the home comfortable for the people in the family," Mariam Mollaghaffari stated, highlighting the project's focus on inhabitant well-being.
Specialized Retreats and Creative Zones
The designers carved out rooms specifically for privacy and quiet reflection. These included a dedicated teahouse and an arts and crafts studio for the children. These spaces were designed to support creativity and mindfulness.
Contrary to the trend of large, open great rooms, the client preferred smaller, more defined spaces. Mariam noted that this allowed for rooms to truly have their own identity, creating distinct zones within the home.
Structural Transformations and Aesthetic Details
Before any aesthetic enhancements could begin, the design team addressed the home's counterintuitive layout. This included an excessive number of doors and undesirably low ceilings.
Aimee Kirby described the original space as having a "disjointedness" in how one experienced the flow and materiality. Significant structural interventions were necessary to rectify these issues.
Key Structural Improvements
- The kitchen ceiling was raised by approximately 18 inches to create a more open feel.
- Rimadesio sliding glass doors were installed to gracefully separate the dining room from the living area and kitchen, maintaining sight lines.
- Existing trusses were clad with wood to give the appearance of classic beams.
Once the architectural adjustments were complete, the focus shifted to the interior details. The kitchen, a major structural undertaking, now features cabinetry in Benjamin Moore’s Cottage Red, paired with Calacatta Viola marble countertops and backsplash. This combination achieves the desired modern Cotswolds-style farmhouse aesthetic.
Cohesive Design Through Color and Texture
Despite each room having a distinct identity, a common thread of warm colors, luxurious textures, and soft lighting runs throughout the farmhouse. This creates a cohesive and inviting atmosphere.
In the living area, a large green Kevin sofa by Studio Valle de Valle curves around a sculptural coffee table by Brooklyn designer Minjae Kim. The nearby kitchen's design, with its Cottage Red cabinets and patinated brass fixtures, directly references the clients' British heritage.
Thoughtful Room-by-Room Details
- The dining room features deep blue walls, contrasting with vintage Henning Kjærnulf chairs and a wood-and-ceramic pendant by Jessica Helgerson for Roll & Hill.
- The guest bedroom utilizes soft, earthy tones, with custom board-and-batten detailing painted in Portola Paints’ green-gray Pindari and walls finished in Bauwerk Colour’s Seed.
- The primary bath, painted in Portola Paints’ Piano Room with a limewash finish, includes The Water Monopoly’s Rockwell bath with feet and a scalloped, flower-woven rattan pendant light.
Integrating Indoors with Outdoors
A crucial aspect of the design was integrating the house with its surrounding landscape and framing the views of Sugarloaf Mountain. In the living room, a new picture window was installed to enhance this connection.
On cooler days, the family often gathers by the fireplace in one of Jake Arnold’s classic curved armchairs. Outdoors, a new shaded structure, complete with a built-in limestone fireplace and a large vintage farm table, has become a favorite spot for morning gatherings during warmer months.
Outdoor Sanctuaries
Some of the most personal spaces are found outdoors. The property includes several seating areas around the recently reclad pool, such as Pablo outdoor chairs and Meridiani Claud Open Air beds.
The custom-designed teahouse, a surprise for the client's mother who enjoys tea ceremonies and gardening, stands out as a particularly heartfelt addition. Aimee Kirby recalled the excitement of being part of such a personal project.
The landscape itself was carefully considered, with Aimee bringing in native, drought-tolerant plants to ground the property firmly within the "Sonoma context." What was once a tractor shed has been repurposed into an art studio, providing another creative space for the family. This studio features a work table and shelving conceived by Mariam Grace Design and fabricated by Master Builds Construction.
The primary bath also showcases thoughtful details, including a lilac marble countertop, Watermark’s Blue 37 collection plumbing fixtures, and a Kohler sink. Workstead’s Bole sconces complement the pared-down medicine cabinets from Robern’s Craft Series Collection, with a Beni rug adding a final touch of comfort.
Even the powder room received meticulous attention, featuring a sink made of Calacatta Viola and Insideast’s unlacquered brass wall-mounted faucet. The shower is lined with Tilebar ceramic tiles and finished with brass doors fabricated by Fathom + Form, completing the home's blend of modern elegance and rustic charm.