Houzz Tours
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Houzz Tour: A Modern Rural Haven With Fabulous Views in California
A near-total renovation transformed a rickety house into a modern, open home that makes the most of its beautiful surroundings
The owners of this house – weekday city dwellers in San Francisco – wanted a weekend retreat and a gateway to the great outdoors. They also needed it to help soothe sore muscles, and it had to handle mud.
Amid the steep slopes and rivers of Sonoma County, northern California, the family found a 2 acre plot and a home with views to spare. They bought it, then called Boor Bridges Architecture, a firm they’d worked with on their city home. Before their getaway could be used, it needed some work.
Houzz at a Glance
Location Cazadero, California, USA
Size 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built 1964; renovated in 2013
Architect Boor Bridges Architecture
Amid the steep slopes and rivers of Sonoma County, northern California, the family found a 2 acre plot and a home with views to spare. They bought it, then called Boor Bridges Architecture, a firm they’d worked with on their city home. Before their getaway could be used, it needed some work.
Houzz at a Glance
Location Cazadero, California, USA
Size 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built 1964; renovated in 2013
Architect Boor Bridges Architecture
Before the makeover began, the clients hired a local arborist to assess the state of the surrounding trees. He identified 15 trees to cut down, a mix of non-native species and problematic natives. Bridges saved the stumps and used them to create retaining walls on site. But the best part of the tree trimming was opening up the view to the Russian River and the hills beyond. The narrow 30-degree peephole was transformed to a 90-degree view.
A wall once separated the kitchen from the living room, and a small kitchen window made the view even less visible. Bridges took out the wall, integrating the kitchen with the dining and living rooms. The front door now opens into a great room filled with natural light.
She also replaced a small kitchen window with two large windows that capitalise on the view. The kitchen combines stock Ikea cabinets with refined touches, such as custom leather handles. The island worktop is zinc, which ‘felt in line with the camp nature of the site’, Bridges says.
By the sink a Carrara marble worktop adds sophistication, matched by square Heath ceramic tiles for the splashback.
She also replaced a small kitchen window with two large windows that capitalise on the view. The kitchen combines stock Ikea cabinets with refined touches, such as custom leather handles. The island worktop is zinc, which ‘felt in line with the camp nature of the site’, Bridges says.
By the sink a Carrara marble worktop adds sophistication, matched by square Heath ceramic tiles for the splashback.
The floating support beam in the living room gave Bridges pause, as did the roof’s lack of insulation. She replaced the roof with a new shed roof equipped with rigid insulation. It now provides sturdy support and keeps the home’s temperatures stable. The entire house is now heated with one low-particle-emission wood-burning Morso fireplace. Bridges opened up the main room with additional windows facing the view. The interior reinforces the woodland scene outside, with a knotty cedar tongue and groove ceiling and white oak floors.
Discover more ideas for using natural wood
Discover more ideas for using natural wood
The clients usually stay in the house with friends, so having their own master suite was a priority. The extension that created the master bathroom freed up the other one for guests.
Left photo A short hallway opens into the bedrooms and bathroom. On the wall outside the guest bathroom, Bridges designed a ‘wall of life,’ made with bonderised and galvanised sheet metal. It’s a place to post photos and notes from family and friends. To the right is the guest bedroom, the only bedroom standing from the former home, and to the left is the master suite.
Right photo The master bathroom addition is accessible from both the bedroom and a back entrance. The freestanding bath has a hand-held spout and can work as a shower, too.
Right photo The master bathroom addition is accessible from both the bedroom and a back entrance. The freestanding bath has a hand-held spout and can work as a shower, too.
After cycling, paddle boarding or hiking, the homeowners can shower off outside. The covered area backs up to a parking spot, so in rainy weather the homeowners can quickly move from car to covering without getting too wet.
Bridges’ comprehensive site plan incorporated irrigation, outdoor recreation spaces, a deck, parking and tent sites for camping on the property.
Considering the 85in of annual rainfall and the sloped site, Bridges kept surface runoff at the forefront of her design. A rain chain downspout receives water from the shed roof; the water then runs to the east garden. Rain from the front of the house and the deck enters a swale and contributes to irrigating the xeriscape garden.
‘We consider the outdoor porch the entry,’ Bridges says. The contractor hand-picked its clear cedar posts and specially designed the floating bracket at the base. The pristine grain and invisible support give the outdoor area a refined touch.
Exterior paint: French Beret, Benjamin Moore
Exterior paint: French Beret, Benjamin Moore
The washing and drying machines squeeze into an outdoor utility space, sealed off by a sliding door that matches the home’s cladding.
Take a look at more homes with cool cladding
Take a look at more homes with cool cladding
Working with Ryan Douglas at Teva Designs, Bridges also refreshed the landscaping. She used a mix of hardscape, mulches and ground covers to create natural paths between spaces.
There are now four terraced levels in the garden – a raised-bed garden, gravel horseshoe pitch, hot tub and deck. Since the spaces are stepped down the lot, they’re barely visible from the house.
There are now four terraced levels in the garden – a raised-bed garden, gravel horseshoe pitch, hot tub and deck. Since the spaces are stepped down the lot, they’re barely visible from the house.
A fire pit gives the home a campsite vibe. Since the property has lots of outdoor space, Bridges looked for ways to use the outside areas as rooms, encouraging outdoor activities both day and night.
What looked like an intact home turned out to be missing key structural elements. There was a floating, unsupported beam in the living room, and the whole house rested on a wooden DIY post and block foundation (not the best idea for a home on a slope in the second-rainiest town in California).
Considering the cost of a structural rebuild, talk shifted briefly to building a second unit on the property. But since the plot is at risk of wildfires, regulations on any new construction are tight. So architect Bonnie Bridges looked back at the existing house and worked with what was in front of her.
Considering the cost of a structural rebuild, talk shifted briefly to building a second unit on the property. But since the plot is at risk of wildfires, regulations on any new construction are tight. So architect Bonnie Bridges looked back at the existing house and worked with what was in front of her.
One key component in the renovation was finding contractor and neighbour (he lives just down the street) Larry Horne Builder. On a suggestion from a friend, the owners and Bridges talked with Horne, who became a major contributor to the project in both designing and building the new property. His proximity and expertise expedited and improved the renovation process.