Houzz Tour: ‘Modern Ag’ House in California Wine Country
An architect gleans inspiration from local agricultural buildings in this light-filled home and future retreat
When this family of four lost its California wine country home in the Tubbs Fire in 2017, it was devastating but it also offered a chance to reshape plans for the future. The homeowners hired architect Craig O’Connell to build a new house that would be flexible enough to accommodate those plans. For the immediate future, they wanted a home away from their San Francisco Bay Area residence that could be used as a getaway and as a gathering spot with their large extended family. They also planned to rent it out on Airbnb when they weren’t using it. For the near future, they tasked O’Connell with considering it as a place where they could host wellness retreats, and for a bit further off, they wanted him to design a home that could eventually become their full-time residence.
In addition to the home’s various planned uses, the property itself helped shape O’Connell’s design. Surrounded by expansive views of the Mayacamas Mountains, the site helped him determine the footprint and layout of the home. Considering the locations of the magnificent redwood trees and the pool that had survived the fire informed the placement and orientation of the structures. And the agriculture of the region helped O’Connell find the style for the home, which he refers to as “modern ag.” More on that in a bit.
In addition to the home’s various planned uses, the property itself helped shape O’Connell’s design. Surrounded by expansive views of the Mayacamas Mountains, the site helped him determine the footprint and layout of the home. Considering the locations of the magnificent redwood trees and the pool that had survived the fire informed the placement and orientation of the structures. And the agriculture of the region helped O’Connell find the style for the home, which he refers to as “modern ag.” More on that in a bit.
O’Connell used the board-and-batten siding in an unusual way, extending it from the ground up to the bottom of the second-story windows. “It creates a ‘belly band’ around the house that plays with scale,” he says. A small patio off the kitchen and dining area provides a nice indoor-outdoor connection.
One unique feature on the wife’s list was an entry that could also serve as an outdoor mudroom. “She wanted benches out here so it would be an open-air place to take off shoes before entering the house,” O’Connell says. He responded with a portico that’s closed on three sides and lined in outdoor-rated cedar.
The landscaping around the house is drought-tolerant. In fact, the manicured grass in the landscape is extremely drought-tolerant since it’s artificial turf.
One unique feature on the wife’s list was an entry that could also serve as an outdoor mudroom. “She wanted benches out here so it would be an open-air place to take off shoes before entering the house,” O’Connell says. He responded with a portico that’s closed on three sides and lined in outdoor-rated cedar.
The landscaping around the house is drought-tolerant. In fact, the manicured grass in the landscape is extremely drought-tolerant since it’s artificial turf.
The lot dictated the siting of the house in two ways. First, numerous majestic redwood trees had survived the fire. No trees were cleared to make room for the house. Second, the pool was the one original built element that remained.
“The pool had an awkward relationship with the existing house before. It was kind of far away from it,” O’Connell says. “I used its location and dimensions to plan where the house would go. And I planned how the house would open out to and view the pool.” For example, there’s an easy flow from the doors off the kitchen and the back wing of the house to the pool though glass doors.
The new house is also more fire-resistant than the previous house had been. Some of the fire-resistant aspects include interior sprinklers, a DensShield backer installed behind the siding and spray foam insulation that doesn’t require any venting for air flow through the roof eaves. There’s gravel and concrete around the house and a limited number of small native plants near it.
Browse outdoor chaise lounges in the Houzz Shop
“The pool had an awkward relationship with the existing house before. It was kind of far away from it,” O’Connell says. “I used its location and dimensions to plan where the house would go. And I planned how the house would open out to and view the pool.” For example, there’s an easy flow from the doors off the kitchen and the back wing of the house to the pool though glass doors.
The new house is also more fire-resistant than the previous house had been. Some of the fire-resistant aspects include interior sprinklers, a DensShield backer installed behind the siding and spray foam insulation that doesn’t require any venting for air flow through the roof eaves. There’s gravel and concrete around the house and a limited number of small native plants near it.
Browse outdoor chaise lounges in the Houzz Shop
This photo shows the strong relationship between the house and the pool. The back wing has solar panels that provide 100% of the home’s energy. “It’s really cool — these panels simply clip into the seams of the roof,” O’Connell says.
“I had to think about how the house would function as a wellness retreat when planning the layout,” O’Connell says. Accordingly, he kept the living room, dining room and kitchen open to one another. “The open plan allows the house to hold a big group really well,” he says.
Shop for modern and contemporary linear chandeliers
Shop for modern and contemporary linear chandeliers
The layout also makes it easy for people to flow between indoors and out. The architect planned the rooms around the views and this easy flow. Here, a large expanse of glass doors off the kitchen looks out toward the front yard and provides easy access to it.
Before the fire, the family had a garden of raised beds out front, which were replanted as part of the project. The family stayed in its Airstream trailer during the construction process and now keeps it on the property.
Before the fire, the family had a garden of raised beds out front, which were replanted as part of the project. The family stayed in its Airstream trailer during the construction process and now keeps it on the property.
The doors on the left open to the pool area and the doors on the opposite side open to the small front patio and the raised-bed garden beyond.
The flooring throughout the first floor is concrete with radiant heat. “These floors are absolutely beautiful,” O’Connell says. “Sometimes concrete floors can look glossy, but these have a beautiful matte finish.” He used a black pigment to give them their deep gray look.
Using wood flooring on the ceiling was the wife’s idea. “It turned out great and adds a lot of softness and warmth,” the architect says. The reclaimed wood came from Black’s Farmwood. “They are a really cool local resource for reclaimed wood,” O’Connell says.
The flooring throughout the first floor is concrete with radiant heat. “These floors are absolutely beautiful,” O’Connell says. “Sometimes concrete floors can look glossy, but these have a beautiful matte finish.” He used a black pigment to give them their deep gray look.
Using wood flooring on the ceiling was the wife’s idea. “It turned out great and adds a lot of softness and warmth,” the architect says. The reclaimed wood came from Black’s Farmwood. “They are a really cool local resource for reclaimed wood,” O’Connell says.
The part of the kitchen that’s within view of the living and dining rooms is functional but is more of a show kitchen. It provides a pretty view of a tiled backsplash wall with open shelving. The base of the island and the shelves coordinate with the wood on the ceiling. There’s a hidden “dirty kitchen” on the other side of the range wall that houses the fridge and smaller appliances and serves as an expansive butler’s pantry.
The countertops are quartz. “They wanted something durable because of the wear and tear of hosting large groups and renting out the house,” O’Connell says.
The countertops are quartz. “They wanted something durable because of the wear and tear of hosting large groups and renting out the house,” O’Connell says.
O’Connell connected the house to the back wing with this stunning 20-foot-long steel-and-glass hallway. “The glass hall is an epic part of the architecture,” he says.
“The glass hall has hinged doors on either side so that you can move through it in four different directions,” O’Connell says. This side has a small patio that looks out to the redwoods, and the other side opens to the pool area.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
The back wing of the house contains two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office and a media room. But O’Connell set them all up to be flexible. This bedroom overlooking the pool could easily be converted to an office or meeting space for retreats.
Two 8-foot-high large custom barn doors slide open, providing two entrances to the room and a more open feel when desired. All the doors in the back wing have reveals. In other words, they are grooved. “The reveals make it look like the doors are composed of boards,” O’Connell says.
Two 8-foot-high large custom barn doors slide open, providing two entrances to the room and a more open feel when desired. All the doors in the back wing have reveals. In other words, they are grooved. “The reveals make it look like the doors are composed of boards,” O’Connell says.
“The glass in this bathroom makes you feel like you are showering outdoors,” O’Connell says. The concrete flooring continues into the curbless shower for a seamless look, and the eye goes straight off to the mountain views.
Back in the main part of the house, O’Connell designed a custom metal railing for the staircase. Large windows fill the stairwell with light.
There are three bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms upstairs. “After placing the two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, I wound up with leftover space and decided it would be a great spot for an extra powder room,” O’Connell says. With big groups staying here, the more toilets available, the better.
O’Connell cut a window in an upstairs bathroom to provide a view of the hillside. “It’s amazing how quickly things have grown up since the fire,” he says.
Browse vanities in the Houzz Shop
Browse vanities in the Houzz Shop
Given all the uses for the home his clients had in mind, the architect placed a separate garage away from the house that he refers to as “the barn.” This was another good opportunity to create a flexible space. While it can certainly hold cars, O’Connell also imagined it as a place for meetings or practicing yoga during wellness retreats.
The trusses on the ceiling are a barn-like component of the “modern ag” style. So are the large custom metal barn doors on two sides of the building. The space also includes a full bathroom, which will be convenient for any type of retreat or when the space is used as an office, a dinner party venue, a guest house or a workshop. The outside of the building also has chargers for electric cars.
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The trusses on the ceiling are a barn-like component of the “modern ag” style. So are the large custom metal barn doors on two sides of the building. The space also includes a full bathroom, which will be convenient for any type of retreat or when the space is used as an office, a dinner party venue, a guest house or a workshop. The outside of the building also has chargers for electric cars.
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Tour more modern homes
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is the second home for a family of four
Location: Calistoga, California
Size: Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, two half bathrooms
Architect: Craig O’Connell
“These clients had remodeled homes before and the wife was especially savvy and involved,” O’Connell says. “She was really into symmetry and balance, which I kept in mind. For example, I lined up the windows and made sure they were balanced.” The couple also wanted to nod to the agricultural surroundings of Calistoga, a town at the northern end of Napa Valley wine country. But they didn’t want the typical modern farmhouse or California wine country look.
The kind of house described as a “modern farmhouse” isn’t the best fit for what O’Connell was going for here. “I have a friend who has come up with the term ‘modern ag’ to describe a house that is a modern, pared-down version of local vernacular agricultural buildings,” he says. “I think it’s a pretty good fit to describe this.”
The house consists of a two-story main portion connected to a back wing by a 20-foot-long glass hallway. The forms were inspired by the shapes of local agricultural buildings, yet the simplicity of these forms is also modern. The board-and-batten siding also nods to agricultural architecture, while the unfussy windows and warm dark gray color make it modern. The standing-seam metal roof likewise references local agricultural structures, but its dark color gives it a more modern vibe.
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