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Houzz Tour: Modern Vineyard Retreat in Under 1,800 Square Feet
In Oregon wine country, an efficient, earthy house inspired by simplicity, sunshine and soil blends into the landscape
New houses often expand and accumulate bells and whistles between concept and completion. But when a couple putting down roots in Oregon wine country saw their project headed in that direction, the process turned into an exercise in scaling back.
“It was nice to have the clients say, ‘Let’s make it smaller. Let’s simplify. We want what we can live with — we don’t want anything more,’ ” says Kelby Riegsecker of Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects, who teamed up with builders Hammer & Hand to help realize the homeowners’ vision.
For the home’s architecture and finishes, Riegsecker took cues from its setting: 10 acres of gently sloping hillside covered in newly planted rows of grapevines. He also incorporated simple green systems and strategies with sustainability in mind. The result is a space- and energy-efficient, refreshingly one-of-a-kind retreat that both looks and feels one with the land.
“It was nice to have the clients say, ‘Let’s make it smaller. Let’s simplify. We want what we can live with — we don’t want anything more,’ ” says Kelby Riegsecker of Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects, who teamed up with builders Hammer & Hand to help realize the homeowners’ vision.
For the home’s architecture and finishes, Riegsecker took cues from its setting: 10 acres of gently sloping hillside covered in newly planted rows of grapevines. He also incorporated simple green systems and strategies with sustainability in mind. The result is a space- and energy-efficient, refreshingly one-of-a-kind retreat that both looks and feels one with the land.
“We really started to play with, one, how the building sits on the site, and then two, how it reacts to the vineyard itself,” Riegsecker says of their approach.
The driveway pictured above leads to the home’s front entrance. The previous photo shows the back of the house. The photos capture how the roofline follows the contours of the land and how the building is perched on a slope looking out over the vineyard.
“Usually, when you have such a big view, the roof tilts up and you get floor-to-ceiling windows. We pushed to have the roof go with the landscape, so the view kind of falls away, creating more of a linear view from the house looking out,” Riegsecker says.
The driveway pictured above leads to the home’s front entrance. The previous photo shows the back of the house. The photos capture how the roofline follows the contours of the land and how the building is perched on a slope looking out over the vineyard.
“Usually, when you have such a big view, the roof tilts up and you get floor-to-ceiling windows. We pushed to have the roof go with the landscape, so the view kind of falls away, creating more of a linear view from the house looking out,” Riegsecker says.
This bird’s-eye view shows how the home sits in relationship to the rows of grape vines, which run north-south to best capture sunlight.
At the center of the circular driveway (to the right of the house in the picture) is a large preexisting oak tree that provides shade for the home’s entrance.
At the center of the circular driveway (to the right of the house in the picture) is a large preexisting oak tree that provides shade for the home’s entrance.
At the entrance, which faces south, a set of roof-covered stairs leads down to the front door. Clerestory windows both capture sunlight and offer tantalizing glimpses through the house out to the vineyard.
The board-and-batten cladding, beams and soffits are made from stained local Western red cedar. Note how the wood battens continue over the window to filter the intense sun — a detail that repeats in several places throughout the house (and casts beautiful shadows).
The roof is standing-seam metal panels, selected because of the roof’s low slope as well as for the material’s low maintenance and fire resistance.
Read about sustainable building
The board-and-batten cladding, beams and soffits are made from stained local Western red cedar. Note how the wood battens continue over the window to filter the intense sun — a detail that repeats in several places throughout the house (and casts beautiful shadows).
The roof is standing-seam metal panels, selected because of the roof’s low slope as well as for the material’s low maintenance and fire resistance.
Read about sustainable building
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Ina, the family dog, crosses the threshold onto a floor made of integral colored concrete. The hue was inspired by the region’s signature reddish-brown Jory soil, which the team was keen to incorporate into the home’s design.
A small entry bench is one of several metal elements custom-fabricated for the home. Throughout the interior, plaster-like Milestone walls and Douglas fir cabinetry and door and window frames also help to create a cohesive look that echoes the natural elements and palette found in the surrounding landscape.
A small entry bench is one of several metal elements custom-fabricated for the home. Throughout the interior, plaster-like Milestone walls and Douglas fir cabinetry and door and window frames also help to create a cohesive look that echoes the natural elements and palette found in the surrounding landscape.
The entry vestibule angles toward the kitchen and dining portion of a larger open room. All along that mostly north-facing side of the house, glass doors and windows dissolve the distinction between the interior spaces and the vineyard.
Scroll to the bottom to see a floor plan and get a sense of the house’s flow and geometry.
The empty-nest homeowners and Riegsecker frequently discussed aging-in-place strategies during the design phase and widened doorways and aisles accordingly.
Read about accessible design
Scroll to the bottom to see a floor plan and get a sense of the house’s flow and geometry.
The empty-nest homeowners and Riegsecker frequently discussed aging-in-place strategies during the design phase and widened doorways and aisles accordingly.
Read about accessible design
Natural soapstone counters (another nod to the land) top Douglas fir cabinetry and wrap up the wall. The counters’ extra depth allowed for an appliance garage behind an aluminum tambour door with ample counter space in front of it.
Open cubbies, also made of Douglas fir, show off the owners’ collection of dishware and pottery.
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Open cubbies, also made of Douglas fir, show off the owners’ collection of dishware and pottery.
Shop for kitchen products
The triangular projection over the entry echoes a cutout on the opposite side of the house, pictured here. The notch subtly separates the kitchen and dining area from the living room and creates an opportunity for bench seating on both the interior and exterior.
Beneath the interior bench is storage designed specifically for the music-loving owner’s collection of records, which pair with a record player set on a custom-made walnut stand.
“We were really trying to understand what [the homeowners] were going to display and what different pieces they needed to fit within the house, just to make sure that everything fit in its proper place,” Riegsecker says.
Beneath the interior bench is storage designed specifically for the music-loving owner’s collection of records, which pair with a record player set on a custom-made walnut stand.
“We were really trying to understand what [the homeowners] were going to display and what different pieces they needed to fit within the house, just to make sure that everything fit in its proper place,” Riegsecker says.
This exterior view shows how the notch forms a nifty covered outdoor dining area.
Windows and doors: aluminum, Western Window Systems; wood, Kolbe Ultra Series
Windows and doors: aluminum, Western Window Systems; wood, Kolbe Ultra Series
The rest of the room is designed for relaxing, entertaining and appreciating the views, with movable poufs, a classic Eames lounge chair and large sliding doors that open to a patio.
Speaking of relaxing, Ina looks cozy on the concrete floor, which keeps the home comfortable on cold days thanks to its energy-efficient hydronic radiant heating system.
During the summer, the clerestory windows open to provide passive ventilation, and a mini-split heat pump system provides spot cooling.
Speaking of relaxing, Ina looks cozy on the concrete floor, which keeps the home comfortable on cold days thanks to its energy-efficient hydronic radiant heating system.
During the summer, the clerestory windows open to provide passive ventilation, and a mini-split heat pump system provides spot cooling.
A look back toward the entry vestibule reveals a three-sided wood-burning fireplace, which creates a warm focal point for the entire open space. Beside it, a coffee table custom-made by Paul Kruger of Fallen Industry sits in front of a wood-framed sofa.
“We worked really closely with the clients on everything,” Riegsecker says. “It was a great relationship to go back and forth with ideas, from the architecture all the way down to the furniture.”
“We worked really closely with the clients on everything,” Riegsecker says. “It was a great relationship to go back and forth with ideas, from the architecture all the way down to the furniture.”
The homeowner’s workspace is behind the kitchen and also serves as a TV room and guest bedroom. A cowboy by pop artist Robert Ransom overlooks her large worktable, and integral drawers provide storage space under the window.
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Shop for home office furniture
The primary bathroom and bedroom are just beyond the office.
“One of the interesting ideas that we kind of threw out to the client was, ‘Well, what if we push everything up to the edge, so when you’re in bed or in the bathtub, you really feel like you’re out over the landscape?’ ” Riegsecker says. “And they were all on board with the idea.”
“One of the interesting ideas that we kind of threw out to the client was, ‘Well, what if we push everything up to the edge, so when you’re in bed or in the bathtub, you really feel like you’re out over the landscape?’ ” Riegsecker says. “And they were all on board with the idea.”
This section of the house cants so the primary bathroom and bedroom are facing straight down the rows of vines.
Next to the tub, the shower has a pair of glass French doors covered with a film for privacy. But when they’re open, there’s little between the person showering, the vineyard and the blue sky.
Next to the tub, the shower has a pair of glass French doors covered with a film for privacy. But when they’re open, there’s little between the person showering, the vineyard and the blue sky.
Here’s the exterior view.
The tub wall is open to the bedroom to offer a sense of airiness and a 180-degree view. (You can see a pocket door on one side in the previous photo.)
The tub wall is open to the bedroom to offer a sense of airiness and a 180-degree view. (You can see a pocket door on one side in the previous photo.)
Light pours into the bathroom from a skylight. The vanity countertop is quartz, and the bathroom walls are finished with Milestone, used on the walls throughout the house.
“We use it in quite a bit of our projects,” Riegsecker says. “You can kind of get any color you want, and depending on who’s applying it, you can get a different application of how much of a mottled look you want. It’s water-resistant and you don’t really need any lines in it — it’s just this monolithic feel.”
“We use it in quite a bit of our projects,” Riegsecker says. “You can kind of get any color you want, and depending on who’s applying it, you can get a different application of how much of a mottled look you want. It’s water-resistant and you don’t really need any lines in it — it’s just this monolithic feel.”
A custom walnut bed nestles right up to the window. It has an integral dresser on the back and drawers underneath — again, everything has its place.
Motorized shades provide privacy and light control, while window screens (removed for the photo) keep out any tiny unwanted visitors.
Motorized shades provide privacy and light control, while window screens (removed for the photo) keep out any tiny unwanted visitors.
At the other end of the house, off the living room, a patio steps down to a pavilion equipped with a large custom wood-burning fireplace, dining area and modular kitchen (with a wine fridge, naturally).
“It really feels like it’s even more a part of the vineyard because it’s on grade with everything, whereas the rest of the house is sitting up 2 feet or so above the vineyard,” Riegsecker says of the pavilion, where the homeowners plan to throw parties and host friends and family.
At the far left of the photo, you can see a raised garden bed easily accessible from the pavilion.
“It really feels like it’s even more a part of the vineyard because it’s on grade with everything, whereas the rest of the house is sitting up 2 feet or so above the vineyard,” Riegsecker says of the pavilion, where the homeowners plan to throw parties and host friends and family.
At the far left of the photo, you can see a raised garden bed easily accessible from the pavilion.
Just visible here is the pavilion’s tinted, semitransparent polycarbonate roof, which lets in light while providing some sun protection.
The fireplace is made from board-formed concrete made on site with a metal surround.
The fireplace is made from board-formed concrete made on site with a metal surround.
The same roofing material protects a woodpile and a retro-looking Ford Bronco under the carport, which sits right behind the patio.
The homeowners originally planned to live in the house part time, but they soon decided to make it their primary residence. No doubt its highly personalized design and views like this one factored into their decision.
So have the pros and homeowners raised a glass of that pinot noir to toast their successful collaboration?
“I think this is their fourth season, so this is the first year they’ll have wine,” Riegsecker says with a laugh. “I look forward to it though!”
So have the pros and homeowners raised a glass of that pinot noir to toast their successful collaboration?
“I think this is their fourth season, so this is the first year they’ll have wine,” Riegsecker says with a laugh. “I look forward to it though!”
House at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple and their dog, Ina
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Size: 1,783 square feet (166 square meters); two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architect: Kelby Riegsecker (project architect) and Dan Wickline (principal architect) of Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects
Builder: Hammer & Hand
Landscape designer: Gavin Younie of Outdoor Scenery
Oregon’s Willamette Valley is renowned for its pinot noir wine, produced from grapes that flourish in its volcanic soil. The homeowners were visiting the area from Minnesota when they happened upon a 10-acre lot for sale during a walk. Recognizing its potential, they seized the opportunity to realize a dream and start a vineyard.
Shortly thereafter, they hired Seattle-based Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects to build a home amid the grapes. According to project architect Riegsecker, their top priority was to make it fit into the site — the firm’s specialty.
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