Wood Valley Road

When our clients acquired this property in the hills north of Sonoma, their intention was to renovate the existing residence and establish a family compound amidst the mature oak trees on site. However, in 2017 the wine country firestorm caused significant damage, destroying both the house and many of the surrounding trees. Following this event, LSAO was engaged by the clients to undertake site restoration, presenting an opportunity to redesign the property from the ground up.

Given a constrained budget, we opted for an unconventional approach to organize the site. Instead of a single large residence, we created a flat meadow at the heart of the property to act as a central outdoor gathering space. Around this meadow we arranged a series of smaller satellite buildings and activity areas. Our scope of work also included the design of a new accessory dwelling unit (ADU), a workshop/garage building, a fenced garden, and a small garden shed.

The interior of the ADU features partial-height Douglas Fir casework that runs the full length of the building, positioned beneath clerestory windows. The living room and bedroom have high ceilings and open spaces. These primary spaces are framed by support areas in the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom window seat, which discreetly integrate storage, plumbing, and HVAC systems.

The material palette is intentionally restrained: dark-stained cedar siding, rafters, and decking for the exterior; white walls, oak flooring, and fir casework for the interior.

Near the road, a compact workshop/garage building functions as a welcoming gatehouse for the property. The building comprises two spaces with versatile and overlapping functions. The garage offers additional storage and also serves as a pottery studio. Connected to the garage by a shared entry porch, the adjacent workshop includes a half bath and can be used as a home office or extra sleeping quarters. The covered rear porch provides a private entrance and doubles as an outdoor shower with scenic views.