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Inspired West Coast Homes
MODERN RESIDENCE FOR ART COLLECTORS
St. Helena, CA
"We are from Chicago and of course love architecture and design. We knew that we wanted a classic, modern style, California inside-outside house that
was sophisticated and timeless. We entertain a lot and have friends over and also need places to display key pieces of our art collection."
Located in a quiet, mature neighborhood, our dreamhouse clients sought out a larger, flat lot with several existing mature trees that could allow
the home to sprawl into the site and landscape. The result was an innovative layout on the axis of the compass—north, south, east, and west—that
resulted in dramatic moonrises and sunsets that pass through the spaces differently each day and each season. We intentionally conceptualized the
house and site layout to showcase specific pieces from the clients' art collection as a fundamental part of the building and landscape design. Each of
the L-shaped house's ground-floor rooms access a rear "outdoor room" patio area that includes a spa-water feature, sunshade canopy, and linear fire
pits for evening warming. Interior floors of pea-gravel terrazzo flow outside and use the same aggregates for the patio's exposed concrete paving. A
front yard reflecting pool and frosted glass fence strategically hide interior views from the street.
Photographs by Blake Marvin & Lisa Petrole
Designed by ORR Design Office, East Bay & Sacramento, CA, page 214
