A charred bronze sculpture, three metres high, perches on the windswept tufts of a natural, green roof overlooking the vast, sweeping Alexander Valley within Sonoma in California’s wine country.
Inspired by the rugged countryside of north Wales, the striking artwork, designed by British artist David Nash, sets a contemporary tone for this modern house, which is crafted from poured concrete, timber and glass, and set amid acres of olive groves on a family farm producing biodynamic, organic oil.
Moody concrete walls are framed by Alaskan yellow-cedar panelling, while sleek glass blurs the lines between the indoors and outdoor living and dining areas. Designed as a place for visiting friends and family to stay, and set a little distance away from the main house, this space was created in collaboration with Strening Architects and Lucas & Lucas Landscape Architecture.
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Clutching a dog-eared copy of Nicole Hollis’s book Curated Interiors with notes on each page, the young farm owners invited the interior designer to get involved at the beginning of the build, to work with the architects on material choices, the layout and the planning of the outdoor entertaining area.
‘When working with a modern concrete structure,’ Nicole explains, ‘my approach is always to find a balance between its raw, industrial nature and the warmth and comfort we seek in a living space. We were inspired by the way the light shifts, the textures of the materials and the colours of the landscape, which shaped the palette.’
‘The key is layering,’ adds Nicole, who used natural fabrics in neutral tones, ‘as well as balancing matte and polished surfaces.’ Carefully chosen artworks make a quiet statement throughout the interior; in the living room, it’s a collection of pendants, hand-carved from a single piece of fallen oak by artist Nic Webb, which float like supersized seed pods, drifting on the breeze.
In the bedroom, Nicole selected a painting by Danae Mattes with a crackled grey, blue and white glaze; its beautiful imperfection invites a wabi-sabi energy inside. ‘We collaborated with artists whose work speaks to the natural elements of the space,’ she says, ‘ensuring each commission feels integrated rather than decorative and celebrates craft.’
Every piece, no matter how beautiful, can’t help but play second fiddle to the extraordinary views of the landscape, though. These are the ultimate artworks, and the architects and Nicole understood that they had to take centre-stage.
Outside, a single, circular hole has been blasted into a solid concrete wall, perfectly framing the rolling terrain while shielding the lap pool from the elements; the firepit is also positioned accordingly to make the most of the sunset vistas. Nicole chose a lava-stone dining table, marble stools and reclaimed-teak side tables in tones that, she says, ‘mimic the hues of the sky, the earth and the plants, allowing this design to blend into its surroundings’. nicolehollis.com
