September 18, 2020 By Jennifer Fernandez House Beautiful
Imagine an ideal Sonoma hillside dotted with stately oak, Manzanita, and madrone trees. Now picture it sliced in half horizontally like a baguette, and tucked within the seam, a modernist wood-and-glass ranch home—specifically, one built by Bay Area architects Bevan & Associates for a pair of well- traveled, art-savvy empty nesters.
“The idea was to have the house scoop up the view from everywhere, so we settled on a linear configuration with landscaped roofs that allow the hillside to be a blanket,” says the firm’s principal, George Bevan, who worked with landscape architect Mike Lucas of Lucas & Lucas. Inside, design mastermind Ken Fulk dreamed up a series of equally inspiring vistas. “It’s a new structure, but we wanted the surfaces to feel soulful, like a human had touched them,” says Fulk of the house’s unvarnished finishes, from hand-plastered walls to the leather-like honed marble kitchen island.
By contrast, the furnishings display a flair for the dramatic and more than a hint of urban sophistication—not unlike Fulk himself. In the library, an olive green tufted sofa inspired by an Edward Wormley original in the designer’s own home is an unexpected choice. On the other end of the design spectrum, the main bath feels like a trip to Morocco. “We weren’t picking things simply because they went with the house,” Fulk says. “There’s a really personal, opinionated streak; we just distilled it down to the things that really matter.”
Living Room
(1st Photo) The board-formed concrete is a modern twist on traditional farmhouse-style planking. Chairs and sofa: vintage. Cocktail table: vintage, collection of Ken Fulk Inc. Console table: Epoca. Cabinet: custom, One Off Furniture. Rug: Mansour Modern. Chandelier: The Urban Electric Co.
Kitchen
(2nd Photo) The warm, furniture-like feel of the cabinets, custom-built by One Off Furniture, tempers the spectacle of the marble island. Stools: Design WithinReach. Pendants: The Urban Electric Co. Faucet: Rohl. Tile: Ann Sacks.
Game Room
(3rd Photo) “There’s something about it that’s delightfully imperfect. It’s not a typically quiet country house,” Fulk says. Pendant: Michael Del Piero. Pool table: District Mills. Paint: C2 Paint.
Patio
(4th Photo) A massive (yet shallow) water feature surrounds outdoor areas, eliminating the need for view-obstructing railings. Furniture: Janus et Cie.
Bathroom
(5th Photo) Ornate pieces, like a Moroccan pendant from Downtown in Los Angeles, add personality to the utilitarian architecture. Bathtub: Waterworks. Chair: Epoca. Sconces: The Urban Electric Co.
Library
(6th Photo) A custom-designed decoupage cocktail table covered in sheet music is a nod to the owners’ musical passions. Sofa: custom, Antonio’s Antiques and Custom Restoration. Sconce: Urban Archaeology. Shelves: custom, One Off Furniture. Coffee table: Coup d’Etat. Rug: Stark Carpet.