No two families are exactly alike, and acquiring a home designed for someone else inevitably means elements that were must-haves for the previous owners aren’t a fit for subsequent ones. Such was the case for interior designer Lindsay Gerber Northart’s clients, a young couple with a baby on the way who had purchased this Sonoma County residence as a weekend retreat.
Northart quickly identified a pair of changes she would make to tailor the abode to the couple. She reimagined the interiors (a mix of French Provincial and Nantucket styles) to be congruent with the Mediterranean language of the exterior. At the same time, she unified a kitchen that had been divided into an everyday cooking space and a catering area used for large-scale entertaining, the latter possessing a window with one of the dwelling’s best views. “We knew we had to take down the wall between them,” Northart says.
Home Details
Architecture:
Edan Asturi, Conrad Asturi Studios Inc.
Interior Design:
Lindsay Gerber Northart, Lindsay Gerber Interiors
Home Builder:
Cam Fraser, Wine Country Builders
To make it happen, she asked the home’s original architect, Edan Asturi, to consult on the renovation, and a new kitchen was born. With the wall removed, that once-hidden window takes a starring role. The real estate gained by uniting the rooms meant Northart could include a pair of islands. One serves as a work area with storage and a dishwasher. The other, dubbed “the chef’s table,” is movable and offers a casual spot for dining, accommodating up to 10. “Everyone always wants to hang out in the kitchen, and in this one they easily can,” the designer notes. Asturi and Northart’s collaboration set off a domino effect of impactful changes executed by general contractor Cam Fraser and his team. “We improved the connection between the breakfast room and kitchen, we opened the kitchen to the living room, and we enlarged the dining room,” the architect says. “The new layout is much more modern than the previous one.”
When working on a home, Northart, an avid hiker, often looks to the landscape. “I’ll walk around properties collecting small tree branches and leaves and then bring them to the office for color and texture inspiration,” she notes. She employed the same technique here, and the olive trees, old oaks and grapevines around the site informed many of her choices, which leaned toward creamy shades of tan (like the plaster walls selected to harmonize with the exterior) and the occasional flourish of green (such as the sage-hued kitchen cabinetry). One exception to her light-colored palette is the guest bedroom, where dark paneled walls create a cozy, cocooned feeling. “My designs are usually elegant, approachable and earthy,” the designer explains. “But there were some areas in this house that I thought should be dramatic and dark.”
The design team reimagined the kitchen to take advantage of the sweeping views of the valley below. Flanking the arched window are a pair of Jamb sconces. Plaster on the interior walls connects to the home’s Mediterranean-inspired architecture.
When originally designing this home, Asturi opted for traditional Mediterranean architectural elements. Reclaimed Italian terra-cotta tiles accent the roof of the walkway leading from the main house to the gym, garage and wine storage cave.
Architect Edan Asturi returned to remodel a dwelling he had worked on years ago after designer Lindsay Gerber Northart called on him to help tailor it for new owners. The team agreed to keep such details as the troweled stucco finish, rustic stone walkway and hand-hewn beams.
In the living room, a pair of Dmitriy & Co sofas face a Demiurge New York coffee table, while A. Rudin armchairs in a de Le Cuona fabric join a Stahl + Band side table. Formations stools and a rug from Woven continue the neutral palette.
The design team reimagined the kitchen to take advantage of the sweeping views of the valley below. Flanking the arched window are a pair of Jamb sconces. Plaster on the interior walls connects to the home’s Mediterranean-inspired architecture.
Holland & Sherry leather on the breakfast nook’s seat cushions ensures a durable surface. Stahl + Band chairs provide additional seating around the Edward Collinson table from 1stdibs. Shades in a Larsen linen line the windows, and the pendant is by Roman and Williams Guild.
Hector Finch library lights illuminate a kitchen prep area defined by a Waterworks faucet, clé backsplash tile and Bianco Carrara marble countertops from Integrated Resources Group. Farrow & Ball’s Mizzle coats the cabinets, which are accented by Rocky Mountain Hardware pulls and knobs.
Northart employed neutrals to peaceful effect in the primary bedroom, beginning with Benjamin Moore’s Calm on the walls. A Jenni Kayne bed and A. Rudin lounge chair continue the soothing scheme. The Mark Alexander drapes are joined by Holly Hunt sheers.
The velvet-covered bed and table lamps, both from Shoppe Amber Interiors, Visual Comfort & Co. sconces and walls in Benjamin Moore’s Black Beauty add to the paneled guest bedroom’s moody, bookish vibe. Underfoot, a jute RH rug brings textural dimension.
An RH sofa and window seat upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric offer plenty of spots to lounge in the playroom. Farrow & Ball’s Lichen echoes the greens found around the property, as do the assortment of Linen + Cloth pillows.
Earthy and approachable served as bywords for the rest of the finishes and furnishings, guided by Northart’s preference for natural materials and the wife’s desire to balance beauty with durability. She topped the kitchen counters with classic Carrara marble sealed to withstand heavy use and the inevitable red wine spill and covered a backsplash with zellige tile that’s “hand-glazed and a little rough looking,” she describes. The reimagined primary bath sports large-format limestone floor tiles that bring a similarly rough-hewn feel. And, she adds, “All the rugs are wool, and the living room sofas are covered in an outdoor fabric. I used high-integrity materials that clean easily—nothing too fancy.”
Not everything in the home was touched though. The designer kept some details as is and refreshed others. “Wherever I can save, refinish or repurpose, I do,” she says, referring back to the guest room’s paneling. “We only cut into the millwork there to add new lights and electric.” She also refinished the wood floors throughout the dwelling rather than replacing them and even kept a dining table left by the prior owners.
Ultimately, the abode, formerly designed for another type of lifestyle entirely, became the perfect retreat for the new residents. “Like most people, I can’t enjoy a space if I’m on high alert. I worked to make this second home peaceful and easy for the family, with everything being attractive but accessible,” Northart says. “When they pull in the drive, they tell me they breathe a sigh of relaxation. The setting is serene, inviting and calm.”
Northart employed neutrals to peaceful effect in the primary bedroom, beginning with Benjamin Moore’s Calm on the walls. A Jenni Kayne bed and A. Rudin lounge chair continue the soothing scheme. The Mark Alexander drapes are joined by Holly Hunt sheers.