Inside a Serene Wine Country Retreat

This tranquil residence set amid the rocky contours in the hills above the Napa Valley is a chic, serene retreat focused on its enviable setting and a life lived indoors and out.

High in the eastern hills above the Napa Valley, a dramatic band of igneous rock—known locally as the Palisades—forms a wall along the crests above the town of Napa. This subtly sophisticated hideaway—designed by Bay Area architect Michael Baushke and built by the renowned David Easton—harmonizes with its setting in remarkable ways, and this peaceful rapport is very much deliberate. Much like the most forward-thinking of his contemporaries, Baushke emphasizes the relationship between manmade and natural environments in his designs, and Easton long ago established worldwide renown for his trailblazing work with rammed-earth construction.

Napa, California | Cody Warren AvetoomJeff WarrenSotheby’s International Realty – St. Helena Brokerage

The home’s low-slung roofline never surpasses the surrounding treetops, construction materials echo the hues and textures of the natural world, and plentiful windows and walls of glass conjure a dynamism between indoors and out. Ceiling beams may, to the imaginative eye, recall the bowers of nearby trees and woodlands. Terraces, a meditative lily pond, swaths of lawn, an open-air shower, and a refreshing hillside pool surrounded by stonework, colorful landscaping, and a delightful variety of mature trees encourage a life lived outdoors. Views from vantage points throughout the acreage sweep across treetops, hills, and valleys toward the horizon and rosy sunsets.

Consisting of wings lined with and linked by vine-draped loggias, the 4,382-square-foot floor plan features a central great room with two full “disappearing” walls of glass, a formal dining room with a fireplace and tall breezy doors opening to the grounds, an impressively streamlined cook’s kitchen suffused with light, and an office with a wall of built-in bookshelves and a desk set in an inspiring windowed bay. Among the three restful bedroom suites is an owner’s suite with a wet bar, a built-in media center, a woodstove, a generous walk-in closet, a luxurious spa-inspired bath, and a private terrace and lawn with a picturesque outlook. Fixtures, features, and appointments throughout are chicly minimal, creating a truly serene ambience and allowing the focus to remain on the enveloping environment.

The 75.3-acre property—consisting of two legal parcels—exemplifies wine country living, with an olive grove, a horse barn, and two dedicated acres of cabernet vineyards. Built into the earth are masterful wine caves and a peaceful, naturally secluded space for yoga and meditation. For more energetic, extroverted moments, the Silverado Country Club is moments away, as are the esteemed vineyards of the Kenzo and Jarvis estate wineries.

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