Houzz Tours
A Beach Weekender With Views That Wow
Casually elegant decor and breathtaking views create a stylish retreat on California’s Sonoma coast
A professional couple from San Francisco wanted a weekend house that would afford them total relaxation and plentiful ocean views. So after finding a ranch house built in 1962, with views from every room, they brought in designer Lisa Arrowood to renovate the structure to their liking. The design team gutted the kitchen and bathrooms, exposed the ceiling trusses, and added new floors throughout.
“They have a very refined apartment in the city,” Arrowood says. “For their weekend house, they wanted a very casual look. Furniture was collected over time, sometimes sourced from secondhand markets and vintage stores – these new items had to fit in with what was already there.” The result is a serene setting by the sea.
“They have a very refined apartment in the city,” Arrowood says. “For their weekend house, they wanted a very casual look. Furniture was collected over time, sometimes sourced from secondhand markets and vintage stores – these new items had to fit in with what was already there.” The result is a serene setting by the sea.
The fireplaces on both ends of the great room mirror each other in appearance; however, one is gas and the other is wood-burning. The sandstone on the fireplace surrounds came from Arizona. The floors in the great room and guest rooms are salvaged wood.
At the other end of great room, past the long dining table, is a more casual seating area with a white slipcovered sofa and a vintage green trunk that serves as a coffee table. The homeowners’ eclectic art collection includes Old Masters-style sea paintings and modern Roy Lichtenstein prints.
The original kitchen also had a flat ceiling, so again Arrowood raised it and installed a skylight to bring in more natural light. The old mauve cabinetry was repainted white for a light, airy feeling. Floating shelves on both sides of the range hood replace wall-hung cabinets to continue the airy theme. The Beauharnais limestone benchtops have a textured finish called ‘leathered’ and feel like river rocks to the touch. The island has a honed white marble top that’s ideal for baking projects. The floor is reclaimed antique limestone from Cypress, circa 12th century.
The contractors, Forde Mazzola, used felled trees from the property to create the live-edge-wood benchtop for the breakfast bar. Behind the double doors between the wall ovens and the refrigerator is a new walk-in pantry. The hardware throughout the kitchen is from Rocky Mountain Hardware.
This guest bathroom was gutted and completely renovated in a casual beach-house style, with wainscoting and an antiqued-green medicine cabinet.
The master bathroom was created from a former guest bath off the kitchen and an existing wardrobe in the master bedroom. The homeowners requested a more formal look for this bath, which was achieved with marble throughout and Waterworks fixtures.
The master bedroom features sliding glass doors that lead to an outdoor deck. The casual space includes white-painted floors and more of the couple’s collection of sea-themed artwork.
The San Francisco couple travels frequently to the beach house to unplug from city life, cook, read and entertain close friends. And, first and foremost, stare at the ocean.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Sonoma County coast, California, USA
Size: 207 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Designer: Lisa Arrowood of Arrowood Design
Arrowood removed the ranch house’s flat ceiling to expose the trusses and to add extra height and interest to the ceiling. The trusses and wood boards on the ceiling are painted white. Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors to the deck provide plentiful views of the beach and ocean. Motorised shades hide from view.