The story of this project extends beyond the building of a house. The long, trapezoidal site includes a winding driveway that allows the lake, main house, boat house and vineyards to slowly come into view. The Nordby team helped the owner create a wine country home and grounds that brought to life a cherished childhood dream. Designed as a summer retreat from the owner’s primary residence in Texas, the home and property provide a leisurely wine country setting in which to welcome family and friends.

The house, originally built in the 1980s, was designed in a French Provincial style. While the owner loved the idea of a French country home, the goal was to pare it down and give it a contemporary California expression. Working within the existing shell and footprint, the challenge was to execute the details for a seamless transition from old to new. Nordby executed a transitional design that, while classic in form, employs clean stucco exteriors with minimal details, maintaining a focus on symmetry and visual alignment. Simple stone headers top grand openings, and barn doors open to reveal a breezeway between the house and detached garage.

On the interior, the task was to open the rooms, reveal view axes, streamline connections, and carefully align finishes to create a cohesive experience. For this owner – a partner in a fabric showroom in Austin, Texas who was responsible for the color palette, interior finishes and furnishings – “every room needs a bride,” and her personal touches abound. Forming a close, trusting relationship, the Nordby team advised on layouts and executed details to help form a cohesive design that seems as if it had always been there.