A notable American family has designated a custom-built house with a sleek architectural feature in the Wine Country.
Located in Napa Valley – considered one of the premier wine regions the world over – of Northern California, this magnificent 4-bedroom house titled St. Helena Property and sprawling a total of 15,000 sq. ft. is owned by a notable real estate developer in America. The architecture of the property has been done by Michael Tauber, of Michael Tauber Architecture, and the interior design by April Sheldon, of April Sheldon Design.
Manning the interior decorating and staging work is Jonathan Rachman of Jonathan Rachman Design, a Dutch-Indonesian interior designer, who says that the client has commissioned him and the architect to custom-build the property for the family as well as their loved ones and guests.
“They don’t want to live in just another one of those orthodox country homes in the beautiful wine country scenery, but a spectacular home with quiet luxury where they can entertain and gather, which also seamlessly blends outdoor and indoor living,” explains Rachman.
To this end, ‘warmth’, ‘cosy’ and ‘elegance’ constitute the brief received by Rachman. Drawing inspiration from its lush green surroundings and hundreds of hillside vineyard, the end product lends a touch of romance and old-school charm to an otherwise strictly sleek and contemporary design.
Scattered among the stunning 21-acres vineyard is an abundance of outdoor venues perfect for hosting friends and families alike, including a grand pool, separate tennis, basketball, bocce courts and a putting green-cum-helicopter pad, alongside a 3-bedroom guesthouse with its private pool and spa.
For Rachman, the challenge lies in “creating a harmony without appearing contrived and pat”: the old and the new, modern and traditional, classic and edgy. He adds: “Essentially I infuse my love of the European – classics and antiques – with the modern foundation of the property.”
While the architecture and structure are predominantly in neutral and grey tone, punctuated with an organic feel and materials, the designer incorporates pops of moody palette to inject mood-boosting accents into the atmosphere.
The interior has been finished back in December 2020, but it isn’t smooth sailing when Rachman tries to source materials during the last stretch of the final phase amidst the pandemic. “We try our best to source everything locally, but a lot materials indeed come from Italy, Germany, France and Indonesia, among others.”
For furniture, he works with some of the existing items owned by the clients by modifying them according to the design aesthetics. He also sources many of the transitional, vintage and antiques from his favourite local antique dealers, as well as custom furniture purveyors in San Francisco, in tandem with accessories and fabrics from Bali, Java, France and Italy.
