SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA

House of Oaks

Our clients purchased a mid-century modern home, perched on a remote ridge overlooking densely wooded hills between Santa Rosa and Napa, as a weekend retreat. As part of their renovation of the property, they asked us to reimagine the landscape and add a pool. Our challenge was to simultaneously tame the wildness of the site and celebrate it. This garden project is all about balance: between rugged and modern, structural and natural, hard and soft.

Early on, we determined the best spot for the pool would be on the side of the hill near the house overlooking the valley, which would require substantial engineering and retaining walls. A secondary option was to locate the pool at the bottom of the hill, further from the house. Our clients - having already shown their taste for adventure in choosing this remote site - decided on the first option. Though siting the pool nearer the house was more challenging, it was far more dramatic and would draw the family out into the landscape.

The pool is the main focal point of the backyard, reflecting the sky, rolling hills and trees. The materials are contemporary, but the earth-toned colors keep them understated, and long, low walls built into the grade help nestle the structural features into the hillside. We set the sauna, changing room, barbeque, and shower off to the sides and lowered them partially below grade so they wouldn’t interrupt the views. In siting the pool, we preserved two giant coast live oaks, which provide shade and frame the views of the forest. We then planted large masses of ornamental grasses, such as Atlas fescue and Santa Barbara sedge, which blend into the native landscape, and groundcovers such as creeping raspberry under the oaks - all of which are drought tolerant and deer resistant.

The arrival area, once marked by an old garage, is now an open parking area under the native oaks. The gravel path to the entry court and front door is informal, studded with lichen-covered boulders, naturalistic plantings and sculptural oaks. A second gravel path leading to the backyard is framed in native plantings of manzanita, native heuchera and coffeeberry. California Aster, ‘Salmon Beauty’ yarrow, and Douglas iris - all native perennials - add pops of color among the grasses, while Western redbud and other flowering shrubs near the house soften the lines of the architecture.