An Off-Grid, High-Style Sonoma Retreat by Charles de Lisle
Photography by Eric Petschek
San Francisco designer Charles de Lisle has been the arbiter of cool for a couple of decades in the Bay Area, orchestrating interiors for local luminaries as well as far-flung clients. And he’s on the 2022 AD 100 list, the holy grail for designers.
But the project we most admire is his own Sonoma retreat—a simple yet sophisticated compound featuring repurposed, reclaimed, and eco-friendly elements—which he shares with his partner Ralph Dennis, a designer with Studio Volpe.
De Lisle installed solar panels and sourced vintage windows from an old Air Force base.
A propane Jøtul stove (“it’s less spark inducing than a wood-burning stove”) supplements heat generated by the solar panels.
The interior is fully cladded in plywood.
De Lisle encased a refrigerator (including the pulls) from his previous SF office in plywood.
In the main living area, De Lisle deployed pieces from previous projects, including Japanese tansu chests and Charlotte Perriand-inspired daybeds.
The bathing pavilion is enobled by a graphic Noguchi lamp.
The linen sink skirt is a remnant from a previous project.
A Japanese cedar soaking tub is perched on the bathhouse deck.