In California Wine Country, A Modern Farmhouse for a Brit and a Texan - Remodelista
When they were ready to make a permanent move from city life in San Francisco to the country... Photography by Karen Steffens for Remodelista. ...in Sonoma California Gail Defferari and Belinda Gregory Head found inspiration in an unexpected place Cabo San Lucas Mexico The couple’s modern farmhouse kitchen has blue cabinets and white subway tiled walls. Two open shelves of white oak are mounted above the counter. The apple painting is by Gail’s niece, Catherine Payne, and the red horse is an heirloom inherited from a close friend. LED strip lighting illuminates the shelves. Gail and Belinda, who is from England and has a dental practice in SF, share complementary aesthetic sensibilities and designed the kitchen themselves. The kitchen window overlooks a view of the environs; landscaping is still in progress. The faucet is by Kohler, the sink is from Kräus, and the countertops are white Calacatta Oro marble. The star of the kitchen is the March Worktable by woodworker Matt Bear of Union Studio in Berkeley. The duo saved money by choosing low-cost, beveled white subway tile for the kitchen walls. Gail and Belinda were delighted with the work of their architect and contractor Mike Slater of S&S Builders, both in Mill Valley. The pizza oven is from Wildwood Ovens in Los Angeles, and the marble surround with keystone detail was designed by Belinda. In a drawer by the stove, a variety of spices from March Pantry, starting at $12 each. Pop-up outlets, used throughout the kitchen, disappear when not in use. The pantry/mudroom room at the front of the house holds the refrigerator, laundry, and dry storage. (Gracie, shown here, is a 17-year-old terrier mix and descendent of the dog actor who starred in Benji.) The cabinets are made by J&C Custom Cabinets in Sacramento and painted in Blue Danube by Benjamin Moore. The mudroom/pantry is accessible by a Dutch door immediately to the right of the house’s front door. The two black basketweave pendant lights above the living and dining are from Ikea, modified with the power cord installed inside a down rod to minimize movement. A Dutch door opens to the back dining patio. The couple surrounded their antique dining table with chairs by Thonet. The painting was created for the space by a close friend of the couple, artist Charley Brown. In the master bedroom, two Frankfort Articulating Wall Lights from Circa Lighting flank a fabric-backed bed from Room & Board. The walls in the master bathroom are waxed Venetian plaster by Willem Racké Studio in San Francisco. The shower in the guest bathroom has walls of solid Calacatta Oro marble, and the same stone in mosaic square on the shower floor. In the reading room, two Anglepoise lamps are angled over a Design Within Reach couch on an Ikea rug. Though the landscape is still a work in progress, the pool and hot tub are ready for use. “Having been in the city for almost 30 years,” said Gail, “it is time to be in the garden.” A black Ikea Hektar pendant lamp hangs above the front door. The exterior of the house is troweled stucco.