Set lightly on the edge of a ridge in the Sonoma Hills, the Sonoma Ridge House is thoughtfully designed to harmonize with its natural surroundings. Situated high above the Sonoma Valley in California, the home embraces sweeping views while integrating seamlessly with the landscape. Created for a young San Francisco couple, the residence steps down the ridgeline, weaving around oak trees and carefully following the land’s natural contours.
Designed by Holder Parlette —a firm known for its integration of architecture, landscape, and interiors—the Ridge House exemplifies a deep commitment to connecting the built and natural environment, capturing the beauty of its site. Continue below to see the rest of this spectacular home tour…
“We wanted to design a house that expressed the natural reality of the site,” says Chris Parlette, one of the firm’s principals. “It needed to respond to the uneven terrain and the craggy oak trees. We wanted to orient the house so that when you enter through the front door, there’s a real sense of arrival as the view toward San Francisco gradually unfolds.”
That sense of arrival is created through a central hallway that gently steps down with the ridge, leading to a dramatic Great Room at the heart of the home. Here, an 18-foot-wide sliding door opens completely to a sprawling outdoor living area with a vanishing-edge pool extending to a view of the San Francisco skyline.
Above: A hallway that leads with intention. This transition space opens to the great room and pool beyond, anchored by a sculptural art wall that’s equally striking from within and from the exterior entry view. At dusk, the illuminated sculpture glows from within, creating a connection between art, architecture, and the landscape.
The home is composed of several wings that flank this central corridor, housing bedrooms and private living spaces that extend into the surrounding landscape. The master suite, tucked among oak trees, is both serene and spectacular: 16-foot-wide windows frame the view from the bed, while a soaring ceiling and a skylit bath open the space to the sky. A 35-foot wall of glass offers uninterrupted sight lines into a private garden filled with mature olive trees.
Above: The great room features a soaring ceiling and a wall of wraparound windows framing the fireplace. This design floods the space with natural light during the day, while at night, the window view transforms seamlessly into a nature backdrop.
Materiality played a critical role in the design process. Holder Parlette, in collaboration with Greg Foster of Summit Builders, selected materials that would create smooth transitions across the home’s interior and exterior spaces while emphasizing sustainability. Board-formed concrete provides texture and fire resistance at the entry and garage, contrasting with dark-stained cedar walls that mirror nearby oak trees.
Solar panels supply the home’s annual energy needs, and for every tree removed during construction, another was planted. The landscaping includes a mix of native oaks, olives, and maples, offering shade and privacy.
Interior designer Kate Marby of Holder Parlette created beautiful interior spaces, layering custom-finished white oak cabinetry, Vadara quartz in the kitchen, wide oak flooring, and custom furniture throughout. Every detail was meticulously considered to support the architecture and the land it inhabits, elevating everyday living while framing the site’s natural beauty.
Above: The owner’s bedroom extends eastward into a grove of oaks. Sixteen-foot windows with a central fireplace frame a majestic view from the bed. The 16-foot-high ceiling continues into the bathroom, which is flooded with natural light from skylights positioned above the shower.
Above: This owner’s bathroom features a freestanding tub, rift-sawn oak cabinets, and a quartz countertop. Tall steel-framed windows flood the space with natural light.
What We Love About This Home
The architects did a beautiful job of siting this home into the terrain to maximize views of the surrounding landscape while preserving as many of the oak trees as possible. Influenced by the organic nature of the site, the wall of sliding glass helps to blur the boundaries between indoors and out while drenching the interiors with natural light. Drawing on the region’s agrarian structures, the thoughtful material palette of wood, metal, and concrete complements its breathtaking natural surroundings.
Tell Us: What details do you love most about this wine country getaway? Let us know in the Comments below!
Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other fabulous home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the architects of this project, Holder Parlette: Retreat to this organic modern dream home in Sonoma Wine Country and Inside a wine country mountain home with tranquil views over Napa Valley.
Above: The bunk room includes kid-friendly sleeping nooks with Serena & Lily bedding.
Above: The kids’ bathroom features a natural marble countertop with an integral sink and rift-sawn oak cabinets.
Above: A dark-stained cedar ceiling blends seamlessly with the surrounding oak trees, while an 18-foot-wide door opens to a large outdoor living space with views of the valley below and San Francisco beyond.
Above: The home’s expansive outdoor living area features a pool, kitchen, dining space, and a fire pit lounge. The pool’s vanishing edge is perfectly positioned to capture views of the valley below and San Francisco beyond.
Above: The sunken firepit at the edge of the patio sits amongst the surrounding oak trees. The firepit provides a cozy gathering space where inhabitants can enjoy the courtyard and views at different times of day.
PHOTOGRAPHER Adam Potts
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