Inside A California Dwelling Alive With Old-School Charm

With wide porches and balconies on the front and back, this classic Monterey Colonial-style dwelling appears as a vision of old California—but it’s an illusion. The home was constructed in 1989 and was recently reimagined by the owner, her architect sister, Monica Ream, and designer Lauren Nelson. All of them are mothers, and all of them shared a vision of creating an elegant, kid-friendly escape.

From the moment she saw it, Ream felt this Healdsburg property must be the place. “There was something magical here; both my sister and I agreed on that,” she says. Many remodel stories start with a doom scenario—tales of neglected upkeep or coping with tragic design decisions of yesteryear—but not this one. “It was beautifully built, and the bones were there,” the owner notes. “But the house was dated. It needed a facelift and to be modernized.”

Although the dwelling belongs to the owner and her husband, it was pictured as a place to be shared with family and friends. The sisters have five children between them, and the desire was to make it a retreat where the kids could all grow up together. There was no question who would be selected as the architect. “Monica and I have always moved through the world as one unit,” the owner says. “She is my big sister, and I rely on her advice, design and otherwise. The fact that she’s a brilliant architect helps too.” The owner also had Nelson, a designer whose work she had been following, in mind from the beginning. “Lauren creates spaces that are elevated but comfortable,” she says. “I knew she could make this a home that would allow kids to run freely through the rooms in wet swimsuits while carrying popsicles without sacrificing any of the beauty.”

Working with general contractor Josh Powers, Ream started the process with strategic moves. “I was inspired by the classic ranch houses designed by Cliff May and how they open up to the land,” she says. “Placing a big, folding door at the end of the great room, one that connects the space to the pool, was a no-brainer. This joined the kitchen, dining room and casual living area to the backyard, and it became the hub of the home.” She also clarified the primary suite, whose prior layout was warren-like, while establishing a kids wing complete with a bunk room.

Alongside Ream, Nelson imbued the spaces with the comfortable class that initially drew the owner to her work. She left some existing elements in place, like the Douglas fir trim and beams, even expanding on the latter by installing them in the formal living room and primary suite. In other places, she drew inspiration from the original materials when making new selections. For instance, she replaced terra-cotta tile floors with a sleeker limestone version. “We were going for the casual, unfussy feeling of beauty and age you find in an older home,” she says. “The Douglas fir trim was unpretentious, for example, and we amplified that original charm as much as possible.”

In the kitchen, the design team elongated the island, making a place for kids and adults to come in from the pool for a casual meal. Nelson selected walnut for the cabinets as a contrast to the warmer tones of the Douglas fir and opted for marble countertops. “Here and throughout the house, we chose earth tones and classic materials, like this stone that will patina over the years,” Nelson says. “Everything has a quiet allure.”

This concept of understated elegance extends to the outdoor spaces, where Nelson let intuition be her guide. “We thought about where people would gravitate,” she says. “The trellis covered by an old-growth wisteria vine makes the outdoor dining room special, and the back of the house felt like the perfect place for a fire pit.”

In this setting, long summer days are filled with the simple pleasures of times gone by. “When we are up here, we don’t have televisions or tablets for the kids, and it’s been wonderful,” the owner says. “I’ve been able to give my children real 1980s summers.” With the wind rustling through the tall trees and the kids playing in the dry creek meandering through the property, it can seem like time stands still. As the architect initially suspected, this is indeed the place.