Yorkville Lake House

Yorkville Highlands, California

Nestled deep in the highlands of Mendocino County sits a large lake, tucked within thousands of acres of rolling hills and English Oaks, still sovereign to their natural state.  Originally built as a modest storage “boathouse,” with a slap-on kitchenette, this structure took new form as a quiet sanctuary for a Vintner and his two young children.

The concept was pulled from surveying the surrounding landscape. The goal: skirt the edge between Sophisticated Minimalism and Playful Retreat.  All colors were pulled from elements onsite: lichen, statuesque trees, shale, moss, blond meadows of dried grasses, not to mention the truly epic sunsets. Natural materials were applied as closely as possible to their raw form.  Employing the fixtures as shapely black silhouettes, utilizing invisible storage for small space efficiency, and repeating the same tonal value of wood throughout most of the surface planes — this all allowed the interiors to essentially fade into the background. 

The view of this vibrant land was the main emphasis, which could be experienced through oversized sliding glass panels on nearly every section of the house. Additionally, two large “portholes” on upper floor evoked a child-like sense of wonder while flooding the ceiling with ambient natural light. The vintage furniture pieces gave the space character, bringing in rich textures of oak and walnut. The countertop material was the big splurge; the Belvedere soapstone reflected the hues and movement of the lake and its dancing algae.