This Overhauled 1960s Ranch House Connects a Family to the California Countryside

When Tim and Flin McDonald decided to relocate with their two children to a more rural setting in Northern California, it was the land—not the house—that piqued their interest. Located in Angwin, a small town nestled among the rolling hills of California wine country, the existing home could be described, simply and unimpressively, as a stucco box. Dark and nondescript, the single story dwelling was blighted by low ceilings, a poor layout, and virtually no connection to the outdoors.

Eager to experience the scenic landscape through a more inspired lens, the McDonalds turned to San Francisco-based Lundberg Design to spearhead their home’s remodel. With a longstanding relationship—design principal Olle Lundberg and the McDonalds had been friends for over four decades—the collaboration was a natural pairing. Lundberg had designed the McDonalds’ previous residence, while Tim McDonald, an established local builder, had led several of Lundberg’s Napa-area builds over the years.

The existing dwelling had an unremarkable façade, eight foot ceilings, and was designed, confoundingly, with only two small windows overlooking the picturesque hillside and pond. "It was a very plain 1960s era ranch house that really had no response to the site," recalls Lundberg. "The original house was certainly one of the plainest structures I’ve ever worked on." Overcoming this inherited mundanity, the prime objectives of the remodel were to open up the dark and cramped interior, and introduce greater cohesion with the surrounding landscape.

To achieve the transformation, the Lundberg team executed a bidirectional vertical expansion, which cleverly captured additional living space both above and below the original dwelling. The living room floor was dropped, taking advantage of an unutilized crawl space to gain a difference-making two feet of verticality. Perhaps the most impactful design move—functionally and visually—was replacing the hip roof with a gable, and subsequently incorporating glazing on the entire gabled façade. Extending the roofline upward, the glazed gable includes new doors and a terrace, which brought connection to the outdoors which had previously been absent. "It is really the gesture that opened up the house to the landscape beyond, and engaged that landscape in a way that finally tied the house to the site," Lundberg says of the glazed gable’s impact.

The original home was blanketed in stucco ("One of my least favorite materials," says Lundberg), which was a key contributor to the drabness of the existing façade. Wanting to change the look of the home from "stucco ranchburger" to modern cabin, Lundberg and the McDonalds decided to introduce wood as a key design element in the home’s revamped exterior. "I think we all felt that redwood was the best option," says Lundberg. 

Drawn to the local softwood for its availability, affordability, sustainability, and versatility, the team engaged Humboldt Sawmill for several key redwood elements at the home’s exterior. Trading stucco for vertical redwood siding, the transformed exterior instantly becomes warm, modern, and inviting. The trellis, a signature design element, incorporates redwood in its beams and columns, offering heat protection while weaving together natural and built environments. "The trellis really ties in Flin’s beautiful landscaping into the structure, and adds a sense of depth and protection in what is quite a hot climate," says Lundberg.

The home’s interior was completely gutted, with the reorganized plan prioritizing public space. The kitchen and dining area were positioned at the center of the home, while the living room and den enjoy strategic placement next to the soaring glazed-end façade. A Finnish soapstone stove, inspired by Lundberg’s Swedish heritage, occupies a prominent place in the middle of the home’s public space. In addition to cooking, the centerpiece is capable of heating the whole home in winter. On one private end of the house that overlooks a hillside bank, the primary bathroom has the feeling of being enclosed in a glass box. "The idea was that you almost felt like you were bathing outside," shares Lundberg.

Tim, along with son Branden, built many of the home’s elements themselves, bringing a deeply personal element to the family residence. Although the McDonalds’ two children have since grown and moved out, the home remains a warm and livable family gathering place. "Our goal was to tie the house to the landscape while sitting softly upon it, and to make the design very personal to them," reflects Lundberg. "I think we achieved that, and I am so pleased that after all these years, they still love their home."

Learn more about using redwood in your next home project at getredwood.com.