A modernist delight, Now and Zen is a stunning yet tranquil family retreat anchored in a timeless, refined pallet of natural limestone masonry. The project began as a remodel of a stucco “McMansion” with little character and masonry, transforming it into zen-like tribute to stonemasonry. The architecture rests firmly on the hillside, grounded by limestone masonry while uplifted through expansive fenestrations and soaring roof planes with zinc fascia and hemlock tongue and groove.

The zen-like retreat is firmly founded in a timeless, refined palette of natural materials including limestone walls and floors, hemlock ceilings, vertical grain rift oak millwork and a careful selection of complementing tile and countertops. A re-imagining of formal and informal spaces, Now and Zen breaks down the rigidity of perceived formal rooms with a sequence of overlapping spaces. Family and living rooms overlap kitchen and food prep spaces, indoor living overlaps outdoor living. Upstairs, an indoor media room overlaps outdoor patio with expansive mountain views.

The one constant throughout is the consistent stonemasonry tying it all together. The large format European limestone selected for the 23,000 sq ft of limestone or approximately 270,000 lbs installed on the project was our Demitasse Brushed and Demitasse Honed. The majority of the limestone is a beige with bold dark beige veining striations formed naturally over hundreds of millions of years of compression under the earths surface. The owner and design team sought a particularly bold veining for this project which was hand sorted at the quarry and Solstice Stone flew a team member to inspect the blocks prior to fabrication for quality assurance. This beige limestone is featured in two separate texturing processes – both honed and brushed – interspersed throughout the project to create a harmonious color pallet but textural differentiation and interest.

Architecture by Drewett Works

Interior Design by Ownby Design

Built by Brimley Development