Today, we’re touring a beautiful Country Club home just outside of Davis, California’s coveted El Macero neighborhood. The area has wide streets lined with mature trees and a strong sense of community. Most homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and almost every property is custom construction.
For this project, Marin Design Co.—a Davis firm lead by Marin Deen Wilson—pulled inspiration from the beautiful Northern California surroundings. Now, the home features modern elements, traditional details, and a dose of vintage furniture—resulting in a space that feels sophisticated and timeless. The design team tells us more.
Tell us about this home. What is unique about the location?
With the lot sitting right in front of the third hole on the golf course, it’s safe to say our clients fell in love with the land first. The Country Club Retreat was built on one of the last plots in El Macero that had not yet been developed. For the design we leaned into more of the modern style that you can find throughout the nearby homes: clean lines, black trim windows, and stucco. Brick surrounds the front entry and garage pulling in more traditional elements. While the neighborhood provided influence, it was important for us to bring more up to date design that fit the needs of our clients and stood on its own.
On that note, we’d love to know about your clients. Who lives here?
The family, with three young kids, were ready to plant their roots in a new home that was tailored to them. This included an in-law suite for the clients, to provide a private space for their guests and parents. They wanted an open concept with ample light that allowed the beautiful scenery to be the focal point of the home.
Our clients wanted a cohesive, one-of-a-kind design that was elevated and timeless. The couple had differing design styles, the husband leaning more modern and the wife wanting a traditional home. It was important to highlight their appreciation for modern and traditional design aesthetics while leaning into our design expertise to make their space feel balanced, lived in and comfortable for their family to enjoy for years to come.
What was your scope of work?
We wanted to create the perfect juxtaposition of old and new by intentionally blending design styles to provide a timeless aesthetic. Beautiful design is a coalescence of small details that are intentional and meticulously developed. We especially live by this mantra when it comes to infusing a new build or remodel with character and charm. Our scope of work included everything from construction design to furniture and styling. Being able to be involved from the beginning to the end provides us with a great appreciation for what we do and the clients we get to work with.
Did this project have any challenges?
Every project has its own set of challenges. In our designs, every detail matters. It’s our job to pivot when a problem arises so it’s important to stay flexible and be able to alter small details as needed.
One of the biggest challenges throughout this project was space planning and finding symmetry without compromising functionality. With the intricate structural design of the house, making sure every decision was well thought out was key in creating a cohesive flow that made sense. We wanted the range to be the focal point of the kitchen. This meant centering it on the back wall and designing a hidden pantry to maximize space and keep an open floor plan. To keep with the symmetry and character of the home, we heavily focused on clean, straight lines and removed any harsh angles or dead space to provide a refined, intentional design.
How long did the project take, and what did the client say when they saw the finished space?
Nothing beats the look on a client’s face after the grand reveal; especially when you have clients like ours! This almost 7,000-square-foot project took a little over two years and was a true labor of love. They wanted a space that was expansive yet intimate, luxurious yet livable, especially for their young family to grow and create lasting memories. We are so happy that we were able to deliver just that.
To say our clients were appreciative of this beautiful home is an understatement. They were pleasantly amazed that the design we created was able to interweave their two styles to feel cohesive, natural, and representative of who they are. Being able to design a personalized, one-of-a-kind home for our clients is something we’ll cherish forever.