Calistoga Ranch

This is a continuation of Susan Kime's article 'Vacation Visions: Exceptional Exterior and Interior Designs of Residence and Destination Clubs'. The first part is available here or you can skip directly to a specific company by clicking on their name below:

Quintess
Ultimate Resort
The Weybridge Collection
The Villas at The Grand del Mar
The Solstice Collection

Located in a private canyon on 157 acres just outside the town of Calistoga, in the Napa Valley, California, Calistoga Ranch is one of the few seasoned Private Residence Clubs in the California wine country. The property’s contemporary architecture is inspired by its natural surroundings, and created to fit the landscape, with a focus on an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. In keeping with the rich wine producing heritage of Napa Valley, Calistoga Ranch features an on-site vineyard and mountain wine cave, where owners and guests can share in the process of winemaking and immerse themselves in the wine culture.

The Architect of Calistoga Ranch, Scott Lee, is Principal of SB Architects, based in San Francisco and Miami. “ My original vision for the ranch sprang not from the question, “What should we put here?” but from our response to the questions, “What does the guest want?” and “What does this place want to be?” The design was entirely a response to the concurrent needs of resort guests, the developer, the operator and the site itself. Our charge was to create a private retreat, a sanctuary celebrating what Napa Valley is all about: food, wine and nature. In Wine Country, the bulk of the living is really done out of doors. We wanted to blur the line between what’s inside and outside, inviting guests to participate in that tradition of outdoor living.”

“The resort doesn’t reveal itself right away.,” he continued, “We designed and individually placed each of the more than 200 structures on the site, not
only to avoid cutting down the 100-year-old heritage oak trees, but also to integrate them into our design. We interpreted the campground legacy through both the placement and design of the guest lodges and residences. Each guest lodge or residence is its own “camp,” made up of a cluster of spaces centering on the outdoor living space and fireplace, just as in a campsite. Elements such as outdoor showers and fireplaces augment the reference to the campground legacy”

Darrell Schmitt, a renowned Los Angeles interior designer, created the interiors for Calistoga Ranch. “ I understand the Campground legacy,” he says, “ but I also conceived it to be a Vintner’s private estate. There is a flow of indoor and outdoor spaces, which we unified through the use of rustic, natural materials. Outside there are rough-hewn wood posts, dry-stacked stone and glass walls, and inside we have handmade tile baths, tactile fabrics – hand woven chenille and Tibetan wool carpets.”

And how does this affect the member? Mark Harmon, Principal and CEO of Auberge resorts, that owns and operates Calistoga Ranch, says, “ I have spoken to so many members over the years. They say that Calistoga Ranch is their true sanctuary – it is an hour from San Francisco, and when they come here, they say then enter another world. They love the ancient California live oaks, the wine cave. Most of all they love the sense of peace. When they leave there, they are refreshed, and calmed.”

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