These Five Redwood-Wrapped Homes Exude a Warm Welcome
Partner Story
There’s something about the deepish reddish-brown color of redwood that immediately gives off a peaceful and relaxing vibe.
But don’t let the calm exterior fool you: Redwood is one of nature’s strongest and most versatile building materials. Whether you’re building a deck, pergola, or accenting the exterior of your home, these projects prove for all its lightness, redwood withstands the test of time.
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. Despite hillside views surrounding the property, the original home had limited window openings and no access out. The McDonalds turned to San Francisco-based Lundberg Design to open up sightlines and encourage circulation through and around the home. Swapping stucco for redwood on the exterior, Lundberg transformed this Bay Area rancher from dark and dreary to light and luminous.
Finding that sweet spot between spaciousness and coziness is no easy task for a modern mountain home. But with the right natural materials, ample space and a strong sense of place don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Case in point: this 10,538-square-foot mountainside beauty in Monument, Colorado, that’s home to an active family with five boys and warmed by redwood inside and out.
Composed mainly of wood, glass, and stone, this striking home sits tucked away in a quiet cove on Harrison Lake, located at the tip of the Cascade Peninsula, just two hours east of Vancouver. To foster a more intimate connection with nature, the current owners, who bought the home in 2019, remodeled the original decking area with sustainably harvested redwood, expanding it to offer an additional 1,200 square feet, spread across three levels.
When it was purchased by its current homeowners in 2013, this ranch-style house, nestled into the Hollywood Hills, needed a lot of work. The homeowners spent several years updating the interiors, and in 2017, turned to one final project: replacing the pergola that covered the exterior courtyard. The structure not only supported the home’s Spanish style, but quite literally supported a pair of 60-year-old trumpet vines that grew as a lush canopy over the space. Determined to keep the courtyard—and its striking, verdant baldachin—a focal point of the home, the homeowners set about updating the structure with a more resilient, natural material: redwood.
When Orlando Soria's parents bought their 1977 home in California, it's safe to say that the interior designer loathed the existing deck that had been tacked on to the exterior. The previous deck had a corrugated metal roof, which was aging poorly and caused the area beneath it to be dark and uninviting. Soria designed an improved two-story redwood structure that forms an upper deck and lower dining room, creating a variety of outdoor spaces for the family to enjoy.
Learn more about using redwood in your next home project at getredwood.com.
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