Located in the heart of California's wine country, this Galvalum metal-wrapped, hillside home was originally the residence of an area sculptor, whose clay work inspired aspects of the home's distinctive design. Current owners Che and Cairenn Voigt, both fabricators and designers themselves, have filled the home with their own creative style.

After 14 years, the couple have decided to move on, but not without admiration for the distinctive qualities of their long-time home. "While we did not design the house, we feel the open space and light interaction has been key for inspiring our own creativity," says Che.

5767 Trailwood Drive was originally built in 2003 by Los Angeles–based Sander Architects and awarded the AIA/LA Merit Award later that year. The home has been featured in numerous design publications over the years—including Dwell in 2004.

As you enter on the ground floor, expectations are transformed—from the horizontal outward appearance to the verticality of a dramatic, 22-foot torqued steel wall and floating staircase.

Sander describes his classical inspiration for the progression of spaces: "I learned this delayed gratification from Vignola's Villa Giulia in Rome. In Santa Rosa, we called this 'choreography' of the entry sequence."

Che reflects on the view, one of his most cherished features of the home: "You have no idea what you’re going to see when entering the front door, but once you begin to ascend the floating, curved staircase, you get an idea for the incredible view that awaits."

"Looking out over the treetops is a favorite of ours, but the absolute best is seeing a full moon rise over the mountain across the valley," adds Che.

The couple made several key upgrades since purchasing the property in 2005, allowing them to fulfill their own design vision for the home. When considering a new outdoor patio, they were both inspired by the striped pattern of the Galvalum metal siding: "The exoskeleton was originally prefabricated, brought in, and put together like an Erector Set. You know, like the toy we played with when we were kids," says Che.

"The light gauge metal frame is one of our early Hybrid House constructions," says Sander. "The prefabricated frame was also extremely economical." The cost for the entire frame was around $50,000 at the time.

The couple worked with a masonry team to design the outdoor space and rebuild an original stone retaining wall. The final concept continued the linear pattern of the metal siding down and across long rows of slate tile. Custom wooden benches were also added for seating. "The result helped punctuate our outdoor space, while allowing the natural surroundings to encapsulate the property," comments Che.

5767 Trailwood Drive is currently listed for $2,300,000 by Mary Anne Veldkamp of Coldwell Banker.

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