Hommeboys’ Sonoma Residence by Hommeboys Interiors

Once a derelict barn situated within a family compound in California’s Sonoma countryside, Hommeboys’ Sonoma Residence mines inspiration from its 1970s vintage while accommodating a comfortable residence, showroom and studio for its owners.

Nestled in a 1.2-hectare family estate burgeoning with vineyards, gardens, chickens and bees, Hommeboys’ Sonoma Residence flows naturally into its bucolic surroundings. Homeowners and principals of Hommeboys Interiors Alex Mutter-Rottmayer and Austin Carrier opted for materials and finishes that reflected the home’s heritage, composing a palette of plaster, stone and wood, among other natural elements that would age gracefully and develop a rich patina over time. The designers echoed the gentle knolls and dells of the Californian hinterland in the staircase’s sloping form, Venetian plaster finish, limestone steps, Roman clay walls and wooden floors, while extending the interior’s limestone flooring to the patio to blur the line between indoors and outdoors. Beyond their rustic charm, these materials also offered practical benefits, including a minimal carbon footprint and zero-VOC wall treatments.

The designers echoed the gentle knolls and dells of the Californian hinterland in the staircase’s sloping form, Venetian plaster finish, limestone steps, Roman clay walls and wooden floors, while extending the interior’s limestone flooring to the patio to blur the line between indoors and outdoors.

The transformation of Hommeboys’ Sonoma Residence was an exercise in thoughtful additions. “It had very little architectural detailing,” says Mutter-Rottmayer of the two-storey, 111-square-metre house, which was modernised with external access to the second floor and elevated with quartzite countertops and hand-carved wood detailing. The staircase served as the lodestar for the aesthetic lexicon, its curves echoed in conical lamps, half-moon backrests and sweeping archways. These curvilinear motifs continue throughout the decor, which includes a curated selection of artisanal creations from around the world. “We have spent years collecting art and decor. Our collection rotates within our home and showroom, as we are always exploring new design concepts within the context of our own home,” Carrier shares.

Hommeboys Interiors used texture as the cornerstone of the furnishing scheme, combining new, bespoke and vintage novelties into a cohesive visual narrative. The living room selection includes a custom black velvet sofa, a sheepskin Audo Copenhagen lounge chair, Pierre Frey Teddy Mohair curtains, a vintage Moroccan rug and Haus of Hommeboys’s Bishop Ottoman upholstered in a sumptuous mohair from Métaphores. Likewise, the designers layered warm textures in the primary bedroom with a wall-to-wall headboard and frame upholstered in a burnt umber Dedar velvet, soft linen bedding enhanced with vintage wool blankets and pillows, and antique embroidered panel curtains.

If the designers are responsible for the interior and its surrounding landscape, it is Mutter-Rottmayer’s mother – master gardener Sheila Mutter – who is the force behind the gardens and land beyond. The outdoors feature a blend of drought-tolerant desert plants and native foliage that give to and take from the land in equal measure.

Indeed, for the designers, the home is not merely a showcase of personal style – it is a living, evolving expression of harmony between architecture, design and nature.

Architecture and interior design by Hommeboys Interiors.