Vineyard Knolls

Tucked between the vineyards of pinot noir and chardonnay on a former public golf course of renown is a new kind of meeting ground, a cubby for community: a place known as Vineyard Knolls. This special property set on 25 acres of fabled Napa terrain is in harmony with the history of the land, where family roots run just as deep as the vines.

Years in the making, Vineyard Knolls is no accidental build. The owners found themselves at a crossroads in their lives and weren’t quite sure how to proceed with their property. Do they stay, or should they go? Children had grown up, business was in the city, and pursuits had drifted elsewhere.

A conversation over many months with architect Karin Payson led to a process that tells where Vineyard Knolls is now. The most important find? How much do the owners want to keep this storied property. But therein also held the answer to what to do with a 6,000 sq. ft. building on 22.5 acres of commercially zoned property.

Most projects commence with intent, a purpose for that building. This was a project where specs and aesthetics led the charge. With special commercial permits and unique zoning requirements, there were only so many plans the building could follow. However, through the process of designing and navigating these challenges did the building’s purpose was revealed. Vineyard Knolls. It’s a private venue, suitable for fundraisers, corporate off-sites, and family gatherings. A space for the community.

With many constraints from permits to zoning, Payson elevated the pre-existing structure by maximizing, economizing, and reorienting the center and flow of the space. What used to be a low-ceiling, poorly circulated golf-course lounge spot (replete with carpeted floors and tartan accents) is now a light-filled, double-height L-shaped public house with a commercial kitchen, upstairs offices and large communal rooms fit for conversation and cocktails alike. Payson has constructed a hospitality environment with a residential feel.

Payson’s plan unfolded as follows. It started with the entryway. According to Payson, the original entry was so anonymous; it wasn’t evident where it was. So, in turn, Payson added a wooden awning at the front door to mark the threshold being crossed.

This project is really one about opening up space. Payson opened the building up to the landscape both in the front and back, reorienting the spaces back to the unique natural environment outside, including an old Oak tree, which is now a focal point of the building, centered in the back patio. With floor-to-ceiling sliding doors leading from the public rooms to the terrace, the outside is brought in, and vice-versa. Payson also opened up the ceiling heights, allowing for smoother flow within the space as well. She kept all renovations to the specs of a commercial property, including an up-to-code kitchen and bathrooms, but imbued a sense of familiarity as if it were a home.

Overall, the architect says, “We succeeded in creating a building that fits in the place it belongs to.”