Sonoma

Villa 2

This is a 3 bedroom/3 bath symphony of finely finished pine and rough stone set in a sloping, fragrant woodland of oak and laurel. It's easy to miss - a fact that makes for a very private, quiet place, set sufficiently away from the main road that runs through Bennett Valley, yet only minutes away from Santa Rosa's big-city amenities.

It's also a design tour de force: it descends the slope it's built on in four distinct levels, imparting a sense of height and mass that's impressive for a one-story house. Heavy stone cladding at its base gives way to wood siding and a high roof line. In fact, the villa's central section, reached by a gently zigzagging stone staircase from an vine-fringed garage, soars almost 30 feet - a feature that become strikingly obvious once you enter the house through arched double doors inlaid with etched glass.

While this villa's front side faces scented woods, the back has a stone-paved deck that includes an arbor sheltered gas grill and a table that invites leisurely socializing. Steps lead down to a cozy swimming pool and spa, edged by a railing, oaks, potted trees, herbs and flowers. This spot has the feel of protected, cosseted nook, with the window-rich façade of the house running behind it and a view to the far southern edges of Bennett Valley expanding out from it. You'll quickly find that this villa has all the looks, feel, location and privacy a luxury escape house should have.

It's a delightful house to walk through because changing levels and the use of exquisitely cut and finished pine throughout - contrasted with rough-plaster walls and slate floors - create a wonderful unity. In the living room, parallel colonnades of rectangular wooden columns rise 12 feet to define the room's center. Its rafters, beams and trusses climax in a breathtaking 30 foot ceiling, and its huge rough stone fireplace soars 20 feet. Steps up from there, the dining area has abundant views to the deck and woods. A few more steps lead to the great kitchen, the most spacious in our collection.

A long main counter has kibitzer chairs along its outside curve, and there's a standalone island between it and restaurant-quality appliances. Its ceiling is as dramatic as the living room's, and windows and French doors line one entire side. A windowed hallway leads to the bedrooms (the guest room has a queen bed, bath and balcony). The master is wonderfully inviting: oak floor; 25-foot ceiling; windows on three sides; and two all glass walls. Its bath is grand, with black accented white tiles, sunken tub with forest view, two sinks, large mirrors and a big walk-in closet. Steps across the way, a guest house sports a Murphy bed, fireplace and bath. With its lavish use of wood and artfully spare furnishings, roomy this villa continually delights the eye.