Modern retreat home situated on concrete platform, secluded in nature

Exterior wood-clad residence with a one-story wing and two-story box, set among mature oaks; curved gravel driveway.

Modern hillside residence exterior: timber overhang, glass walls, concrete deck, infinity pool with swimmer; forest backdrop and loungers.

Wood-clad corridor with vertical paneling opens to sunlit courtyard with trees and water; person pushes wooden door.

Modern interior living room with glass wall and tree view; light wood shelving and cabinetry, beige sectional with geometric cushions, fireplace, rug.

Modern SF-style interior: live-edge wooden dining table, wire-frame chairs, walnut built-in cabinets, window seat, and a sculptural pendant light.

Interior corridor with white plaster walls and a black-framed vertical window at the end, showing trees and greenery outside; minimalist design.

Modern bedroom with built-in light-wood bunk beds, white walls, and a large black-framed window overlooking a tree-filled yard.

Interior: minimalist white room with dark hardwood floor, closet, two yoga mats with cushions, glass carafe on a tray; hillside view through window.

Interior stairwell: dark walnut steps along white wall; tall ribbed glass panel beside a light oak two-tier bench with striped textile.

Minimalist bedroom with low platform bed, plush pillows, gray bedding, ornate carved mirror, and corner chaise by a large window overlooking trees.

Interior lounge with corner glass wall, black leather chaise, white walls, light wood floor; view of trees, metal-roofed building, and pool.

Interior bathroom with glass-walled shower, white tile wall, freestanding bathtub, and wood deck at large window overlooking forested hillside.

Hillside modern residence with timber cladding and large glass walls; two connected volumes on a grassy slope.

Exterior of hillside modern residence with a long, single-story wood-clad wing and a two-story box volume, gravel driveway, and nearby mature oaks.

Exterior view of a modern hillside residence with glass walls, flat metal roof, rectangular infinity pool, and stone-paver courtyard, forest backdrop.

Valley of the Moon Retreat

Perched on a wooded stretch overlooking the Valley of the Moon, this family retreat is at once warm and embracing, and light and spacious. Approaching the large, sloped site with a bold hand, Butler Armsden placed this Sonoma home on a poured-concrete platform, providing expansive views that reveal themselves only after visitors have passed through to the courtyard of the house. An elongated pool tucked into the concrete mass of the platform makes it possible to swim just below the height of the surrounding tree canopies. The architects designed the house with equal attention to composition; three connected volumes of different heights wrap around the center of the podium (or plinth), and the spaces inside them are carefully scaled: small enough for introspection, big enough for taking in the landscape. Large picture windows frame the forest beyond and highlight the home’s airy quality by capturing the cool valley breeze. The minimalist cantilevered bunk beds redefine the traditional bunk room, and look to the summers ahead.