Shope Reno Wharton Architect Designs a Luxurious Shingle-Style Home
This abode was made to last for generations.
Photography by Durston Saylor
Architect Arthur Hanlon’s early encounter with the eight-acre property in Redding began on the heels of a midwinter snow-storm. “We started the project by hoofing through two feet of snow in the woods and could barely make out the topography,” recalls the principal at Shope Reno Wharton, noting they really had no choice. “If we waited until May when the trees bloomed, there would have been no sense of orientation at all.”
Relying on survey maps and input from the clients, who lived nearby a site plan for the multi-building estate including main living quarters, a garage/barn with six bays and a tower reminiscent of a fire lookout was drawn. Mindful of minimizing impact to the pristine property, a classic shingle-style home defined by gables and runs of dormers emerged.
Selecting shingles because they “improve with age as they get patina,” Hanlon adds, “Things like overhangs and brackets also fare better than crisper modern details that are hard to maintain.” The local vernacular played a role as well. Granite walls in shades of beige, brown, gray and a hint of pink offer a dressed up version of the area’s farm fences. To add, a rusticated timber frame barn with vertical cedar siding and exposed rafter tails further references the adjacent farm properties.
Inside, the soaring 22-foot entry ceiling makes an extravagant statement. In contrast, the restrained trimwork throughout the house stays in line with the family’s contemporary lifestyle. “There’s no raised paneling and the crowns are dropped a little bit for half-inch reveals that create shadow lines moving them in a more modern direction,” Hanlon explains.
Along with low-profile moldings, natural materials like the rustic-grade, white-oak floors flow throughout. The decision to employ these details blend perfectly with interior designer Jeffrey Haines’ introduction of light colored walls, neutral fabrics and use of mass over intricacy. “The exterior feels like an early 1900s Shingle-style home but once you enter, the brevity of details made it obvious that the furnishings needed to be less about contrasting fabrics on a chair and more about scale,” says Haines, owner of Butler’s of Far Hills in New Jersey. An oversized bench with seating on all four sides that fills the center of the foyer makes his point.
Referencing his favorite analogy that well-crafted interiors are akin to reading an engaging novel he adds, “In the entry you meet wonderful textures and interesting art, and think, wow, this is going to be a really good book.” Subsequent chapters feature a mix of styles—cushy, upholstered sofas offset a sleek lacquered walnut coffee table with brass legs in the living room, for example, and a mindful melding of textures.
Photography by Durston Saylor
In the master bedroom the vintage chairs are redone with a more modern suit-like wool/linen blend and the bed is shagreen. In the tower room, a quartet of deep-seated chairs are covered in a light blue wool/cotton herringbone fabric.
An intentional shift occurs in what has been dubbed the “party barn” where the Western style exteriors drove a similar feel indoors. “We wanted a contradiction to the main house,” says the architect. The heavily distressed fir timber framing and river rock style fireplace more than deliver. For his part, Haines complemented the materials with heavily textured open-weave rattan chairs and a petrified wood cocktail table.
Additional amenities—including a pool and pool house, sport court and climbing wall—cement the homeowners desire to have “a place where family would never want to leave,” says Hanlon. “They wanted a legacy property, and we had the unique opportunity to mold the whole thing into exactly what they wanted.”
The print version of this article appears with the headline: Crafting a Legacy.
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