"I didn't want a house where someone came in and said, ‘Hey, I almost bought that door handle’.

I wanted a house that was honest.

I wanted a house that - darn it - was what it was."

- Laney Thornton, Client

“What it is, it turns out, is a house that, despite its impressive size, really looks at home in its surroundings. Much of the reason is that it was largely made from its surroundings: It is constructed of steel-reinforced rammed earth, a mixture of 30 percent concrete and 70 percent dirt taken from the site. Fallen bay and madrone trees were milled and crafted into cabinetry and flooring. Redwood beams and rafters came from a century-old bridge that had been disassembled.  

The home's placement on the land also contributes to the effect. What appears from the front to be a single story dwelling is actually a two-story house surrounded by a veranda.  The second story, which contains the master suite and five bedrooms, is on grade with the uphill side and shaded by the grove. The second story, which contains the kitchen, living room and dining areas, opens to the earthen tile patio and natural grass lawn.  The home has no air conditioning because it isn't needed, even on a hot August afternoon. Cross ventilation by breezes flowing from the shaded area on the north side through the open doors and windows on each side of the veranda keep it cool.

Perched high on the tip of the Sonoma range, the home offers sweeping views of the vineyards and farmlands of Sonoma Valley to the east, the Petaluma wetlands and Napa Valley to the west. On a clear day, the San Francisco skyline can be seen rising above the northern delta of San Francisco Bay to the south.

‘I wanted visitors to feel centered,’ says Thornton. ‘I wanted it to give people a sense of place, both historically and setting-wise, instead of making it about my trip to Italy or ego,’ says Thornton. ‘I didn't want a trophy house.’”

- Dana Perrigan, Special to The San Francisco Chronicle, 2005