Ken Fulk and Ike Kligerman Barkley thoughtfully reimagine a historic 1840s caretaker’s cottage into a charming, ground-up guest home made for whiling the weekend away.
Built on the original footprint, a guest cottage by Ken Fulk and Ike Kilgerman Barkley has vineyard and river views.
Nestled between vineyards and old oak trees, a 1,200-square-foot cottage once called home by ranchers and caretakers over many generations lay in disrepair. Although run-down, the historic guesthouse had something special, and begged for posterity. "Everyone loved the cottage," says Carl Baker, principal architect at Ike Kligerman Barkley. "There was just something so settled and relaxed and inviting about it, but it was barely standing and couldn't be saved. And as pleasant as it was, the views weren't captured very well, the porch wasn't big enough for any social interaction and the layout inside was a warren of tiny rooms."
Porch screens are protected from the paws of visiting dogs with simple square farm fencing, which also satisfied the requirements for a guardrail. The furniture is from Sonoma Country Antiques.
Baker, San Francisco-based Ken Fulk and senior designer Brian Anderson joined forces to bring the spirit of the cottage back to life. Although the home was charming, it was not habitable or salvageable. So, what to do? Rather than plop a massive farmhouse down on the land, the team decided to build a new cottage on the original's footprint with today's needs—a more functional layout, better views and more—in mind. Design- and process-wise, it would possess the original's unpretentious charm via a handcrafted aesthetic, rustic materials and artisan touches.
In the living room, a classic leather Chesterfield sofa and midcentury pieces mix with industrial lighting and riveted steel shelving. Pendants are from The Urban Electric Co. and the patterned ottoman is from HD Buttercup
"We knew from the beginning this would be a full-force charm offensive," says Fulk. "This was our love letter to another era when cattle ranches and fruit orchards dotted the landscape." To carry out their objective, the team relied not only on of-the-era materials, but also on techniques that were used during the 1800s. "None of the original material was salvageable; however, we matched the width and thickness of the original board-and-batten cedar siding, we used farm fencing for the railings that matched what is in use around the working vineyard property, and we salvaged bricks from the other farm buildings as a surface for the front porch," Baker explains. As well, interior walls were covered in reclaimed pine, and wide floorboards were butted together and painted, some with "rugs" by artist Katherine Jacobus. "I've always had a love of knotty pine," says Fulk. "And if ever there was a chance to use it, it was here. The same goes for painted floors. They are the definition of unpretentious."
Furnishings and artwork are antique, from a wide range of periods and styles
The kitchen is one area that illustrates the team's devotion to authenticity. "The kitchen was designed to feel as though the cabinetry had been built by a farm-family handyman on-site using available materials," Baker adds, noting that the cabinets are of unequal size. "Farm kitchens traditionally also used furniture pieces for storage and work surfaces, so we left room in the kitchen for a center table and free-standing sideboard—we tried to not overprogram it." As well, the BlueStar range was customized with colors that resemble a Coleman camping stove.
In the bathroom, French doors open onto a semicircular outdoor shower clad in corrugated metal. A Penhaglion cast-iron soaking tub is accented with Waterworks fixtures and surrounded by Ann Sacks tile.
Although the finished home looks casual and easygoing, getting to that point was anything but. "There was a high amount of precision on the details and it required extensive coordination among the talented millworkers, cabinetmakers and contractors to pull this off," says Baker. "One small example of this was the zinc countertop in the kitchen, which has a bistro-style decorative edge detail and had to be aged through a combination of techniques to get to be just the right patina. Stories like this are abundant in this small project."
A painted “rug” by Katherine Jacobus centers the kitchen. Zinc counters with a custom patina finish, a BlueStar range and The Urban Electric Co. lighting complete the look.
A mix of old and new furnishings, antique artwork and durable finishes throughout ensure that this unique home will keep the homeowners and their guests happy for many more generations to come. "Each space is a favorite experience," says Baker. "For a tiny cabin, this project packs a punch!"
Reclaimed pine board-and-batten walls and ceilings recall a hunting lodge interior, while vintage furniture and artwork invites casual living.
The design team chose retrostyled modern appliances and fixtures but let the mid-19th century guide the interior architecture
The petite pool is perfect for the area’s hot and dry climate.
A mixture of bedding materials, narrow-striped wallpaper, and a bright vaulted wood-paneled ceiling create both volume and liveliness in an intimate bedroom
DESIGN DETAILS
TYPE
Guest cottage
LOCATION
Sonoma
ARCHITECTURE
Carl Baker, Ike Kligerman Barkley
ikekligermanbarkley.com
INTERIOR DESIGN
Ken Fulk and Brian Anderson
kenfulk.com
BUILDER
Redhorse Constructors
redhorseconstructors.com
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Elaine Shaw 415.260.4599
CABINETMAKER
Matthew Chase Woodworks 415.410.6558
RESOURCES
ANN SACKS
Bathroom tile annsacks.com
BENJAMIN MOORE
Paint throughout benjaminmoore.com
BLUESTAR
Kitchen range (designed to resemble a Coleman camping stove) bluestarcooking.com
CALIFORNIA WOOD FLOORS
Floors throughout californiawoodfloors.com
DOGFORK LAMP ARTS
Vintage fixture restoration dogfork.com
HD BUTTERCUP
Living room ottoman hdbuttercup.com
LOST ART SALON
Living room artwork lostartsalon.com
PENHAGLION
Bathroom tub penhaglion.com
SONOMA COUNTRY ANTIQUES
Porch furniture sonomaantiques.com
THE URBAN ELECTRIC CO.
Living room pendants urbanelectric.com
WATERWORKS
Bathroom fixtures waterworks.com
