Napa Valley Retreat: A Landscape Designed for the Wine Country Lifestyle

Two busy San Francisco designers wanted a weekend escape embracing Napa Valley's relaxation. A full home and yard remodel means the driveway transition sheds city stress instantly. Out back: vineyard and olive grove views from outdoor living and dining rooms, fire pit glow, hot tub soaks, and pool sunbathing.

Photos by Meg Messina

Landscape at a Glance

• Activities: Lounging, dining, hot tubbing, dog running, sunbathing, horseshoes
• Location: St. Helena, California
• Size: ~2,500 sq ft (232 sq m)
• Designer: Katharine Webster

The clients wanted simple, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant cohesion. On a busy street, mature 'Bright 'N Tight' Carolina laurel cherries (Prunus caroliniana 'Monus') created an instant privacy hedge. A concrete retaining wall lifts the yard cleanly from the sidewalk. Lemon, lime, and olive trees dot the front yard.

Steel planters along the driveway transition to a neighboring traditional garden. Whimsy appears in plant choices: 'Cousin Itt' little river wattle (Acacia cognata 'ACCOG01') flanks the garage—named for the wild-haired Addams Family character.

A flea-market ski-lift-chair swing and barn lights add personality. Greenform's lightweight fiberglass planters—"clean architectural shapes that make designs tighter"—blend without visual noise.

With the privacy hedge, the front porch becomes an outdoor room. Metal spheres fill the void artfully; custom gravel mix is ultra-low-maintenance.

The front yard welcomes while staying private. Native no-mow grass flanks poured-in-place concrete pavers separated by gravel and steel-edged.

Carolina laurel cherries—dense, glossy-leaved, drought-tolerant—anchor the water-conscious planting plan. Sidewalk planters hold 'Little Ollie' dwarf olives (Olea europaea 'Montra'), hinting at backyard olive views.

Backyard design centered on effortless indoor-outdoor flow. Master bedroom opens to hot tub; living room opens to a willow pergola over a gas fire pit ("the pool house"). Dining sits to the right. Clean lines, unfussy transitions, concrete cantilevering slightly over pool and hot tub edges.

"We wanted the tight suburban property to feel expansive," Webster says. Neighboring homes are screened; the rear opens to vineyard views. A mounded garden mixes sculptural silvers, soft greens, purples—boxwood, dusty miller, jasmine, sweet-pea shrub, wormwood—all drought-tolerant.

Thyme and lavender fragrance the air.

The hillside garden view from the outdoor living room: pool/patio leveling created fill for the mound. Steps lead to horseshoe pit and dog run. A simple metal grid fence opens to distant vineyards. Teak-based furniture suits casual weekends. The contractor-poured concrete fire pit maintains modern rectilinear lines.

Fence: Howard Wire Cloth Co.

Reclaimed redwood chevron wall behind the hot tub hides equipment, echoes an interior accent wall. The pool features a sun shelf for chaise lounging and a deep section for cooling dips.

Landscape architecture: Katharine Webster; Architect: Zak Architecture; Contractor: Trainor Builders