When architect Richard Clements Jr. designed Timber Cove Lodge on the coast of Sonoma County, California, in 1963, he took inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright: His hotel would be a tall A-frame, whose height would optimize ocean views, and whose materials—dark wood, stone, and glass—would make the building look at home in its surroundings.
Timber Cove was a hit for Clements, but like all things manmade, it fell out of style. When developers Michael Barry and Jens von Gierke bought it in 2015, they saw the potential (it’s sited on 25 acres of oceanfront property), but the hotel hadn’t been updated in more than 40 years. They hired global design firm Gensler and LA duo The Novogratz to lead an overhaul, with direction to lighten up the lodge while retaining the feel of a California log-cabin escape. The team removed the dated carpeting, pressure-washed the original redwood, and added expansive landscaping, including several fire pits and outdoor games like a pool table and ping pong. In only eight months, Timber Cove reopened in late 2016 with 46 rooms (including eight new suites) and the Coast Kitchen restaurant, serving California cuisine with ingredients from the local Sonoma bounty.
Photography courtesy of Timber Cove.
The hotel has a rental space called the Ansel Adams room; the famous photographer was a friend of the original owner and had photographed the Timber Cove property before Clements broke ground there.
The designers retained the muted color palette of the hotel’s original interiors, but added blue as an ocean-inspired accent color and plaid fabrics for a traditional feel.
The resort’s original owner, Richard Clements Jr., was a San Francisco architect who designed some of the city’s still-existing public monuments.
Rooms have views of either the forest, the protected cove, or the broader expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
For more coastal inspiration from across our sites, see:
- Hawaiian Summer: A Charm-Filled Stone Carriage House on the Maui Coast, Restored
- Seaside Gardening: 10 Ideas for Serene Coastal Landscapes
- Required Reading: Coastal Style by Sally Hayden & Alice Whately
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