This Overhauled 1960s Ranch House Connects a Family to the California Countryside

When Tim and Flin McDonald decided to relocate with their two children to a more rural setting in Northern California, it was the land—not the house—that piqued their interest. Located in Angwin, a small town nestled among the rolling hills of California wine country, the existing home could be described, simply and unimpressively, as a stucco box. Dark and nondescript, the single story dwelling was blighted by low ceilings, a poor layout, and virtually no connection to the outdoors.

Eager to experience the scenic landscape through a more inspired lens, the McDonalds turned to San Francisco-based Lundberg Design to spearhead their home’s remodel. With a longstanding relationship—design principal Olle Lundberg and the McDonalds had been friends for over four decades—the collaboration was a natural pairing. Lundberg had designed the McDonalds’ previous residence, while Tim McDonald, an established local builder, had led several of Lundberg’s Napa-area builds over the years.

The existing dwelling had an unremarkable façade, eight foot ceilings, and was designed, confoundingly, with only two small windows overlooking the picturesque hillside and pond. "It was a very plain 1960s era ranch house that really had no response to the site," recalls Lundberg. "The original house was certainly one of the plainest structures I’ve ever worked on." Overcoming this inherited mundanity, the prime objectives of the remodel were to open up the dark and cramped interior, and introduce greater cohesion with the surrounding landscape.