“Don’t walk, run,” was the exact text Maria Wu’s client received from a friend when this Napa Valley home popped up on Redfin. It was the early days of the pandemic, and her family of six had been renting out different spots in wine country with the ultimate goal of buying a weekend getaway while still treating the Bay Area as their home base. All they really wanted at the time was room to spread out, but when they were tipped off to this vineyard-adjacent farmhouse and decided to buy it, the retreat evolved into much more than an easy escape. “It became about creating a space where we could live life a bit differently,” shares the homeowner and mom of four. “We wanted to offer different experiences for our children; a place where they don’t always have to be under the watchful eye of their parents.”
She leaned on Wu, the founder of Studio Wu, from the very beginning. The designer even came out to vet the property before they signed on it—the homeowner and her husband wanted to be sure that they wouldn’t have to embark on a major renovation. Plus they knew that Wu, who had worked on their main house, understood the ins and outs of their family. When they spotted a separate structure in the backyard, everyone was immediately on the same page: play barn.
While the clubhouse-like space is stocked with art supplies, a climbing wall, and a pullout sectional, it’s not just for little ones. “Every Memorial Day weekend, we have the same three families all pile in: parents sleep in the play barn and the guesthouse, while the kids pack into the bunk room,” says the homeowner. Ahead, she and Wu give us a look inside the Napa getaway.
Wu: We wanted seat pads that were easily wipeable. We found this great product that feels like leather, but it’s actually made from cactus.
Table, Honeyed Figs; Chair Pads, Desserto; Shade Fabric, Cowtan & Tout; Pendant Lamp, Urban Electric; Art by Isca Greenfield-Sanders.
“It became about creating a space where we could live life a bit differently.”
The homeowner: My husband gifted me the red M-shaped art for Mother’s Day—a very literal interpretation. Daisies were my grandmother’s favorite flowers. I took some photos on my phone one day and sent them to my mom to let her know I was thinking about my grandmother. Maria loved that and took them all and created a collage.
Sofa Fabric, Lee Jofa; Lounge Chair Fabric, Kufri; Coffee Table, DWR; Console, Alfred Newall; Curtain Fabric, Cowtan & Tout; Pillows, Decors Barbares, Malabar, and Les Indiennes; Rugs, Annie Selke and Stark; Art by Lena Wolff, Kelly Ording, and Gary Hume.
The homeowner: It’s such a nice place to curl up. Maria repurposed a rocking chair that we had had for a long time. I gave my husband the chess set for his first Father’s Day, thinking he might one day teach our children to play—they’ve actually taught him on that board!
Sofa and Rocking Chair Fabric, Kufri; Sconces, Arhaus; Table, DWR; Pillows, Ceraudo and Decors Barbares; Rug, Lee Jofa; Art by Natural Curiosities.
The homeowner: The gnome table used to be in my mom’s office (she has a great sense of play). I had it in my first apartment, and it moved with us into our first place, too. I love to have pieces that have been a part of my childhood and then become part of our life. The painting on the back wall is something I did in third grade. It was supposed to be a rabbit. I remember feeling disappointed when everyone thought it was a cat!
Pendant Lamps, Noguchi; Coffee Table and Floor Pillows, Pottery Barn; Sectional, West Elm.
“I love to have pieces that have been a part of my childhood and then become part of our life.”
Quilts, Projektityyny; Light, Sazerac Stitches; Curtain Fabric, Les Indiennes; Floor Tile, Flor; Bedding, Heather Taylor Home; Accent Pillows, Kufri; Bed Frames, Oeuf; Art by Tappan and Hugo Guinness.
The homeowner: Every room had to be multifunctional, down to the fact that there needed to be enough space in our bathroom to set up a pack-and-play for our baby. Because when we fill the house with people, that’s where we have to relocate it. Maria really embraced
that challenge.
Cabinet Knobs, Schoolhouse; Pendant Lamp, Urban Electric Co.; Stool, etuHome; Shade Fabric, Decors Barbares.
vintage vibe.
Bedding, Les Indiennes; Nightstand, Lostine.
Landscape Design by Oxbow Pool and Landscape Contractors. Umbrellas, Midtown; Chaises, Serena & Lily; Chaise Fabric, Perennials; Sofa and Lounge Chairs, Rejuvenation; Lounge Chair Fabric, Peter Dunham; Pillows, Serena & Lily and Kravet; Coffee Table, DWR; Pool Side Tables, Pottery Barn.
