Amnesia House is a fire-resilient residential retreat set on 10 acres of rugged landscape in California’s Napa Valley. The home’s designer, Edmonds + Lee Architects, conceived the home as a contemporary counterpoint to the clients’ urban residence, Remember House, in San Francisco. Moreover, to help shape the interior, the firm collaborated with Garde Hvalsøe, the Danish company that specializes in kitchens, bathrooms and general millwork for the home.
The single-story home about 60 miles north of San Francisco is defined by its horizontal, quiet siting and deep connection to the surrounding terrain. It’s composed of two parallel gabled volumes oriented east to west, joined by a fully glazed vestibule. The double bar plan of the house is at once modern and ancient, stylized and iconic, the firm says.
Shaped by its rocky terrain and vulnerability to wildfire, natural and environmental considerations informed every design decision, from orientation and access to materiality and form. The home features steel cladding that enhances the architecture while providing inherent fire resistance to safeguard the property. The façade’s weathering steel cladding eliminates gaps that could allow ember intrusion, while its non-combustible composition inherently resists ignition. The home also features an exterior fire sprinkler system and minimal roof penetrations, further enforcing its safety.
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The entrance of the house sits at the opposite end of the pool terrace. Large openings on both façades frame panoramic views of the valley, while a deep roof overhang and louvres modulate light and shade throughout the day.
“The richness of the proposed deeply grained grayish wood siding brings a rural style to the crisply modernist shape; a main house, its simple gabled roof a nod to the local vernacular, sleeps the immediate family and grandparents, while two visitors’ cottages nestle into the same scrubbed landscape,” the firm writes on its website. “Windows are at once long swaths of open space for light and minimal punctuation points.”
Inside, public and private spaces become interlaced. The living room is adjacent to a sitting room that flows into a central hinge leading to more sitting rooms, a kitchen, a dining room and bedrooms. The material palette–pale white, restrained wood, clear glass–delineates marks in the landscape, beginning to open up the view.
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The interiors feature a bespoke kitchen, cabinetry and interior millwork solutions from Garde Hvalsøe. “The architects envisioned a design defined by simple, organic and honest materials to coexist with the land surrounding the property, making Garde Hvalsøe a natural partner for the project,” the Danish company says.
Garde Hvalsøe fabricated the oak millwork throughout the bedrooms, private office, family room and closets. Additionally, the bunk beds and cabinets are bespoke pieces developed by Garde Hvalsøe’s Atelier department. A bespoke kitchen based on Garde Hvalsøe’s Solid model was installed, complemented further by bathroom furniture in the same material and style, providing stylistic flow and cohesion across the interiors.
The palette in the home is purposefully subdued and grounded, featuring terrazzo-ground concrete floors that create visual continuity between interior and exterior spaces. The restrained tonality allows the changing light and surrounding landscape to define the home’s mood throughout the day. Acoustic comfort was achieved through programmatic zoning, while private areas are distinctly separated from social spaces, ensuring quiet and calm without additional acoustic treatment, the company says.
“The use of our oak millwork throughout the home creates synergy throughout the property and coexists beautifully with the natural environment in which the property is located,” says Søren Lundh Aagaard, partner and CEO of Garde Hvalsøe. “We are delighted to see how our timeless Danish style can work magnificently in a contemporary environment on the opposite side of the world.”
The site was previously undeveloped, presenting challenges including limited site access and a steep topography. To minimize disturbance to the landscape, the house was carefully positioned on a narrow ledge, preserving existing drainage patterns, vegetation and geological features, while adhering to slope restrictions.
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“The selected model strikes a balance between rustic authenticity and contemporary precision,” says Robert Edmonds, partner at Edmonds + Lee Architects. “Its craftsmanship feels true to the agrarian vernacular while maintaining a refined, modern sensibility that complements the architecture’s material language.”
The furnishings were selected directly by the owner, reflecting their personal taste and lifestyle, with several bespoke furniture pieces created by Studio Roeper, a Napa-based maker. The overall interior composition complements the architecture’s emphasis on warmth, proportion and quiet sophistication. Natural light drives the spatial experience in the property, while artificial lighting is minimal and integrated, highlighted by a chandelier by Studio Drift, which serves as both artwork and illumination.
Beyond Garde Hvalsøe and Studio Drift, the project drew on a network of local builders and craftspeople, whose knowledge of Napa’s terrain, climate and traditions was essential to bringing the design to life. “Together, these collaborations shaped Amnesia House into a home where refined craftsmanship meets the rugged landscape,” the brand says. “Every detail, from materials to form, reflects a thoughtful dialogue with its surroundings, creating a space that feels both timeless and deeply rooted in place.”
