CLOUD HOUSE

In 2020 supportive friends turned clients sold their suburban home and chased a dream north where they purchased some land. Their new home included a 1-acre lavender field developed by a previous owner in the ‘90s. It was one of the property’s main selling points, but had been neglected for years. There was nothing to “design” or transform — the field was epically beautiful and fragrant, even in its neglect, perhaps even because of it. Nature has a magical way of taking care of itself, and this field was no exception. But there was still much to do to help jump start its restoration to a lavender farm — an acre of deadheading; troubleshooting and repairing the drip irrigation system; and lots of weeding.

After making the idyllic drive from the Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, including 30 minutes up a winding dirt road, we were greeted by the property’s protectors — two HUGE mastiffs named Axel and Howl (any Miyazki fans!?). We quickly inventoried what we needed and jumped in their pickup (way cooler than our economy rental car) to secure tons of irrigation tubing, couplers, and tees from Friedman’s, the local home improvement store.

For the next several days, decked out in rain gear, we repaired 100+ leaks in the irrigation system and kicked off the tedious process (yeah right, Allen loved every moment with the Stihl in his hands) of deadheading the existing blooms. A few months later, we received photos of the revived field, though that’s largely thanks to the countless hours our client put in. Since then, little by little, one section at a time, our clients have absolutely transformed their property into a true homestead (though most all of it has and will intentionally remain undeveloped). They chased a dream and made it happen — we’re incredibly honored to have played a very tiny part.

Thank you to B, M, and T for welcoming us so warmly; feeding us LIKE KINGS; and including us in your courageous journey. You inspire us every day.